Denver Colorado Karate Classes Blog

Monday, May 22, 2006

This evenings karate class was unique. First warm-ups consisted of the usual exercises and then we did some stretching using a partner to push or pull on your arms or back in order to get that extra inch stretch. It all made sense for what was next.

The Sensei set up 7 stations and each station consisted of different punches and kicks. Here are the stations:

1. Do DM’s 5,6,7, 12 and 14
2. Linear hand strikes
3. Circular hand strikes
4. 3 strike hand combos
5. Side kicks
6. Front kicks
7. Linear and circular hand strikes

I think the hardest were doing continuous hand strikes for 60 seconds. Around the 60 second mark, you start losing your power and coordination. After doing all seven stations, we were all dead tired. Good work out.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Warm-ups took a different twist tonight. Everything was timed in 60 second increments. I did 78 really decent push-ups. The last 10 were a killer. I did 81 crunches and 61 squats.

After warm-ups, we partnered up and used a pad (looks like a padded baseball bat) in an attempt to strike your partner and your partner will try and block every blow with their hands/arms. It’s impossible to block every blow but my strategy was to try and protect my neck and head.

Then we moved over to covering overhead club techniques. The Sensei showed a new technique and then I realized I already learned that one. That gives me 8 in my arsenal which is more than enough to know and use.

How it works:

- step in with left foot and use cross hand block
- while in the cross hand block, the left hand grabs the attackers wrist
- right foot steps over to make body facing 9:00, while doing so, a glancing right elbow
to the ribs is in order
- with right foot in place, the right leg sweeps the attackers leg
- attacker on ground, right leg stomp to ribs and dislocating right arm from socket

Monday, May 15, 2006

(missed last Wednesday’s class due to traveling out of town)

Tonight’s lesson started off doing punch and kick combos while doing the 8-pint block. Here’s how it started

— 8 point block
— 8 point block with counter strikes
— 8 pt. block with counter and a thrust punch to the groin and a front two knuckle to the face
— Front ball kick, 8 pt. block with counter and thrust punch to groin and front 2 knuckle to the face

Then we partnered up to do 5 DM’s that we want to practice on. I picked 10, 13, 16, 17 and 26.

The second time I did DM 26 on my partner, I got up off the floor and said I was only the second person to ever successfully sweep him off his feet. The only other person was a black belt. My partner probably weighs about 250 pounds to my 165. I took that as a compliment.

Then we moved on to side club attacks. Sensei asked all who had “x” amount of side clubs. I was 1 of probably 3 who had 5 side clubs.

Sensei taught us the finishing move to a basic side club. It’s…

— Step in with right foot and rotate to 9:00
— left hand knife block, right hand comes down on bicep
— right hand backfist to face
— left hand palm heel to face
— right hand thrust punch to mid-section
— left hand shuto to neck
— right hand palm heel (not using proper term) sweeps across right to left across side of head
— right hand then goes into hammer to groin
— turn to left 45 degrees and end up doing a side thrust with right leg.

Monday, May 8, 2006

Tonight’s adult martial arts class focused on using the pads to try different punch and kick strikes. First we did the regular front two-knuckle punches, then shuto strikes and then immortal man. The immortal man was the hardest due to striking a firm target that made your fingers buckle.

After that was kicks. As a warm-up, we did front ball kicks, then side blade kicks and then side cross-over rear kicks. That one gets you the most power. Overall it was a good workout and hitting the pads for 30 minutes straight is good for the endurance.

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

After our usual warm-up (students picked the exercise and we probably did over 100 crunches), the Sensei had us do Pinan #1 and students at my belt level did Kata 3 and Pinan 5. I was pleased with both of the new ones I learned since January.

Then we went to doing our DM’s. I am getting into the DM anticipation mode by trying to anticipate the next DM which makes me not react fast enough to the proper DM.

A run-down on the DM’s

2 - didn’t do the backfist
3 - started doing kenpo 3 but recovered
4 - fine
5 - fine
6 - fine
7 - fine
8 - fine
9 - delayed but did it fine
10 - fine
11 - fine
12 - fine
13 - fine
14 - delayed and ended up doing it lefty by accident
15 - fine
16 - delayed a second or two but did it fine
18 - did a semi cat stance but did it OK
26 - fine

Then we partnered up to do some “slips”/”blocks” (my words) with the attacker throwing a punch right at you, you move to the left a few inches while using your left hand to block the punch. The block is a subtle block using your left hand just to the right side of your face. While blocking with the left, you throw a simultaneous punch to the upper body.

The exercise raised awareness to block and punch at the same time using some of the principles taught in the forms.

Monday, May 1, 2006

Tonight we had a black belt teach the class to fill in as a substitute for another sensei who is teaching at another dojo.

This is the black belts first class and he was a little nervous but who wouldn’t when doing it for the first time.

After the warm-ups, we partnered up to do our DM’s. The black belt would call out a DM and we were to perform the DM with good form.

After that, we forming two long lines to form a DM quantlet. The person at the end of the row was to go down the line by fending off an attack thrown from each person. You were to react by countering back with a DM. For some reason, I fell into the DM 15 rut and probably did that DM 5 times out of 12 attacks. I also did DM 12 lefty and that wasn’t planned.

Then we did another gauntlet where we can do either our DM’s and/or Kenpos. I mapped out a Kenpo strategy in my head and that when to pot after my first Kenpo. I ended up doing Kenpo 5 quite a few times and not doing most of the other 20 kenpos that I know.

Overall, the black belt held a good class tonight.