In Japan for a few weeks

We are back here in Japan for the best part of a month. The following practice regime here in Nippon is not "revolutionary" by any means, but is physically demanding and technically relentless. I think that this hard basic style training, and the sheer pressure for exactness (at all times) is what separates the traditional karate dojo in Japan from most everywhere else. My best wishes to you from Sakura covered Nippon. - André.
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Stationary kihon: From hachinoji-dachi: (1) Chudan choku-zuki; (2) Jodan choku-zuki; (3) Gedan choku-zuki; (4) Sambon-zuki; (5) Jodan age-uke; (6) Chudan soto-uke; (7) Chudan uchi-uke; and (8) Gedan-barai. From migi then hidari renoji-dachi (9 & 10) Migi & hidari chudan shuto-uke. From heisoku-dachi: (11) Chudan mae-geri; (12) Yoko-keriage; and (13) Yoko-kerikomi. From heiko-dachi advancing into zenkutsu-dachi and back: (14) Mawashi-geri. From heisoku-dachi driving rearward into zenkutsu-dachi and back (15) Ushiro-kerikomi. From heiko-dachi advancing into zenkutsu-dachi then back: (16) Chudan oi-zuki. From hidari then migi zenkutsu-dachi: (17 & 18) Hidari & migi chudan gyaku-zuki. From hidari then migi zenkutsu-dachi: (19 & 20) Hidari & migi mae-geri. {REPETITIONS: 30-50 repetitions with maximum snap after 10-20 warm up techniques. Typically these warm-ups also include dissected versions of the waza. I.e. - four step mae-geri with "ichi" being called four times etc}.

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Ido-kihon (1) Chudan oi-zuki; (2) Jodan age-uke kara chudan gyaku-zuki; (3) Chudan soto-uke kara chudan yoko empi-uchi; (4) Chudan uchi-uke kara chudan gyaku-zuki; (5) Gedan-barai kara chudan gyaku-zuki; (6) Chudan shuto-uke kara nukite; (7) Ren geri: Chudan mae-geri kara jodan mae-geri; (8) Mawashi-geri; (9) Yoko-keriage ; and (10) Yoko-kerikomi . {REPETITIONS: No warm up set, just straight into it with full speed. Only 10 repetitions of each, but a long pause between each count. Explosive off the mark to 'total stillness' and zanshin}.
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Kata & Kumite Typically ido-kihon is followed by a couple of bouts of kihon kumite, namely the standard methods of gohon and/or kihon ippon kumite as "basic training". From there kata is drilled based on one kata in isolation being fastidiously repeated (over and over again) with every sub-action being under harsh scruntiny. . Training is ended by a few rounds of very intense jiyu-ippon kumite, uchikomi & jiyu-kumite
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© André Bertel. Kyushu, Japan 2011.