Updated training regime: a return to the sentei-gata

Warming up: my private dynamic stretching routine.

At present I am reviewing the sentei-gata: Bassai Dai, Kanku-Dai, Enpi and Jion. Needless to say, this is a big step from the five Heian and Tekki Shodan, however, I am now tackling `the big four’ in light of them. In addition to these kata I am working on Gohon kumite (Five step sparring); Kihon ippon kumite (Fundamental one-step sparring); and once again going through the JKA syllabus kihon. In my own training this is currently focused on the 9^th, 8^th and 7^th Kyu exams.

Balancing this, at the Kumamoto Chuo Dojo one of my seniors (Mr. Katayama who is in his 70s) is going for his JKA Sandan soon; consequently, kihon practice with Nakamura Shihan has naturally been focused on the Sandan curriculum.  For those of you who don’t know this includes: (1) Kizami-zuki+ sanbon ren-zuki; (2) Jodan age-uke + same arm chudan soto-uke + gyaku-zuki; (3) Chudan uchi-uke in kokutsu-dachi + kizami-zuki + gyaku-zuki; (4) Shuto-uke + kizami mae-geri + nukite; (5) Stepping back with jodan age-uke + advancing with mawashi-geri + uraken yoko-uchi + chudan jun-zuki; (6) Mae-geri + yoko-kekomi + mawashi-geri + gyaku-zuki; and (7) Mae-geri + yoko-kekomi + ushiro-geri kicking frontward, sideward and rearward: before returning the kicking foot to the floor (with both right and left legs). Perhaps a little off topic, but it really impresses me how we can find several of these renzokuwaza (combination techniques) in the 1960s JKA textbook, `Dynamic Karate’. Other groups do this as well, but the JKA have some very special points which pertain to the origins of these waza.

Kanku-dai kata.

That being said, it is very interesting how everything comes back to the core fundamentals—the core foundational principles, irrespective of complex renzokuwaza, kata, kumite, self-defence or impact work. When this is a physical reality—all aspects of training unite—and shingitai can be optimally worked towards. Contrasting my previous months kata training, of the six shitei-gata, with the more advanced sentei-gata; furthermore, my current `basic’ kihon work (in my self-training) with the `advanced training’ (under Nakamura Shihan and Akiyoshi Sensei); and the aforementioned point can be vividly seen.

Presently I'm focusing on deai in jiyu-kumite as depicted here in Germany.

It is from this reference point that the lines between basic and advanced become blurred and often undertake a sort of ‘polar reverse’ if you will. In my case, this has constantly occurred over the last three decades in karate-do and will certainly continue to do so. Such learnings are what make karate so challenging and, at the same time, so enjoyable. Osu, André.

© André Bertel, Aso-shi, Kumamoto. Japan (2014).