The bad days in the dojo are often more productive than the good ones!

Movement six of Meikyo Sandan: Migi chudan kagi-zuki (Yori-ashi kiba-dachi).

 Today’s training, I went through the 気法拳  (Kihoken) forms—Issei, Nisei and Sansei. 真拳 (Shinken), which is commonly (and incorrectly) referred to as the fourth Kihoken kata. Furthermore, I practiced 掌手小 (Shote-Sho) and the three 明鏡  (Meikyo) kata.

 For kihon it was the first two renzokuwaza in the ‘IKS’ 国際空手道松濤館 

Nidan Syllabus. The requirements I have for the Nidan Exam comprises of merely three ido kihon-waza and two sonoba kihon-waza. We do not test kihon separately above Nidan, so Nidan is the final independent testing of kihon. Accordingly, I have very specific requirements which are very budo/bujtusu orientated: unlike the standard Shotokan requirements, which are merely 'for the test'. Our kihon is for ongoing development, so I cut out all of the irrelevances (many of which are real time wasters in training). My thinking is that the syllabus must promote excellence, not just be something one needs to past 'exams'.

Movement 23 of Meikyo Sandan: Hidari soto ashi-uke doji ni hidari jodan soto-uke.

 

I must add here that these two kihon-waza also covered my kumite practice; again, amplifying that our syllabus is not only for tests but, rather, lifelong budo/bujutsu.

Movement one of Shote-Sho: Migi kakuto doji ni teisho suigetsugamae (Migi ashimae nekoashi-dachi).

Movement four of Meikyo Sandan: Hidari shuto gedan-barai (Yori-ashi kiba-dachi).

          I want to share something with you to encourage you! 

Today was not my best day in my self training, let’s face it we have and good and bad days; nonetheless, even in my teens I found that (as the title of this post says) "...the bad days in the dojo are often more productive than the good ones!" My advice is that you keep this in mind!!! It's one of my real secrets of motivation and actual tangible progression.

 Train hard, train smart and make the most of yourself! WHY NOT???

Positive energy to everyone. Osu, André.

The final waza of Shote-Sho: Hidari tateshuto doji ni migi shuto jodan sokumen-gamae (Hidari ashi mae fudo-dachi).

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2021).