Updated training schedule and remembrance of Sensei

 

基本 (KIHON)

 

その場基本 (Sonoba-Kihon)—Stationary Fundamentals

 

八字立

(1)          中段直突

(2)          三本連突

 

In hachiji-dachi assume hidari tateshuto chudan gamae. From this position alternately practice chudan choku zuki. Follow this with sanbon ren zuki (jodan zuki followed by chudan niren zuki).

 

•             Note in this practice I sometimes replace hachiji-dachi with 騎馬立 (kiba-dachi).

 

 

閉足立

(3)          中段前蹴蹴上

(4)          中段横蹴蹴上

 

Move into heisoku-dachi with gedan kakiwake. For technique three simply practice chudan mae geri keage alternately. Once completed the decided number of repetitions repeat this process with chudan yoko geri keage.

 

 

左前屈立

(5)          左上段刻突から右中段逆突

 

Drive forward into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari gedan barai then slowly extend migi chudan gyaku-zuki as the preparatory kamae. From this position practice hidari jodan kizami zuki followed by migi chudan gyaku zuki.

 

 

右前屈立

(6)          右上段刻突から左中段逆突

 

This is the same practice as the previous waza except mirrored; that is, practice migi jodan kizami zuki followed by hidari chudan gyaku zuki in migi zenkutsu dachi.

 

 

左前屈立

(7)          右中段前蹴蹴上

(8)          左中段刻前蹴から右上段前蹴蹴上

 

In hidari zenkutsu dachi initially practice hidari chudan mae geri keage in isolation, kicking then returning to hidari zenkutsu dachi. After this practice execute hidari kizami mae geri followed by migi jodan mae geri keage.

 

 

右前屈立

(9)          左中段前蹴蹴上

(10)        右中段刻前蹴から左上段前蹴蹴上

 

This practice is the same as techniques seven and eight, but mirrored for balanced practice. In my case, if one side is weaker than the other, I usually do more reps on the weaker side.

 

 

 

移動基本 (Ido-Kihon)—Fundamentals on the move

 

前屈立

 

(11)        三本連突

(12)        連蹴 (中段前蹴蹴上から上段前蹴蹴上)

(13)        回し蹴から中段逆突

(14)        中段後蹴蹴込

 

Techniques 11–14 are all attacking techniques advancing from and into zenkutsu-dachi. The first is sanbon ren-zuki which comprises of jodan oi-zuki followed by niren chudan-zuki (gyaku-zuki kara maete-zuki), which is a combination of propulsion/drive followed by vibration/subtle rotation. The second is two consecutive mae geri, the initial attacking chudan, with the second waza going high. The third, technique 13, is ‘legs followed by hands: Mawashi-geri then chudan gyaku-zuki. Technique 14 is Chudan ushiro-geri kekomi in isolation.

 

 

騎馬立

(15)        中段横蹴蹴上、脚を変えて中段横蹴蹴込

 

This renwaza is executed from kiba-dachi. Use kosa-aiyumibashi to advance with a lead leg chudan yoko-geri keage then pivoting on the lead foot—towards the lead hip—use the rear leg to attack with chudan yoko-geri kekomi.

 

 

 

前屈立

(16)        上段揚受から上段逆突

 

Fumidashi in zenkutsu-dachi with jodan age-uke followed by jodan gyaku-zuki.

 

 

前屈立から騎馬立

(17)        中段外受から中段横猿臂

Fumidashi in zenkutsu-dachi with chudan soto-uchi then transfer to zenkutsu-dachi with chudan yoko-enpi. Just to note, I’m presently doing this renwaza without yori-ashi, which is very different for me, but beneficial.

 

 

前屈立

(18)        中段内受から中段逆突

(19)        下段払から中段逆突

 

These two renwaza are in zenkutsu-dachi. The first is chudan uchi-uke followed by chudan uchi-uke kara chudan gyaku-zuki; the second is the same but the ukewaza is gedan-barai. Needless to say, both of these uke are ‘compression inward then expansion outward’ waza. The classical aim of the chudan zuki is not to merely target the opponents abdomen, but to target their spine.

 

 

 

 

後屈立から前屈立

(20)        手刀中段受から中段縦四本貫手

 

The final waza of my current idokihon training and total kihon regime is simply transitioning from kokutsu-dachi to zenkutsu-dachi in correspondence with shuto chudan-uke and chudan tate shihon nukite. The key here is kakato chushin and driving forwards for the nukite.

 

型 (KATA)

 

i. Random 平安 (Heian). Today was Heian Sandan. This is simply fundamental training at present. Very shallow ‘precision’ and ‘athleticism’ based practice.

 

ii. Random 鉄騎 (Tekki). I deviated in today’s training and worked on both Nidan and Sandan focusing on overlapping applicative points for infighting.

 

iii. One kata from Shotokan’s ‘Big Seven’: for example, today was 半月 (Hangetsu) as some of students are preparing it for an examination, and this spurred me to do it.

 

 

iv. 浪手 (Roshu) . This kata is a jutsu for perfecting wave like actions in defense and offense. When practiced properly it mimics the rise and fall of waves, swirling, ebbing and flowing movement, which is not the wave itself but, rather, energy. This is one of the many kata I learned privately, one on one, from Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei. Appropriately, I state this today as it would have marked his 87th Birthday.

 

v. 安三 (Ansan) is a Tomari-Te kata, which we have a very unique version of. Ansan is particularly focused on Atemi/Kyusho jutsu.

 

組手 (KUMITE )

 

I’m presently focused on shadow boxing. That might sound strange but my focus is on footwork (this coincidentally coincides with Hangetsu), head movement, and intercepting ‘the shoot’; that is, neutralizing ‘being taken down’.  In addition to these points, I am also working on the aforementioned applications from Tekki, Ansan, and the use of energy from Roshu.

© Andre Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2022).