TO THE LIMIT

I've had a wonderful week of relaxing balanced by some very hard training. It is just so great to finally have some free time! Early in the week I started catching a cold but fortunately I managed to "sweat it out".

Practice of kata Kanku-dai and Unsu along with Asai Sensei's awesome oyo/bunkai-jutsu for these kata was the highlight of the weekend trainings. Kankudai is the DAI-ICHI KATA OF SHOTOKAN-RYU and cannot be emphasised enough. Whilst the "advanced" Unsu (stolen and adapted from Shito-Ryu) is the most complex formal exercise of the standard 26 Shotokan kata.

Wrapping up both Saturday and Sunday sessions with several hundred mae-geri and gyaku-zuki and I'm ready to blast into November! Practice, practice and more practice is certainly needed! I have some big targets before the end of the year; however, regardless of whether or not I achieve them, I will push my body, mind and spirit to the limit.
© André Bertel (2011). Christchurch, New Zealand.