Last week we had three very good classes exploring new drills. As usual, we started the class with an intense warm-up / workout. Although karate classes must be focused in, precisely, karate, I believe body conditioning is an essential part of any karate style which seeks for functionality where it matters the most.
We seek for excellence and excellence can only achieved with solid basics. Everything is rooted in good quality basics: standing in heiko dachi we punch over and over again until we feel the punches being delivered all the way from toes and feet, up the legs, hips and arms. Fully relaxed and accelerating you must tighten the fist just at the moment of the impact. Attention must be placed on the hikite as much as it is in the tsukite. Impossible to deliver if the hikite is not solid.
Following tsuki waza, came uri and uke waza. All in basic kihon until we started working kihon ido. Out of 14 sequences in seiwakai, we covered 5. The aim is always to perform the 14 sequences within 15 min. Seiwakai kiho ido properly trained is fully geared to kumite.
As we normally do, we covered some drills. This time it was taken from some research I’ve been doing. In line with Ian Abernethy’s practical bunkai work and Patrick McCarthy’s Koryu Uchinadi, I came across Angel Lemus’ One Minute Bunkai.
Wansu Sho #1
Wansu Sho #2
Finished the class with kata and kumite. Seiwakai kumite.
More about the principles of Seiwakai Kumite coming soon!