Congratulations to those who were tested and promoted last night you did an excellent job.

We will inform each of you individually about what it will take to participate in the advanced class for you specifically.

- Sensei Sasha

Beginners:
Today we did a testing review for the people who are testing. I hopefully answered your questions and concerns. Everyone else worked on the basics. Here is a review sheet for the written portion…

1. What is the name of our School?
2. What is the name of our style of karate?
3. List 2 Characteristics of Shuri System:
4. What are the 2 ways to sit (in Japanese and English)?
5. List 3 Dojo Rules:
6. What is the Japanese translations of the following kata and how many opponents do you fight in each?
H-Form Kata _________________________________ Opponents: ____________
7. What word or words should you scream if someone grabs you or attacks you?
8. There are how many parts to a kick?
9. Hitotsu means …..
10. Karate means “empty hand.” Why do you think that is so?

Advanced:

We worked on creative weapons and how to use things around us to defend yourself. Its all about using your creativity and your brain. It’s more important that you use your head or brain than you use your muscles and technique. Your mind can do wonders for you even if you have a limited bag of techniques. So always look at your advantages, what you can use around you, how you can use them and so on. You also received rulers to help you mark your stretching so continue to bring those and work on the stretch because without that - you cant have great high kicks.

Good job and well done.

Sorry I didn’t get a chance to update this for a few days. I was in Miami for the weekend.

In either case we worked on kicks today. We went over quite a bit of your kicks in addition to learning 2 new kicks.

We learned the Axe Kick that comes up high over the oppenents shoulder and down hitting with the heel. Usually striking the collar bone.

We also learned the outside-to-inside crescent kick. Which is effective for hitting away weapons, strikes, and so on.

Another thing we went over was the difference between thrust and snap kick. Remember - A thrust kick is extended all the way through where as a snap kick is pulled back and is extended usually 70-80 percent of the way.

At the end we played Red-Rover kicking game. Where you had one foot on the tape and each person has to go over from the other team to try and THRUST through the bag and get your foot off the tape.

Advanced:

Thanks Mr. Frank for visiting us and for your input.

We worked on self defense techniques with knife strikes a majority of the time. Using pencils and pens as substitutes and went over the rules of a weapon.

Beginner:

Today we worked on some punches with partners facing each other mirror side. This got you to make sure you were doing them correctly punching to the same level, in the correct location, and the proper side. We also worked on some basic self defense and reaction drills. The quicker you react after being attacked the better chance you have to get away. Remember- when being attacked always scream FIRE! instead of help. It makes people look around, be aware of your surroundings and the chances of them helping you are far greater.

Advanced:

Oh boy, some of you were hurting. We worked on splits and the legs today right after we got done doing about 7 rounds of sparring. Working on your fighting techniques is essential, but remember that the basics matter much more. If your fundamentals are off, your whole fighting and sparring is off. Work hard and you will bridge the gaps between your techniques.

We also went over a little work sheet, so review that if you had trouble focusing during the stretching.

Finally we did ippons, kihons, and teuzus backwards.