October 24, 2007

Back to Being the Pretzel Fall-Gal

Last night at karate class, we worked on kata and application, lots of kata, and lots of bunkai.  I was partnered up with my instructor, a 5th degree black belt, and I spent lots of time being twisted up like a pretzel and tossed on the floor. 

Today, my elbow is a little sore.

Did you notice I said "elbow"?  I did not say neck.  My neck is fine today!  After months of not feeling right after that lovely whiplash injury, I was so relieved to wake up today feeling good.  It was nice to be uke again as well.  A couple week ago, one of my instructors asked me what "uke" means.  I laughed and said, "Uke means hitting the floor."  It actually means training partner, but hitting the floor is probably more accurate.  It certainly was last night. 

Being uke is great because even though it can be painful, you are learning first hand what a certain technique can do to someone, what it feels like.  Although I could have done without the little wrist action thing my instructor did to me last night, I do know that if I can pull that technique off on an attacker, they will certainly be crying "mercy."  I tapped the mat a couple times and declared "enough-enough!"  Hey, I’m just glad I didn’t revert back to screaming.  That’s what I usually do. 

We worked on application for Pinan Yondan and Pinan Godan.  We worked on lots of would-be breaks, many wrist and elbow joint locks and some back fist/side kick action as well.  Unlike many times when I just try to keep up with bunkai being taught, I was actually coming up with some decent ideas for bunkai as well.  My instructor seemed to like at least one of my ideas enough to stop everyone so that we could show the other guys. 

Although I know I need to get faster, I feel like I’m definitely improving with bunkai.  I’m starting to see things where I didn’t before.  I’m able to throw someone bigger than I am, whereas I struggled to do it before. I’m learning that good technique is definitely the answer when you don’t have the power that the guys do.  You don’t have to kick the back of someone’s leg hard to make them go down, you just have to be in the right position and work the small movements more efficiently.  Since I am frequently the only girl in the advanced class full of bigger guys, learning this is crucial. 

After working up quite a sweat on bunkai, we "cooled down" by running through a ton of kata. We worked O Nai Hanchi (I am not sure that I’m spelling the "O" part right, which means "great."  I’m waiting on my fact checker to get back to me) which combines three Nai Hanchi kata’s into one.  We also did O Pinan which I didn’t even know existed until last night!  We combined Pinan Shodan, Nidan, Yondan, Godan and Sandan all into one.  That was quite a work out.  We also ran through Chinto, Sanchin, Seisan, Wansu, Ananku, and Niseishi.  I was completely beat when I got home, the kind of good beat where you know you had a great work out and learned a ton of new stuff.

Best of all, that break fall lesson I had a few months ago came in handy last night, eliminating the need for a call to the chiropractor.  It feels so good to be back to normal!

***The latest review is up at The BBM Review and is written by a writer across the great pond.  If you’d like to hear his perspective on "Karate-Do, My Way of Life" go check it out!

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Posted by on October 24, 2007 in Tales from the dojo | 6 Comments

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