JKA GASSHUKU INTERNATIONAL

This week-end I participated in the Gasshuku International of JKA France which was held in Saint-Julien en Genevois, just on the border with Switzerland.

First, I liked it very much. JKA representatives were very friendly and welcoming (I am not a member of JKA) . The amount of attendees was high. I lot of senior karateka and many children. I didn't spot many teenagers though but this is rather usual for karatedo from my experience.

The course was split on three sessions to swap sensei (there were three) between different levels (colored, brown and black).

1. Daniel Lautier Sensei (7 dan, JKA Fance) 

Impressive session focused on techincs in GYAKU HANMI. Surprisingly for me it was relatively complicated. Well, I am usualy quite comfortable performing GYAKU-technics. But when we started to move back and forward performing different sets of technics, all of them in GYAKU HANMI I found myself a bit lost from time to time. The SANBON KUMITE in GYAKU part was ok (I faced a couple of opponents and definitely dominated) but still I feel like there is something I have to work on: more flexibility, HIKITE, point of application etc. We finished with a couple of KATA to glue the GYAKU HANMI KAMAE. I liked the session. It was very informative and left a lot of home-work for me. I am going to review it again this week.

2. Izumiya Seizo Sensei (7 dan, JKA)

Entire session was dedicated to the kata that I had never learned before, BASSAI SHO. Very good session. Actually it was my favorite from all three sessions. We broke KATA on several parts in order to learn the sequence first. Once it was done sensei started to show applications for each movement, kind of BUNKAI, and I was very lucky as for the rest of the session I was chosen  to assist   Izumiya sensei. All the technics were shown on me! :-) I have to say that all the applications were real and doable. No dancing! I benefited from my young judo years as I was forced to fall many times, too many times! As one may imagine falling on the bare floor with no previous experience is quite tricky unless you are a former judoka :-). So, we worked all applications in pairs. I felt very confident (probably due to the fact that I was assisting :-) ). Actually BASSAI SHO didn't look very complicated to me. Why Have I Never Practiced It Before?? From now on I include it in my KATA arsenal. During the practice I noticed my SHUTO UCHI became stronger and snappier. I am still not very confident in MANJI KAMAE. I have to figure out the last two movements of the KATA. We did worked on them but it still takes some mind efforts to do them, no automatism yet. Very inspiring session it was.

3.  Sergio GNEO Sensei (7 dan, JKA Belguim)

We did UNSU. I found it to be a very difficult KATA for my level, I guess. Interesting KATA. Many new technics. One day I will learn it. For now I will try to remember the basics only. Generally speaking this session I liked the least. I didn't learn much as I had to focus on copying moves looking at others who also didn't feel confident. So, it was rather messy. The way sensei was teaching is also not my favorite as there were many jokes and chats and suggestions regarding applications etc. but no clear system. No method. So, unfortunately for me it was rather a waste of time though I am very thankful to the sensei for the new KATA .

Summary. Very good practice.Shame it doesn't happen often in "my area". I will be definitely looking for more. And thanks to JKA and to the Sensei for interesting lessons. My mistakes are getting more and more exposed like that.

NATURAL DISASTER

Today I planned to post a new article here... But then I saw the news and what happened in Japan. Being an adept of Japanese culture (karate-do is a part of culture) I have to put it on hold.


My family and I are shocked with the scale of the tragedy there. Please accept our condolences for those who have lost their relatives or friends. There is no words of comfort in such situation. 


If anyone from Japan reads this note please do not hesitate to contact me should you require help. I am not rich unfortunately but I promise I will do my best.


Tomorrow there will be another day and the Sun will raise again in Japan. Let's stay strong!

DOJO KUN

Yesterday I had a very interesting discussion with the senior ranks of my dojo here in Grenoble. Surprisingly no one of them have ever heard about DOJO KUN! I am not talking about remembering it japanese, about knowing the translation or explanation. No! Ignorance about the art. I am disappointed again and this time even deeper than before. So, I am going to make sure I remember the japanese way of pronouncing it (not only the meaning). It is my fault of not remembering it (I was taught before and I knew it but stopped practicing it). I feel responsibility lying on the shoulder of each and any karateka to remember and understand it and more to pass this tradition and knowledge further. 

UCHI UKE

I have just finished my midday practice that included:
- SOTO UKE - GEDAN BARAI - UCHI UKE - GYAKU TSUKI
- EMPI and JUNRO YONDAN.


I have to come to one of the most difficult for me points, UCHI UKE. Somehow application of this technique goes better than KIHON (that's how I see it at least!). UCHI UKE - a block from inside. It should start from the HIKITE creating compression (potential energy) and making the whipping snap (kinetic energy) in order to stop in front of the body covering its "edge". Usually performed on CHUDAN level.


Please watch my video and point out as many of my mistakes as possible. I am going to review this technique during the the next two weeks.

OFF-TOPIC

Tonight local dojo where I practice is running a grading session for 10-1 kyu levels. But 1 kyu and black belts are invited to take part in it and to do a mock-test for any level including their next one. I am going to take part for sure. I will try to re-do my Shodan, if possible, following local rules and regulations of FFKAMA. I am sure I will have even more food for my karate revision blog.

"JKS logo"

Yes, the JKS logo is now displayed in my blog. It is to demonstrate the way I am trying to follow and to show my respect and loyalty to the great karate organization, Japan Karate Shotorenmei, and to my Sensei.


I have decided to ad two lines more here: all the mistakes found here are my personal mistakes only and no way reflect the JKS way of karate-do.
Ossu

"AGE UKE"

One of the shotkan karate-do classical blocks  - age uke. I like this block very much personally for two reason:
- useful block
- great attack ;-)


So, please see my AGE UKE and GYAKU AGE UKE and share your point of view on my mistakes freely. As I am used to say here - I want to learn. So, the more points the better.


Thank you all.
Ossu!

GEDAN BARAI

Simple block. Yeah?! I am sure I do it incorrectly. One of the points I know myself - sometimes I let my blocking hand to rest on the shoulder for a moment before the actual blocking swipe. 

Please tell me as many errors you have spotted as possible.

Thank you.
Ossu!

DESIGN CHANGED

I have deiced to change the design of my blog. I hope its brighter look (was too dull probably) will attract people  and encourage them to help me with their point of view.

Hips rotation "koshi-no-kaiten" and

Masao Kagawa Sensei explaining...

Well, I am still on the same subject. ...almost.  I have created two videos to ask the following question. 

Like many other karateka I was taught to use the hips rotation (here performing "gyaku-tsuki" as an exercise). And as the one of the important points the spine should be always in vertical position becoming a natural axis for the rotation. 

On the other hand some of my karate colleagues and some web-sources mention the traditional way of tobukuho ("falling tree") when the rotation is still the same but the body actually leans in the direction of the attack. I saw higher rank karateka using this way whilst working on makiwara as well.

I am trying both. The both ways go pretty natural. Any ideas? Correction? Explanations? Any comments on the video would be very welcome. Just please try to explain your point of view as clear as possible (in any language - http://translate.google.com/# will help me). I am trying to learn. Ossu!

Interesting reading

MUTIMI (?) or KOSI-NO-KAITEN

All traditional karateka know that creating a wave by one's hips rotation is one of the most basic and important points in karate. Karateka should produce a motion similar to a whip by sending his hips (later we will speak about the limbs too) as fast and as far as possible around the imaginary axis (spine). The farther and the faster hips rotate the faster they will come back to the initial position creating the wave towards the point of impact. This motion is called "mutimi" (Okinawan) or "kosi-no-kaiten". It is a power source for any karate technique (I guess).

"The goal of mutimi is to generate a wave of impulse from hips to the attacking limb" (K.Terekhin "The Karate We've Lost").

I am trying to demonstrate my kosi-no-kaiten and looking for its correction. Please share your points. Thank you. Ossu!

Introduction. And so we begin or Why this blog

There are many pages on the Web dedicated to the Japanese art of karate-do (as many as of any other subject I guess). Here and there they provide useful information on the subject. Some of them contain interesting video footage, some written advices, many of them criticize the rest, forums, blogs, discussions, etc. I have been one of those addicted to the art for long time now and thus very interested in developing my karate, reading advices from the advanced karateka and trying to see different points of view. My karate is getting better. Slowly but surely. I have all my life (the rest of it) in front of me to continue this progress yet. No hurry though. I take my time.

Suddenly I realized that probably the best way to get my karate-do better is just to let all karateka Worldwide  to criticize my technics and to answer my questions (I have a lot). This blog will be following this bright idea!! ;-) I will be posting something of my karate (not necessarily something very advanced) and you, my brothers-in-art, are very welcome to crash my Ego with your notes, criticism, sarcasm and hopefully useful advices.

Please do not hesitate! I do not promise that I will take on board all of those ideas but I should and I do promise to read all and not to argue over any of them. My goal is to learn. So, "the cup is empty".

Thank you in advance. Ossu!

The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master