07.09.05 - Saturday Training

New items today:

1. Block: Upward Block
2. Salute: Full Formal Salute

Reviewed other items:

1. Foot Maneuver: Step-drag
2. Kick: Roundhouse
3. Block: Extended Outward

Largely reviewed and practiced items that we have already gone over. There were a few items specific to those we reviewed that I need to work on:

Foot Maneuver: Step-Drag
I have a tendency to lift the trailing foot instead of maintaining contact with the floor/ground. Bill stated that it is important that both feet maintain contact with the floor/ground at all times unless you intentionally bring them up (ie.: to kick). He has been bringing in ‘real world’ factors as he describes the drills we are doing and explained that the floor we are practicing on is predictably flat, but the surface we may find ourselves on (should the need arise to defend ourselves) could be anything. With this maneuver, always maintain contact with the floor and literally drag the trailing foot during the exercise.

Kick: Roundhouse
Bill went through some of the specific technical aspects of the roundhouse kick today, specifically ‘rolling’ or ‘pointing’ the hip of the kicking leg in the direction of the kick. Doing so almost forces the leg into the correct position for executing a proper kick. If you don’t get the hip into position, it is almost impossible for your foot to kick in the horizontal plane.

I have practiced this and find that I am weak kicking with my left leg. My hip feels like I need to stretch it out more. I’ll work on it.

Final notes at the end of class:

• Bill stated that he is going to start bringing “Bruce”, the striking dummy, to class more consistently and that we may want to bring tennis shoes to class to work out in while kicking the dummy.