10.29.05 - Saturday Training

New items today:

1. Stationary Kicking Drill

Reviewed other items:

1. Kicking Drill – Cardinal Directions
2. Kicking Drill – Purple Belt (Linear)
3. Orange Belt Form
4. Orange Belt Techniques
5. Lower Back Stretching

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Kicking Drills
The first drill we did was the one where we kick in the cardinal directions. I have the general movements for that one down but can always use some practice for improvement. I was exposed to the Purple belt kicking drill for the second time this session and I felt like I was tripping over my feet. I started to get the hang of it toward the end of the drill but I was far from comfortable. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to practice it next week before class. The last kicking drill we did was a stationary version of the linear (Purple belt) drill. There are several foot replacements and switches in the drill and, if done correctly, you aren’t supposed to move from the original spot. It was pretty cool but I had about as much trouble with it as I did with it’s predecessor. I’ll report on progress later.

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Orange Belt Form
Since I was the only white belt dressed today, I was all alone on center stage for the form. After going through it a couple of times, Sifu did something a little different this time. He closed his eyes and told me to ‘snap’ my blocks and that he would be able to tell if I was doing so by listening. After going through it several times he basically summarized that I needed to practice. He later told me that the point he was driving at is that the block placed specifically where it is supposed to be with the correct intent can stop a fight and it was important that I get the focus, speed and power into the blocks. The purple belts critiqued as well and told me stuff I should be used to hearing by now…
. - Walt: Salute should be solid and meaningful
. - Alex: Slide the feet. I have a tendency to pick them up instead of sliding them.
. - Phyl: Watch stance position.

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Orange Belt Techniques
Sifu went through all of the techniques with me but we focused specifically on Deflecting Thunder and Beheading the Dragon. The focus on DT was mainly on the foot work, such as the ‘springboard’ effect of the kicking leg and the ‘Kenpo slide’ as you move in to take their space after the kick. These really bring everything together and make it work. As for BTD, we sort of went through this technique from the ground up. If there was one area that we focused on, it was probably ‘checking’. There several checks going on in the technique with both the hands and the knees. The waiter check is completely new to me and was described as a “positioning check” (as opposed to a “pinning check”). The other new check is the knee check which I find is useful as sort of gauge for depth as I move into the assailant. The final knee check with the right knee can put the attacker on the ground, as I found out quite by accident while practicing the technique with Sifu. When I did the final knee check, I was expecting a body reaction such that he would drop straight down, as though I had just chopped the leg from under him. Instead, after the knee buckled on him he actually moved forward as the knee bent and he went all the way down onto both knees. I immediately challenged as to whether or not he was exaggerating for my benefit and he assured me that he wasn’t. I guess the check didn’t seem very powerful to me because I didn’t get the feedback at my knee that I’m used to getting when I strike practice targets (like my heavy bag). By comparison, there isn’t nearly as much target mass to speak of and it didn’t register in my mind that I struck a very effective blow. Upon reflection, I can see that part of the knee buckle included a bit of downward force that also contributes to the reaction I received. All said, it was an interesting exercise today.

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Lower Back Stretching
I have been having some problems lately with my low back, particularly after Kenpo practice. It feels much like I have exhausted the smaller supporting muscles in my low back and really can be painful. I suspect that my tendency to lean forward and tuck my chin while working out is the major contributor to this problem. I asked Bill if he had any specific stretches for the low back and he showed me how to do some.

The first one is from a kneeling position. You slowly stretch the body forward, with arms in the same direction and stretch out the back. The flatter you can bring yourself to the ground, the better the stretch will be.

The other one I found to be effective very quickly but Sifu was quick to warn that this was a static stretching exercise and should only be done a few times per week. You start in a sitting position with legs extended forward. Cross the right foot over the left knee and plant the sole of the foot on the floor. Taking your left arm, place the elbow at the right side of the bent knee and twist the torso gently to get the stretch. After a few seconds, release and switch sides.

I did these exercises after class and they had the desired effect. My back relaxed and the muscle tension was relieved. I’ll be working hard to eliminate my habit of leaning forward at the waist when working out but in the mean time, it’s nice to get rid of that low back pain. It makes me feel so old!