11.26.05 - Saturday Training

Items Reviewed Today:

1. Working with Juan
2. Warm ups
3. Techniques
4. Orange belt form

.

Working with Juan
I came in early at 6:30am to work with Bill & Juan. It was good to go back and refresh from the very beginning again, starting with the neutral bow. I was there primarily for reference and demonstration purposes when Sifu needed a body, but going back to the beginning like that really helps to solidify the basics for me.

.

Techniques
Alexandra and I went through the first 4 techniques with Marty. First we spent some time working on Returning Serpent. We also spent a little extra time with Escaping Ram too as there were some fine points that Marty wanted to get worked out with us. I think I absorbed a little more than usual because Marty asked several times how Sifu covered the techniques, mostly the specifics targets of a given strike.

The last two techniques were covered by Bill as Marty went over and worked with the Purple belts. Sifu covered both Deflecting Thunder & Returning Serpent in detail with both of us. I was focusing on keeping my fists closed through the techniques, at least where I’m supposed to, and I think I am getting better. I still need to work on taking the other guy’s space, as I have been told so many times. I’m not sure what the hang up is for me, but I’ll work it out.

.

Forms
We did the forms individually after we finished practicing techniques. The Purple belts were first and went through them one at a time with a focus on accuracy. When they finished, it was my turn and, after practicing just a little bit this week, was surprised that it felt pretty solid to me. The blocks were well placed with good ‘pop’, my cover was better (or at least felt like it), and everything flowed well without me having to think about it too much. The only critique I received was that I was apparently at a cant when I went into the final meditation, as opposed to facing directly forward. I’m not sure what that was about. I’m gonna call it a fluke and hopefully I won’t do it again.

11.21.05 - Practice Out of Class

Met at My House in Raleigh

We tried something new this time at our house. I moved the couch and table out of the living room downstairs used that as our work out area. Phyl, Walt, and Alex showed up to work out and the space was just big enough for us all to work out comfortably.

We started out with the usual basics and then broke out the focus pads. We practiced lunge punches, roundhouse kicks, and ball kicks. We had worked up a nice light sweat by the time we started working a technique line.

The technique line started with Orange belt techniques. As I am improving on techniques, the guys are getting more particular in their critiques. We had some good discussion about torque and ‘taking space’ using the ‘Kenpo slide’. I went through all of the techniques probably 4-6 times each before we started running the Purple belt techniques.

When we did the Purple belt techniques, we did the base technique and the 3 different extensions for each – IKCA, TKI, and their individual extensions. Of course, I basically just dummied for them and provided feedback on targets, etc. I did have several questions that they answered for me though and it didn’t seem like it took very long to get through their material.

When we finished their stuff, we switched back to Orange belt techniques again and they ran through the line for me several more times before we called it quits for the night. In addition to the items I mentioned before, they pointed out some further items for me to work out. I have a habit of not keeping my hand closed tight into a fist, especially on Beheading the Dragon. My hand opens up and I wind up with a sort of half fist. As I reflect on it, I know exactly why I’m doing this. I am have a terrible time getting used to capping my fist with my thumb instead of balling it up ‘normally’. I just doesn’t feel right. Anyway, I’ll continue to try to keep it in mind as I practice and perhaps it will finally feel comfortable some day. My ‘steady-cam’ is getting better but I still have a tendency to drop my chin and lower my head, particularly when I’m on the inside of a technique (like Thunder & Lighting and Returning Serpent).

We broke off just before 9:00pm and called it a night. It was another solid 2 hour workout and it felt good.

11.19.05 - Saturday Training

New Items Today:

1. Juan officially joins the class
2. Kicking defense (Marty)

Reviewed Other Items:

1. Warm up drills
2. Ball & Roundhouse Kicks
3. Techniques

.

Juan is Now Officially a Student of T.K.I.
Today was Juan’s first day as a student and he jumped right in with the basics. Because of his work schedule on Saturdays, Juan will be starting his training at 6:30am with Bill so he can get a full two hours in before he has to leave. I volunteered to come in early if it would be of benefit and Sifu took me up on it. So from now on I’ll be working out on Saturdays from 6:30 to 9:00am.

Bill pulled Alexandra and I aside with Juan at one point and we critiqued each other’s neutral bow. Juan called me on my narrow stance – my heel-toe alignment was indeed off. Anything else was relatively minor but I made a mental note to watch the stance.

.

Marty Lead the Warm Up Drills
Bill took Juan to the side and worked with him exclusively for the beginning of the class today and asked Marty to lead the rest of us in warm-ups. That was interesting. We did the basic kicks, punches and blocks as usual, if at a quicker pace. He then went into techniques and this is where it was kind of funny, at least for me. We did the technique normally, and then we switched and did the technique from the opposite lead. Since I have only ever practiced most of these from the one side, I was finding some humor in my difficulty as I tried to do it from the other lead. I noticed that I wasn’t the only one struggling but to their credit, the Purple belts got it sorted out and did fine. I got a few of them… that was about it. It seems so obvious to practice from either side, but it felt so awkward to actually do it that way.

Funny. Just as I thought I was getting the hang of the techniques, I realized how far I really was from fully adopting it into my mental repertoire. Although I will likely always use them in class the way we were taught, it would be nice to be able to react with more choices should I ever be confronted.

.

Final notes at the end of class:

• Vic LeRoux is tentatively schedules as a guest of Marty and TKI on Martch 18, 2005. To defray costs, we will be pitching in by way of purchasing tickets. More details to come later.
• Bill received word that the mat(s) he had ordered some time ago should be arriving sometime soon as another company has taken over the original contract.

11.14.05 - Practice Out of Class

Met at Phyl’s Home in Raleigh/Wake Forest

We met at Phyl’s place and it was the first time I had ever been there. We all showed up at approximately the same time and we were pleasantly surprised to see Marty come in with Alex. After we got dressed, we piled into the cars and headed over to a nearby park.

It was a little different. We were on a sloping hillside with a light grade that eventually went down to a water line some 70-80 yards away or so. There was a distant street light and a full moon – that was our lighting. The challenges were two-fold: the ground was uneven and we couldn’t see well. It made for some interesting training.

We started out with the basics, as always. Step drags, forward and back, up and down hill. Very interesting. We did step-throughs, blocks and kicks. We even did the Purple belt kicking drill. After while, we started to do technique lines, starting with the Orange belt techniques. This is where things got interesting. On level ground, it is relatively easy to ‘cheat’ a little bit if you want to in your stances and still not dead-leg. When you are standing on uneven ground and kicking up-hill, like with Thunder & Lightning, it is imperative that your knees be bent and that you are in the correct position. If not, down the hill you go.

After we made it through all of the base techniques, it was almost 9:00pm and we had gotten in a good solid 2 hours of working out. I had to be at work before 6:00am this morning and I was feeling it toward the end of our work out. I think I’m going to have to increase my cardio workouts in order to get my stamina back up there again. All in all it was a great workout and I learned a lot about footing on uneven surfaces. I hope it isn’t too cold to work out there again next time.

11.12.05 - Saturday Training

New Items Today:

1. Juan from work visited and observed
2. Orange belt ‘pre-test’

Reviewed Other Items:

1. Basic Foot Maneuvers
2. Ball & Roundhouse Kicks
3. Purple Belt Kicking Drill
4. Techniques
5. Orange Belt Form

.

Orange Belt Form & “Pre-Test”
Everything we did today was pretty much review. Sifu jumped around a little bit so our visitor, Juan, had an opportunity to see some of the different things we did in class. We explained what we were doing and why it was done a particular way. The Orange belt form was something I did several times today. I was called out on the floor the first time, which is not unusual, and did the form – accepting critique from the Purple belts and Marty. I moved out and the Purple belts did their form. Then I was called back in again. I did it again, with more critique, this time mostly from Sifu, and then stepped back. The Purple belts individually did their forms and then I was called out again. This time, not only to do the Orange belt form, but Bill drilled me on most of the blocks and maneuvers required for the Orange belt test. It was pretty intense at first but I eventually relaxed into it and loosened up. I did okay, but it was clear that I’m not ready to test yet, at least to me.

One of the things I did differently today on Bill’s request was to tuck my hands into my belt and practice the foot movements only for the Orange belt blocking drill. Can you say “awkward”? I don’t know why this was so much more difficult but I actually got lost in the pattern – twice! I definitely need to practice this way at home for a while and get the foot maneuvers down better. Another thing that was a little different this time was what Sifu had me focus on while I was going through the form itself. He told me clearly to visualize my blocks intercepting an attack. In doing so, he said that I did the form the best that he had ever seen me do it. I’ll keep that in mind too. He estimates that I’m over thinking the process and it is affecting the way I move and flow.

Some of the critique I received was good. Marty had told me before to watch the level of my head as I move, that it shouldn’t be bobbing up and down. He wasn’t the only one, but he had given me some ideas to work with on it. He said that I looked good and level going through the form. Walt, Alex and Phyl also gave encouraging feedback, along with the usual pointers. I still have a tendency to drop my chin, as Phyl pointed out. Alex and Walt both mentioned my stance, especially in the first cover. I’m covering way too wide. They had me practicing with tape on the floor one week and I have done this at home too. I’ve improved but still have room to go. I’ll work on it more for next week.

11.07.05 - Practice Out of Class

Met at Alex’s Home in Durham

The purple belts from class and I met at Alex’s house for practice this week and Marty joined us briefly as well. He was just getting over a cold and didn’t want to push it, so he didn’t actually participate in the work out but we all chatted for a few minutes before we got started.

We did some basic warm-ups and the like as usual – blocks, maneuvers, kicks, etc. From there we did some light ‘multi-man’ sparring. I myself participated only on the level of an attacker although the other three took turns defending. It was interesting to see the different strategies of the three of them; Walt constantly repositioned himself to the effect of placing 2 attackers in line so as to eliminate the effectiveness of one of the attackers. Alex tended to get in close to the lead attacker and muscle him around and into another attacker, essentially accomplishing the same thing as Walt but expending much more energy to do so. Phyl seemed at first to get easily backed into a corner and Walt & Alex quickly called him on that. He then decided to explode into the lead attacker and move through the group forcing everyone to reorganize and chase him down. All very interesting, but the adrenaline and high emotion that so lends itself to that ‘pack mentality’ were missing.

Following the ‘multi-man’ drill, we did technique lines starting with Orange belt and working up through Blue. As before, I did the techniques I know and then dummied for the rest of them. We just did the base techniques this time so we got through them relatively quickly compared to the last time we were at Alex’s house.

After the lines we did some sparring. We just broke into pairs and went for a few minutes at a time and then switched off. I started out with Walt, and as usual, he came right at me with those long kicks so I just did what I usually do – moved in and took his center. He went down a couple of times before he switched tactics and started to be more technical. Once he switched off, it was much more interesting and he was getting inside me like crazy. I definitely needed to tighten up and wound up being more defensive in order to keep him out.

Next was Alex. I always have a difficult time with Alex. We both went to more of a grappling type of confrontation and he definitely rooted better than I did, although I was able to unroot him once or twice. His experience on the ground is much better than mine and he was quick to take advantage. It didn’t take long wrestling and I was nearly spent, at which time we broke off. We did some light sparring then, but I was so tired I was basically just defending.

By the time we switched again I was finally getting my wind back. Phyl and I squared off and I could see that he was frustrated a bit from his bout with Walt. We started out slow but then he started coming in faster. I wasn’t quite ready to start attacking yet so I just studied him a bit and realized he was telegraphing. When he was coming in with a lead right, his shoulder moved first. I just stuck my arm out and placed it on his chest before he got to me, stopping him cold. I did this several times from different angles and sides and realized it had psychologically taken a toll because now when he started to move, I just had to flinch and he rocked back onto his heels – rooted in place and slow to respond. He was obviously distracted and frustrated and I just moved around him and took advantage.

We wrapped up after the sparring and started to get ready to head out. After dusting each other off from rolling around in the dirt, we all took off. It was a good workout tonight and I think I’m going to have a couple of bruises to show for it.

11.05.05 - Saturday Training

New Items Today:

1. Hapkido Joint Locks

Reviewed other items:

1. Basic Foot Maneuvers
2. Ball & Roundhouse Kicks
3. Orange Belt Form

.

Hapkido Joint Locks
Sifu exposed us to some Hapkido joint locks today and they were really cool. There were basically 4 different techniques that originated from various grabs. It was the first time that I had been exposed this type of information since I had started training in Kenpo (aside from the class in California at the WCKC) but the purple belts had seen at least some of this before.

We started out by flexing and stretching the wrists. Suppleness and flexibility are important for obvious reasons. We were then shown the first technique and we broke into pairs and practiced. (I have tried several times to describe these maneuvers but can’t seem to get the descriptions on paper with any level of reasonable comprehension. If in the future I can manage to do this, I’ll add the notes to the technical journal.)

We did this the same way with all 4 techniques. Although there are elements that they all share, I was fascinated by the enormous results of just subtle motions with minor strength. At one point, Alexandra pretty much dropped Sifu straight to the floor while practicing a technique for the first time. She at first accused him of exaggerating but her look changed to astonishment when Bill convinced her otherwise. He took it in stride and made a joke about Alexandra getting that particular maneuver down well but it was still interesting to see that whole thing happen.

I noticed very quickly that everyone in the class responded differently to the various techniques. Some were more flexible than others and as a result could take a little bit more tweaking before tapping out. Another interesting item was the size and strength of their arms. For the most part, it doesn’t matter if you are particularly strong or not if the maneuver is correctly executed. One of the items that Sifu mentioned was that “...if you are muscling the maneuver, you are doing something wrong.”

This session was a lot of fun and I learned a lot more than what I was able to describe here in my journal. I will work at verbalizing what I did in this class and add to this info at another time.