07.15.06 - Saturday Practice

New Items Today:

1. Bonzi Run Combination

Reviewed Other Items:

1. Stretching & Warm-ups
2. Orange Belt Blocking Set (Form)
3. Mat work
4. Master Form
5. Orange Belt Techniques

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Warm-Ups
After we did the basic portion of warming up and stretching out, we started in with some other basic movements put together in different combinations. First we just did some lead back-fist strikes to the head in the air. This sort of got us moving. Then the combinations; the first being: Ball Kick, Back-Fist, Lunge Punch. This is an interesting combination of moves because you are striking “low-high-center” and it sort of struck me (punny) that my son, Duncan, uses similar striking combinations with his Taekwondo all of the time. Up until now, we haven’t drilled too many of this type of combination outside of the techniques. Anyway, it was cool to drill these ‘new’ combos.

The second combination set is part of the Bonzi Run technique, which appears to be a sort of pursuit technique. The combination we did was a Right Lunge Punch, Right Knee & Left Lunge Punch, Right Lunge Punch. I felt totally discombobulated when we did this the first time. I had the timing and rhythm in my head but couldn’t get my body to follow. Eventually I started to get the hang of it but I never did do it very well.

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Mat Work
After warm ups we got right into the mat work. We started with side falls, alternating from the left to right sides. Sifu instructed that as much of our body as possible should be making contact with the mat at the same time in order to help dissipate the force of the fall. Of course we have all heard this before but we haven’t quite mastered it yet.

It wasn’t long before Sifu placed some objects on the edges of the mats and instructed us to do a forward roll over the object. As we all got more used to going over the object, he started to move the objects and then he used bigger objects. Although we also changed the way we came up out of the rolls, the main thing that he was trying to show us was the proper position of the roll or the break-fall. He stressed that we go directly over the object and stay on that straight line. He also remarked on tucking the lead shoulder as you roll so as not to take a jarring impact on the elbow or shoulder. When done correctly, it actually “feels” good and you just know it.

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Techniques
Marty led us through a few items at this point. First we did the Orange Belt Form (blocking drill). It had been a while since I practiced this and I actually felt a little ‘rusty’ the first time through, but quickly shook it off and got solid again. After we went through it a couple of times, Marty lead me and the 3 Musketeers through the Master Form up to Purple. I had been practicing this but my transitions are still shaky. I did okay but still need work. The rest of the class went on through to their portion after we did mine a couple of times and I tried to keep up as best as I could. I know the Purple belt techniques but I’m having a heck of a time getting them down in the form! Practice, practice, practice.

Eventually Sifu had Marty work directly with me on the Purple belt techniques. We went through them all starting with the ones I was having the most trouble with. After we went through the technique enough that he was sure I understood the basic elements, he would come in and do something backwards or introduce some other “what if…?” factor to see how I would respond. I responded better in some instances than others but I started to just relax and go with it and things tended to flow much better. I actually surprised myself at one point as I began to do a technique “backwards”. He attacked with the opposite hand that I was expecting and I just went into the technique from the opposite side. It seemed to flow just fine until I realized that I was backwards and then I just sort of froze. Marty encouraged me to continue as he recognized what I had done. I finished the technique and pondered it a little. I hadn’t given it too much thought but maybe I should be practicing both sides on occasion.

We finished up class and bowed out. Good class. I stayed warmed up the whole time and learned a bunch.