05.12.07 - Saturday Practice

New Items Today:

1. Visitors in Class Today

Reviewed Other Items:

1. Purple Belt Kicking Drill
2. Mat Work
3. ¼ Speed Sparring
4. Techniques

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Warm Ups
The warm up routine was relatively basic today with some additional focus on leg stretches. After that, we went through some basic maneuvers and moves, like ball kicks and lead leg roundhouse kicks. We also discussed the concept of the switch – a maneuver that allows you to change your stance without putting you any closer to your attacker.

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Visitors
We had a couple of visitors today that came in to watch and participate. Jaime is a fellow employee with Sifu, Brandon, and I. He came in dressed and ready to work out and his son, Evan, watched closely from the side of the mat. They both seemed to enjoy themselves and Jaime says he’ll be back next week. Welcome aboard, Jaime!

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Purple Belt Kicking Drill
After we warmed up, we lined up on the edge of the mat in preparation for working the Purple Belt Kicking Drill. We worked up and back several times. I did okay for the most part but noticed I was kicking across my center a couple of times and was losing my balance. Once I realized what I was doing the correction was easy but I was a little put off by the fact that I was doing that at all. I have been working this drill for a long time now and I don’t recall ever doing that before.

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Mat Work
Next up was some mat work. We pulled out the mats and started with some forward rolls staying down. Nothing to special to report about this other than I’m still fighting the urge to come up every time instead of staying down. After several turns with this, we started doing the forward roll coming up into a neutral bow. It wasn’t very long and Sifu said that those of us that know how to do air rolls should go ahead and do them. Phyl and Alfredo did them no problem. I attempted to but still need work. Getting closer though. Sifu took some time with Jaime to describe why we do the rolls the way we do and to get him started with them. Jaime actually did very well with them, better than I did when I started doing them.

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¼ Speed Sparring
It has been a while since I have done any ¼ speed sparring and it felt good today. I was first paired up with Sifu. We were reminded prior to pairing off that we should take this time to try new things and experiment a little bit. I didn’t get crazy or anything but I was attempting to work combinations a little more than usual, and be less defensive. However I found myself in the same place three different times with Sifu. Although it didn’t happen the same way each time, Sifu managed to tie me up by getting me to strike across my center. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what he did, even though he told me after class.

The next match I had was with Alfredo. Alfredo’s style is such that he likes to stand up straight when he punches and likes to grapple if he can get a grip on you. He had several strikes on me to the body, all solid hits but with varied effectiveness depending on targets. I found the best defense against him was to circle around him and counter punch from the inside, often with a back fist. I was also able to get inside his defenses a couple of times with a kick to the groin. Overall, Alfredo has a very stable base and it’s very tough to take him down unless you can catch him stepping in deep. I’ll have to work on avoiding those body blows with him.

I was taking my turn out when we had someone come in off the street asking for directions. Sifu dealt with her while I stepped back in with Alfredo. It wasn’t long after that and we finished our sparring session.

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Techniques
Sifu worked with Phyl while I went over with Alfredo and Jamie. I was basically dummying for Alfredo while Jaime observed. We started with Thunder and Lightning and before each technique, Alfredo described what the technique was for – such as “Thunder and Lighting is an inside defense against a left hook.” Alfredo knows all of the Orange belt techniques. We went through Thunder and Lightning, Returning Serpent, and Deflecting Thunder before we broke for the end of class.

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After Class
Phyl pulled me aside after class and asked if I would dummy for him with a couple of techniques that he has been working on extensions for. I think Phyl was mostly looking for body reactions and some feedback because he pretty much had the extensions worked out. There is one tweak he is considering but he is still working it out. We worked on them for another 15-20 minutes before Sifu called on us to pack up and get going.

05.10.07 - Practice Out Of Class

Session with Bill during Lunch

Sifu and I were able to get together for a workout at lunch today. He opened with some expectations of me regarding training toward my Blue belt. He stated that he wants me to work on my intensity and speed, that they will go hand in hand. Next he told me that in watching me in my training up until now, it appears that I am holding back. The advice he gave is that I need to trust my training and my training partners, especially the Green belts as they have already been through this level of training. Further, he stated that it is okay to increase certain types of contact – but he didn’t elaborate on this point.

We then shifted focus to Blue belt techniques. The theme of the techniques for Blue belt are simultaneous movements.

The first technique we reviewed was Bridging Claw – an inside defense against a right roundhouse punch. The following points are what I understand of the technique so far:

• Drop into a left neutral bow stance with the left arm extended to the face presenting a claw
  o The left elbow should be raised to establish the block
  o The left claw is also a palm heel strike to the face (nose)
  o The shoulders should be brought up to protect the head/chin from attack.
  o The left claw also obstructs the view of the attacker
• While transitioning to a right lunge punch to the solar plexus, bring the left hand up vertical along the side of the face as a check.
• Next, shoot the left hand forward to the face will simultaneously delivering a right ball kick to the groin. Be sure that the shoulders are square to the attacker when doing this or you will be moving across your center to punch or kick, thus throwing off your balance.

The next technique we discussed was Clashing Hammers – a defense against a left flank headlock. The following points are what I understand of the techniques so far:

• As the attacker comes in from the left side to put you into a headlock, don’t fight him but rather go with the motion allowing your arms to swing naturally, guiding them into these strikes:
  o The left hand forms a hammer fist and strikes to the kidney on the far side of the attacker (his left side). The strike is such the left arm bridges across the back and can either hit the right kidney with the forearm or at least the muscular area across that portion of his back.
  o The right hand swings up to the groin in striking in an upward trajectory with the fist. The fist is aligned such that the top of the thumb is making contact first.
  o The stance adjusts so that you are virtually 90 degrees to the left of where you started, essentially stepping forward with the right foot as you turn with the hammer lock.
• Next, use the left hand to contour up to the back of the head – this becomes your target. Bring your tightly clenched right fist up to your left hand, effectively sandwiching the head. Do not push the head forward or down with the left hand.
• Move your left hand into a claw onto your attacker’s face. Your arm should be between you and your attacker, clawing the near side of his face – not reaching around to the other side. Simultaneously, the left claw hand arcs backward (keeping the elbow tucked) while the left foot sweeps his right leg forward. This creates a pivot point somewhere about his waist, taking him off balance and ultimately to the ground behind you.

The last technique we had time to discuss today was called Trapped Lighting – an outside defense against a right straight punch. The following points are what I understand of the techniques so far:

• Stepping in toward a right straight punch, guide your right arm up into a parry/block/grab similar to that used in Stopping the Storm except you are stepping outside of the punch. Your right hand winds up pulling the attacker’s right hand down and away at a 45 degree angle canceling his height, width and depth while simultaneously delivering a straight left to the head (temple is the optimum target). You should be in a left neutral bow.
• While step-dragging forward into a lunge stance, the left hand comes down in a looping check to the top of the pectoral muscle and across his upper left arm, essentially neutralizing it. While this is happening, the right hand is contouring up the arm to deliver a palm heel strike to the face (nose).
• The left hand will now contour up the chest for a chop to the throat while the left foot comes forward to sweep the attacker’s right leg for a takedown.

There was a ton to absorb in a short amount of time. We were working on a slippery floor surface which made stances tricky but was perhaps a bit more realistic to what you might encounter in the real world. In reviewing the notes I have taken, I’m sure they are incomplete. I’ll flesh them in more as I practice them and learn more about them.

We were forced to cut short the workout due to time constraints but the workout was informative and productive just the same.