Wayofaswede

Thanks for sharing your journey, looking forward to follow it. Keeping a thread here has helped me very much in many different ways. Browsing through it is a constant reminder of the sometimes bumpy road that still keeps moving in the right direction - and how much I've really learned and grown as karateka since the very first post. Best of luck with your training. Osu!

Hi and welcome here

Home again after a great training session. Talked to sensei about not trying for 5th kyu this semester as my fourth child is to be born in November Osu!

I really dislike weeks such as this one when me and my children are ill and forced to skip training sessions - long to get back in the dojo, hopefully on Sunday. Wish all karatekas a great weekend!

Insight after todays training: - The long turn in Pinan Sandan is both low block and punch Osu!

Saw a documentary recommendation in another topic, looked it up and found out I had already added it to my ever growing karate-playlist. Thought I'd share the entire list with you, as it contains many other great documentaries and inspiring kata demonstrations. Hope you will find something that could be of value. Karate - history and beauty of a martial art (any style)

Back in the dojo again which feels great! First session I became painfully aware of how little I have trained strength/stamina during summer, but the second one everything felt more natural and the sense of flow, timing and breathing while performing a technique began reappearing again. My sons enjoyed their first training session in the dojo as well the other day - sometimes all they seem to wish for in life is to spend 24/7 in front of a screen playing games or watching YouTube. Felt great that they had a very positive first training experience after the summer break.

Apart from doing the "daily kata" routine, there's not that much training right now. A couple of strength + 6th kyu kata sessions is all so far. Hope you all have a great summer!

The final dojo session for the semester took place this Sunday. Really gonna miss karate lessons during summer. Will try to do solo training going through all katas regularly to keep them fresh. Looking forward to practicing the new katas for next grade: - Shuto roppo - Ji no kata 3 and 4 - Pinan sandan - Gekisaidai ichi (hardly ever tried it before) Very happy I have had the opportunity to return to Karate this semester and looking forward to continuing the amazing journey of Budo. Osu!

I thought bunkai was application of kata performed together with at least one training partner. Thank you for such a reassuring reply

That's great to hear Fascinating - it's the first time I hear of Oyo bunkai Thanks for answer and description of that kind of practice

Today during my solo kata training I found it both fun and a good practice to start with a kata - for instance Go No Uke and then taking the very first move from that kata: Step back right foot -> gedan barai left hand And using it as an isolated kihon exercise for both sides: starting position -> right foot back -> gedan left -> back to starting position -> left foot back -> gedan right etc. Do you think this is a usual/good way to practice? It felt like really "breaking down" a kata to it's smallest pieces and then studying and adjusting very subtle details in a stance, a block etc. Looking forward to hearing about your experience of this kind of practice/other variations of studying how kihon/kata relates to each other

Thank you very much, sensei8. I feel very happy, surprised - and terrified . Haven't quite realized it yet I think.

What a nice surprise! Today it was time for gradation, and as a very proud father I watched my two sons performing and succeeding with their 8th kyu gradation, before doing my own for 7th kyu. I did found it rather strange that I was asked to perform the katas all by myself in the middle of the hall though (so nervous!)... It turned out, as we were all finished, that the diploma said "6th kyu" instead of the expected 7th 😊 Osu!

Skipped yesterday's training session due to the finger injury and instead did an easier/shorter solo session, after warm-up focusing on the katas I'm supposed to know for 7th kyu: - Go uke - Emppi roppo - Ji no kata 1-2 - Pinan nidan-shodan Planning to go through all of these at least footwork/mentally every day the week before grading. Osu!

Had a great training session the other day, you can really tell that it's time for grading in two weeks. Higher tempo, more focus on the techniques/katas we're supposed to know. Unfortunately I injured my little finger during the final kumite. Blocked without clenching my fist enough. Luckily I can keep training even though there may be a minor fracture, as long as I avoid direct contact with that finger. Will be taping the little finger together with the adjacent one for a week or two. May have to pass tomorrow's session since it still hurts rather much just to bend it, but the grading opportunity will still be there and compared to a broken toe, this is at least much more convenient and less painful. Note to self: Clench fist tightly when blocking Osu!

Congratulations, well done!

One more session with kumite the other day and I am starting to enjoy it! Now that I am used to being attacked and am aware of the fact that I am supposed to actually hit my sparring partner I find myself more and more focusing on finding "weak spots" in their defense and quickly countering their attacks, rather than worrying about feeling pain if they hit me. Sensei once again reminded me that the grading session is in a couple of weeks, so I guess there's no way around testing for 7th kyu (yellow+1 stripe) Nugget of wisdom: - The Pinan Sandan kata "double block" in the beginning starts on the same side as the first single block - Stay in shikko dachi while doing the punch in Pinan Sandan - Sensei wishes us to do two kiais in Pinan shodan, one when striking and one after the last high block Osu!

I agree with The Pred; awesome job!! You could've decided to just chill, seeing that the dojo was closed, but instead, you decided to train; that's called dedication!! Thanks a lot for those encouraging words. Since I train two times a week in the dojo, I feel that a third solo session is necessary - and really enjoyable of course Yesterday we practiced Shuto Roppo. Really interesting resemblance to sword and fascinating applications as well. Osu!

Thank you very much

Our dojo was closed during easter holiday this Sunday, so I did a longer solo session focusing on katas for 7th kyu instead. Finally starting to find the flow and pattern in the longer combination from the Pinan Shodan kata: - block right - kick right - punch left moving on to the same, but mirrored: - block left - kick left - punch right and on to double hand block Found it a good exercise to go through the combination as a stand-alone kihon exercise, starting from the regular left/right kamae. Osu!

Was introduced to an entirely new kata yesterday: Gekisaida (believe it's for 5th kyu) Always interesting and inspiring to get a taste of the more demanding and complex things that will come later on. Many completely new combinations and stances. New discoveries waiting to eventually be made... Osu!

Have been doing some progress with my kumite practice the last sessions (although one of the green belts does strike much too hard when sensei says "soft contact" imo ) Sensei told me my katas are improving and that it "may be time for grading" (for 7th kyu in that case) in May. Want to feel much more secure with the Pinan Shodan moves though, we''ll see... Really valuable to "keep in touch" with the art by following my daily "Not a day without a kata"-routine Osu!

Welcome to the forum I believe that labels such as "real" and "fake" are of less importance than what you feel actually give you real strength/growth/joy/mindset to overcome obstacles in life etc. If the overall journey leads in a direction that affects your life in a positive direction, then you are training a budo art that is "real", valuable, important to you. In other words, listen to your heart, your instincts, gut feeling, then train where - and in a way that makes - you improve both physically and mentally. Turn to - and stick to - the sun that makes you truly grow and blossom like a cherry tree. Best of luck with your training.

Osu!