ShotoMan

Let's say you are in kiba dachi and perform migi yoko geri keagi. With the supporting leg, do you turn the foot away from the kick so that you can apply the hip or do you just snap the kick to the side, almost like a side-on mae geri using the edge of the foot or heel? On my course with Abe Sensei, he advised that we in the club (and the whole world for that matter) do this kick incorrectly. He demonstrated the keagi and it was in fact a kekomi but without the thrust! His supporting foot turned away from the kick and back again as the kicking foot was drawn back. Now I have practiced this (since yesterday, Saturday!) and I have to admit, it does feel correct and the kick has definitely more power behind it, than a slapping effect which is the feedback I felt when not applying the hip turning / foot-away method. Have I just been leading a sheltered life? Do you all practice keagi the "Abe" way?

Day two was as excellent as Day one with Abe Sensei. I have very much warmed to this man in such a very short time Today concentrated more on strong stances in kiba dachi and zenkutsu dachi. Not so much on length and depth but pure strength. This included exercises with a partner where you had to carry a person of similar weight to yourself, on your back, and in kiba dachi. Then with a partner on your shoulders, you had to perform nami ashi (asd taken from Tekki Shodan)! Yes, quite tiring but still fun! He worked on body shifting in both kiba dachi and zenkutsu dachi. Today was also dedicated a lot to the Heian katas. All in all, an excellent two days. I was left thinking that he wanted to impart so much more knowledge to us but time had run out! If he comes to a dojo near you, do make sure you put aside some time to meet him.

I have today attended day one of a two day course with Abe Sensei in Bath. Absolutely excellent!! Primary atention was paid to Tekki Shodan, Nidan and Sandan and applications thereof. He enjoys employing plenty of throwing, take-downs and arm locking techniques. I also found out that I have been performing yoko geri keagi wrong for the last 20+ years! Keigo Abe has an incredible presence and is a very friendly and enjoyable person to learn from. He even allowed me a photo op, so that was extremely welcome I just can't wait for tomorrow and day two! Excellent!

It is important that each of the moves of the kata have a decisive purpose. There should be no preperation, guard-like or feinting moves but all should have applications both when standing and within a grappling sense. If a given move (or combination) is not fool-proof by design, then the kata should also demonstrate a "back-up" for this. I guess it is more a case of are you looking to create a series of oyo or actually develop a kata which is self-contained as a system of self-defence/combat by itself. As is the true reason for kata in the first place. Best of luck and have fun.

Yeah Hangetsu is up there in the least favourite department. I'm also not a big fan of Heian Sandan, despite the fact it got me my Shodan. It just doesn't have any magic for me, which obviously indicates my lack of understanding of this kata. I should make it a bit of a mission to learn H. Sandan a lot more.

I had an op for a right medial meniscus tear and take my owird for it, go for it. I had the operation last October and was into full time karate and gym training by january this year. There is zero pain after the operation and I had zero side effects. The pre-op injection they give you is the best experience I have ever had!! Best of luck and just take it easy and your time afterwards. Don't be in any hurry to push yourself and you will be fine.

Hi Jade and hey, I'd say this is suitable for in here From my experience, a bad instructor is as you say, one who tries to do to much in a given lesson. I see many a sensei clock watching as they decide we will do 10 minutes on this thing, then 15 minutes on the next and so on. Not good. The best sensei is one who has a particular application or method to teach and builds the lesson on this very point. He / she may start with a kata and then select a combination from that kata. Practice this combination in drill form and break it down further within kumite. I have had an instructor who does just this and the lessons are excellent! A lesson can last an hour or two hours; it all depends on whether or not he has gotten the point across. Good stuff.

I normally practice kekomi (thrust) with the heel and keagi (snap) with the upper side edge of the foot. As long as you work on getting your heel higher than your toes as you kick, then you should be fine.

Not in my dojo but yes, I practice all six of the taikyoko katas.

Yes, well done. Keep it up.

I have Frank Brennan's brown belt and black belt kata videos and they are excellent. Top quality.

Yeah, he is taking a lesson with us tonight - Thursday in Bath, so I'm looking forward to that!

For those of the KUGB who do not know as yet, Terry O'Neil, Bob Poynton and Charles Naylor were all awarded their 7th Dan's by Andy Sherry last weekend. Imagine that? 7th Dan!!! Well done to them!!

For the KUGB, the standard dan katas are shodan -> nidan: bassai sho, kanku sho, niju shiho, jitte, tekki nidan Nidan -> sandan: chinte, sochin, gankaku, unsu, gojushio sho sandan -> yondan: gojushi dai, ji'in, wankan, meikyo, tekki sandan Of course, expect to touch on some or all before the respective grading time. Especially a kata such as Unsu and Gankaku. You will also need to know all the Tekki's (shodan, nidan and sandan) in a hurry as these are practiced often, joined together and in any order.

Yes Jimmy is Frank Brennan's brother. His lessons are tough, some times more the so. He expects a lot more from you and that is saying something. I found Frank to be a lot more leanient at times, compared to Jimmy so be prepared. One thing though, Jimmy will give you a longer break at Yame than Frank will.

Hi there. Have you been along to Jimmy Brennan's Picton SKC? When I was there, he held the classes on a Mon, Wed and Friday (and sometimes a Sunday). Check it out as he is quite excellent, too

When in a lesson involving breaking down kicks to the count, I often find that the majority of people find it quite hard to snap the back foot up beside the supporting leg knee and hold their balance there; maybe you are one of them? A simple thing I have found since learning the kata Gankaku is that if your kicking foot touches the supporting knee, you can hold your balance for a very long time. Now, I do realise that your kicking knee should be kept high and bent, thus bring the foot above the supporting knee height but still, if you are starting to hop about to keep your balance, just touch the side of your foot to your knee and you will see what I mean. If necessary, hook the foot of the kicking leg behind the knee to get your balance. Same thing with the spinning ushiro-geri. Bring the kicking foot instep to the back of the supporting knee (just like the kick in Gankaku) and then pivot and kick - you should see better results. As you practice this, you will find you can immediately pivot and hence, deliver the ushiro-geri a split second after the isntep-back of knee touch. I hope that makes sense? Most important of all, keep that supporting leg bent and tense your stomach to centre yourself.

Lucky you!! I miss those days in a big way. You will learn so much from him and Frank (of course!) Just keep at it and when he starts to single you out a lot, you will know you are getting there. Good stuff.

"Visualisation" is the key. Just get your mind into being attacked and react to it. Do it in front of a mirror and you can see how slow you are or if you do it fast, how much you are covering yourself with a block. You have to concentrate and rememebr how you were attacked last time and work at that. If you are honest with yourself, you will know that the punch or kick would have gotten through. Work on fast block and counter combinations. Also multiple blocks followed by a counter but fast and hard; stationary and moving around.

"bigbird?"

Hmmm can't say I would ever want to be a security officer. They are always just starting when you are going home for a great weekend and a great night out! Think of a great summer's day and you can't wait to hit the town and the gorgeous girls but instead, you have to dress up and go to work Nah, get a bar job and get in the mix of it. Oh and make sure it is in a good trendy, bouncy bar and not some guiness-old man's pub.

Yeah I believe in it and have had it, though I wonder if it is possible to love one person 100% for life? Maybe that is a totally new question. I think falling in love is always better than being in love.

We did French and Latin at school. I am now fluent in French as I continued this for work requirements - I used a Linguaphone course and it was/is excellent. Anybody can learn a foreign language using this method. I am currently learning Mandarin Chinese under the same system, simply because I love Chinese people.

Gfaw, gfaw! I think not. Any girl (or fellah) who falls for a chat up line should be seriously smacked and the "chatter-upper" even more so. If a person likes you, they make it clear enough so no lines are needed. If you have to push yourself onto them and hence, force them to notice you, then you've already lost.

Saw part 2 tonight and enjoyed it, to an extent. Not as exciting as volume 1, which was pure fun. Worth a view though and yup, I'll buy both on DVD