Weighing Your Kata Down

[June1]

I would do this kind of thing more often, but we don't at my dojo, and if I were to try and do this at home, I'd constantly smash into things....

Maybe once the weather improves, I could try this on my balcony.

[Kara]

i don't like to be around ppl when practicing kata, even my family....i wait till late at night when everyone's asleep and turn out the lights so no one from outside can see, cause i have alot of windows in my house. As for kata in class, well, my face goes red alot and i make alot of mistakes. as long as it's practiced anywhere on the floor while others do their own thing it's ok.

so ya i do do it in the dark, i tried a couple times with eye's shut but wasn't comfortable with it.

as for the wieghts i'll try that, i'm sure it'd be good for many reasons

[cathal]

Sounds like that is more of a self-confidence thing. That will go away as you become more comfortable with your technique.

[gojoinstructor]

Well all makes mistakes, that is part of being humans! The more you practice and the different environments that you do kata in , the better it will get and the more comfortable you will become.. It just takes time.

[MASIsshinryu]

Absolutely.

Try blindfolded / no lights, loud music, doing kata while being pushed/shoved in different directions, try doing mirror-image of each kata... the more you create stress in the enviroment and execution of a kata, the more you understand it, and it's applications.

[carl]

I couldn't recommend any more than what has already been said about using weights when doing kata.

I use them as often as I can when performing kata.

You have to be careful that you use them slowly, as has already been stated, and you will find that your blocks and strikes will become much stronger as well as your hand strength for grabbing.

You also might want to consider either buying or making a Chiishi to help in strengthening you hands and arms.

Great topic

Thanks,

Carl

[aefibird]

You also might want to consider either buying or making a Chiishi to help in strengthening you hands and arms.

Carl, do you have any links to places that sell (or have instructions to make!) a Chiishi?

Thanks.

[carl]

[quote name="aefibird

Carl' date=' do you have any links to places that sell (or have instructions to make!) a Chiishi?

Thanks. [/quote]

aefibird, I don't know of any place that sells them, but there are a ton of websites that will show you a picture of one. Just enter chiishi into your favorite search engine. (I use google).

I made 2 of them. One that is about 8# and one that is about 15#. Take a 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" wooden dowel or aluminum conduit and drive nails or screws so they stick out an inch or two, 4 to 6 of them on one end. The dowel should be long enough so that after you pour the cement into the can you have a length left that is equal to the length from the tips of your fingers to your elbows. Mine are about 24" total in length including the cement end. Take a metal 1# coffee can (or plastic, I used metal) and put the dowel in with the nail end in and make sure it is sticking straight out of the can. Pour in cement mixed with water to desired weight. Let dry about 24 hrs., cut away the can and have fun.

As for a video, I bought Morio Higaonna's video Power Training from:

http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/Pages/Thome.htm

I think you'll find this to be an excellent video for the chiishi and other training aids.

I hope this helps.

Carl

[Skeptic 2004]

In my younger and more vulnerable years, I used to practice naihanchi with ankle and wrist weights (the wrist weights were actually kinda cool because they were gloves so you could make a fist or open your hand). It was very useful for developing "speed" (I use quotes on purpose).

[schmerz_und_stolz]

you have to be carful with weights though, you can seriously hurt your joints if your doing improper techniques with weight. especialy your sholdures and ankles.