What did I teach today?

[JusticeZero]

Students were all out and no new students turned up. Alas.

I had intended to focus on mobility on the floor, though. This involves line drills, as well as movement improvisation with a chair as partner for orientation. Always use a chair for footwork, to orient on.

[bushido_man96]

5-19-09

I wasn't teaching a class or even for an extended period of time, but after class, a student approached me about one of her one-steps, and I helped her address a few things in it. I explained to her that one of the unfortunate circumstances of self-defense is that of close proximity, so she needed to make sure that she used her stance and footwork to get into a good position to use her techniques. She was doing a rising x-block to divert a punch, after which she twists into an arm/shoulder lock, and follows with a front kick. Along with proper hand position, I worked with her on getting into a good back stance, getting the feet placed properly and comfortably, with the weight back a bit, but the hips still in good position, allowing for the flow of the technique.

I guess it all starts with good stance, eh?

[JusticeZero]

Ginga, the importance of relaxing, and covering ground on the floor. Remember to REACH when skittering and rolling along the pavement so that you can cover ground!

Lots of nitpicking over the basic stance work, basically. I almost got through the whole class without a single kick or strike being thrown, until I had one of them adjust their half-moon kick form as part of adjusting a form issue with their floor footwork.

As for the kid.. we had her sweeping the patch of pavement we were holding class on - without being allowed to use her arms to move the broom! Just hip and leg motion.

[JusticeZero]

Another bleah day. Started by adjusting and teaching the little to ride a bicycle so that she would be more able to GET TO class. Lots of object lessons in 'just do, do not try'. Also in 'where your eyes go, you do also'. Unfortunately it didn't stick, and she was unable to kick a stationary target as a result - kept looking away, then kicking backwards. Not sure how to fix that.

Did some drilling on the importance of having defenses smoothly transition into attacks. Again, not enough people to have people pair up.

[bushido_man96]

Are you teaching to watch where the kick goes, or to kick, and not watch (blind kick), JusticeZero? I couldn't really tell which way you were going, and thought I might have a suggestion.

[JusticeZero]

I was trying to solve for putting the kick into the target, and asking that eyes stay toward the target in general. While we always watch the direction of the target, we also try to keep our gaze soft and keep the whole target in peripheral. Alas, this student would reverse in midmotion and kick behind her, not looking where she was kicking OR at the target.

[bushido_man96]

I see. Perhaps just working on her with tracking the target along the path the kick would travel, without kicking at first, might help her to focus on it a bit more? Just a thought.

6-9-09

I helped a student work on her spinning heel and spinning outer crescent kicks tonight. Working on pivoting and getting the body in proper alignment for executing each of the kicks.

[ninjanurse]

Yesterday we worked on our combat tactics paying special attention to proximity and secondary targets. I have several students who seem to want to "hang" their techniques out there so I on occasion grab the offending extremity and give instant feedback. Such fun!

[bushido_man96]

That seems to be a hold-over habit of forms practice, from what I see. Students like to lock and hold their techniques when doing forms, especially kicks.

[ninjanurse]

Quite true. Sometimes the movement patterns that we drill into our students make our life a bit harder but I am still a proponent of this style of teaching. I'd rather tweak them later that have them be weak in the foundations of technique. There is always a method to the madness!