Way of a Swede (from 8 kyu to...)

[sensei8]

During the last training session, I had the sudden realisation that a block I was doing was not an isolated motion, but just a midway step to gather more force for the punch following it.

Too often I tend to think of each technique as a separate entity, while in fact they are truly all part of the same flowing stream of reaction/counterreaction and motion. The natural response to any given circumstance.

Wish you all a great weekend, fellow karatekas. Osu!

Can you say, that you've just had an AHA moment?! Many of these AHA moments lie in your MA future, and these are known, in the MA vernacular, as Shu Ha Ri.

[Wayofaswede]

Then it was a Shu Ha Ri, thank you for letting me know the specific name and pointing to a starry sky filled with moments of Shu Ha Ri as the MA journey goes ever on...

Had another great training session tonight. Osu!

[Wayofaswede]

Less than a month left until the next grading opportunity. Not sure that I will be ready by then, but I have decided to train as if I actually will be grading. This usually means (in addition to the regular practice) going through all the new katas at least once a week and the last week before grading going through them all once a day.

Planning to view my sensei’s performance of the ”new” katas that will be required for 5th kyu:

Shoto Roppo

Pinan Sandan

Jin o kata 3-4

Gekisaidai shodan - this is the one I have least experience of and one kata that we train rather seldom.

Watching the ”kata DVD” and going through these five today will be the starting point for a more focused period of training. Feels good to give my karate - and especially a few specific katas - more priority for a feew weeks. Osu!

[Wayofaswede]

Another great club training session today. My Chief Instructor told me that he thinks I am ready for 5th kyu grading in a few weeks. Excited...

Osu!

[sensei8]

Another great club training session today. My Chief Instructor told me that he thinks I am ready for 5th kyu grading in a few weeks. Excited...

Osu!

Congrats, Wayofaswede; hard work has its rewards!! Good luck!!

[shortyafter]

Another great club training session today. My Chief Instructor told me that he thinks I am ready for 5th kyu grading in a few weeks. Excited...

Osu!

As Sensei8 says, hard work pays off. And, as they've taught me - persistence! Congrats, and good luck!

[Wayofaswede]

Thank you very much, both of you

[Wayofaswede]

After yesterdays training session the C.I. told me that the Gekisaida ichi kata won’t be required for our 5 kyu exam (because of recent changes of system). He told me to focus on the other katas instead.

So now I will be concentrating on Pinan sandan, ji no kata 3 and 4 and shuto roppo instead. Not many days left now...

Osu!

[sensei8]

After yesterdays training session the C.I. told me that the Gekisaida ichi kata won’t be required for our 5 kyu exam (because of recent changes of system). He told me to focus on the other katas instead.

So now I will be concentrating on Pinan sandan, ji no kata 3 and 4 and shuto roppo instead. Not many days left now...

Osu!

Between you and me, I'd comply with the system changes, albeit, I'd still train on Gekisaida ichi kata because it still contains valuable and effective contents; kind of train on it on the side for your MA betterment.

Imho!!

[Wayofaswede]

I wholeheartedly agree. We still have it in the "kata curriculum", it's just that we have made too many recent changes when it comes to angles, added a step etc. for it to be required for grading at the moment

It's a beautiful kata, I have found a YT video where Higaonna sensei first demonstrates then goes through each part:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAcBHCnLWWA

(this is how it used to be performed before the system changes)

Osu!