This blog discusses karate, jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts (MMA), nutrition, and fitness at the Meriden Martial Arts Club in Meriden, CT. |
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Meriden Martial Arts Club Karate Dojo Visit 1.25.18
CONGRATS TO DEREK! Hojo undo When in doubt, look at count leader to determine front foot Sanchin Get off heels when turning, be on balls of feet Keep elbows in Don't be too low, don't bend back leg too much Slow down Keep hand flat before sanchin strike, don't curl it up Keep back foot square toes toward target. Move feet first then do block/strike Stay loose then get tight at end Before doubles, pause in sanchin stance first after last single strike Emphasize the grab, little finger first, during doubles First strike in sanchin, aim at belt with both hands...not too low Kanshu Keep hands in sanchin position, not too far out Work on popping the back fist Pull wauke blocks back with your back. Hit with knuckle of thumb, curve fingers on top hand Stance shoulder width apart Keep hands up Seichin Don't turn on heels Use an x with arms, palm facing in, down with left hand and away with right for last part after 2 cat stances Widen up space of feet Haraken block, deflect it using arm at angle rather than pushing up. Seiryu Out more with initial break, not up, out in deflection, more like a punch Use left hand to push when “breaking arm” Pick up knee a little faster and put it down a little slower, cat stances Hands too close, make blocks bigger, think looser is better… Sanseiryu Same as above for cat stance Slow down Knee break, keep center of body more instead of over knee Don't just go up and down on silly finger strike, add finesse Kanshiwa bunkai Push block then do more of a windmill with blocking hand tuck elbow in (sanchin) and pull arm down Don't announce kata before doing it for bunkai Yakosuko Step initiates punch Finish the blocks first before striking. Drill #6 blocks...should get low kick with bottom arm only, don't bend...keep arms away from body but move arms toward kick to intercept, but move body back while arms receive kick, keep back straight #7- move hip and deflect inside with 1st 2 blocks...not so much a down block Seisan bunkai Keep thinking about spacing during bunkai Pinch striking hands together and strike temples not cheeks when defending first attack Pull down and control after stick attacks, tuck elbow in (sanchin) and pull arm down Be sure to push down during leg attack… Toe down in crane... |
Karate vs. Muay Thai Elbow Strikes
Here are some thoughts on the similarities and differences between the two. |
Uechi-Ryu Karate Road Trip 10.19.17
The Meriden Martial Arts club visited Ed DeCosta's dojo on 10.19.17 and we practiced karate. Here are our notes. Karate Dojo Notes Overall
Hojo undo
Sanchin
Kanshiwa bunkai
Yakosuko
Sei Ryu (Derek)
Kanshu (Enzo)
Kanshiwa (Dante)
Sanseiryu (Bill)
Seichin
Drill ideas
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Uechi-Ryu Karate Road Trip 8.8.17
The Meriden Martial Arts Club made it out to Ed DeCosta's Okinawan Karate school for a great class. Here's what we learned! Hojo undo Return the leg for kick Don't be very upright, be lower, strike with bottom half of body Sanchin Watch back heel, keep it square Push your leg through...remember eds drill, step on our back foot while we slide it forward Turn front foot in for stance, more angle with hip Move eyes, look where you are going when turning. Waueke block, keep lower hand on the belt not below it. Turn hand over at very end, remember eds drill push on hand while we throw strike, this will check stance for balance Kanshiwa Bunkai, keep shoulders square and good sanchin, don't collapse upper body when blocked after striking, keep square Block heavy with other arm before circle block at beginning part of bunkai For bunkai keep blocks closer to me, end block in sanchin don't reach -- especially for hammer strike block Seisan At end before jumpback, for spearheads and stepping, keep blocks small inside body not super wide, keep elbows in sanchin Sei Ryu Use legs and strike with clenched fists at beginning. Keep fists clenched when sliding back and when doing armbar thing Keep double shokens together when turning before cat stance For cat stance thing, keg comes up first, then circle block, be mindful of protecting ribs Keep upper body loose before big strike at end, exhale first before striking to help this. For circle block spearhand stepping striking drill, make a small circle block around the strikes and step to the side and in to cut the angle while controlling arm and distance Yakosuko Just do the block, don't reach Try to not telegraph |
Our First Club Black Belt!
Derek is our first Uechi-Ryu karate black belt at the Meriden Martial Arts Club! After years of hard work and dedication, he definitely earned it. Here are some pics from the test at the DeCosta dojo. We're proud of you! CONGRATS! Our picture with Ed and Jean |
Karate Roadtrip 5.11.17
Here are notes from another Meriden Martial Arts Club road trip to the DeCosta dojo. Sanchin Doubles arms tight to body Strike with thumbs for waueke blocks...hot in same spot as spear hand but with thumb Keep wrist straight in sanchin Bring strike all the way back, have palm touch pec, have some stretch in your shoulder, look for gap between shoulder joint and pec Keep back straight for closed gate and hands a bit higher. Loosen up feet a bit more for sanchin, don't be so tight. Kotaekotai Bring knee up in kicks Yakosuko Move to side but keep feet in sanchin and keep distance close. Move lower half with upper half, don't lunge. Make up distance through footwork not through leaning upper body. Don't drop foot down, return it and then place it down Be careful to keep fist in ready position, tucked under pec and drawn back after blocks...don't drop hand to waist Seisan bunkai Put strikes where they need to be on offense and defense, try to just miss the person by an inch or two rather than a foot or more. Pull arm down to gain control when blocking Spear hands, move to the side and stay closer, kind of like yakosuko. Seisan Before jumpback, it's like a horse stance with hands in sanchin, then you turn your torso 90 degrees to the right. Reverse doggy paddle (reverse hand cycling) with curved hands not straight. Keep hand loose for back fist and whip it and tighten on impact. Hand a bit closer when finishing kata, not so wide Keep back more straight (maybe) when doing elbow strike For hammer fist, keep right hand in sanchin first then strike after block. Spear hand should be slightly angled |
Meriden Martial Arts Club Karate Road Trip 4.11.17
Notes from our karate class at Ed DeCosta's dojo on April 11 2017 Osoto geri - how to counter step under counter? Single leg sweep seisan bunkai Shomen haji keep lead leg strong when sliding in. 90 degree hands groin strike Pull in first before turn n throw seisan Keep elbows in sanchin for waueke blocks. Move hand down and then over, dont wind up. Blend push block across with circle block rather than doing one then the other. Lower hand travels in a straight line from hip during waueke blocks. Keep high hand right below pec for waueke blocks. Sanchin strike keep hand higher before strike, right below pec. Yakosuko, keep stance short and square. Finish the block get control then show the full strike. When kicking legs for kotekote bring knee up first and then leg follows...hot with side of leg like a baseball bat swing, not the front of leg. Yeah...we need to update our martial arts training logs more often! |
Meriden Martial Arts Club Video Updates 1.10.17
Here are some new karate and training videos from the Meriden Martial Arts Club. Take a look and let us know what you think. Karate and jiu-jitsu training logs are soon to follow. |
Meriden Martial Arts Club Fall 2016 Training Highlights
Jiu-Jitsu Class closed guard passes
open guard passes
side control escapes 1. frame and shrimp 2. "bump and squirt" drill these in gi and no gi Karate Class hojo undo and movement drills kotekite kumite katas MMA Class sparring drills pad work out-door conditioning Self-Defense Class hooded box drill |