Karate Dojo Notes

Overall

1. Etiquette, say the kata confidently

2. Slow down, trust form.

3. Don't anticipate.

4. Start and end with the most emphasis in katas.

Hojo undo

1. Keep hands up don't drop them

2. Keep blocks away from body

3. Keep back foot and belt pointed toward opponent when striking

Sanchin

1. Keep fingers even with shoulders

2. Position arms a bit more away from body, not so close...a fist away from body

3. Keep back foot straight.

4. Keep legs separated a bit more

5. At very beginning, lift arms inward to outward, curved, not straight up. Strike down and grab into a fist and then lift up and open hands after that.

6. After first waueke block, go to horse stance for a second without moving right foot, then move left and do second waueke block

7. Have toes pointed slightly apart when bowing.

8. Keep lat down when striking. Don't throw shoulder out, keep lat taught, power comes from ground up, synchronize hips with that motion.

9. Keep fingers out strike with thumbs for waueke blocks.

10. Don't have hands and arms so close to chest, be looser up to, not so tight in upper body.

Kanshiwa bunkai

1. Don't reach for club block, trust form and don't lean in. Drill this!

2. Keep fist pointed toward opponent when chambered before elbow strike. Make point of elbow the striking point. Punch other shoulder, don't lean in, keep back straight.

3. Eye contact. Give a cue before punches.

4. Put punches on target, make them block.it.

Yakosuko

1. Move side to side a bit when blocking.

2. Chamber strike after striking.

3. Stay loose and get powerful at the end.

4. Crescent kicks, lift knee first and think about striking with toe, don't just throw leg out there. Work on hip mobility.

5. In general when striking or defending,  keep other hand up, even when not using it.

6. DON'T ANTICIPATE. Try to block things last minute, not as they are being thrown.

Sei Ryu (Derek)

1. Lift knee up same time as arm on same side goes into circle block…. Work on finding a focus point after that when landing on toe. Drill this, repetition.

2. At the end, don't blend so much, keep as separate strikes with blocks

3. Keep fingers to side for waueke block, strike with thumbs not fingers.

Kanshu (Enzo)

1. Double harakans toward end is both offensive and defensive.  More outward, less upward.

Kanshiwa (Dante)

1. Keep shoken more compact, finger shouldn't jut out so much.

Sanseiryu (Bill)

1. Slow down.

2. Keep right arm by side for knee break, slide along ribs.

Seichin

1. Pause in beginning.

Drill ideas

1. Change up speeds in yako and react to strikes

2. 50 club blocks don't reach at it otherwise do burpees or knuckle pushups

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

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