Denver Karate Blog

I am enjoying working with two new students in our daytime class.  We have a father and daughter – Dennis and Chelsea.  Chelsea has a little experience with Shodokan Karate.  I don’t think Dennis has any experience, but he is relaxed and seems to be catching on quickly.

Looking forward to a good karate workout this afternoon.

Here is a photo from our karate tournament in April.

You can see more at http://picasaweb.google.com/DanGoldstein59/KarateTournamentApril09?authkey=Gv1sRgCK3pkKCZjMnNIw#

On Friday, we had a really good workout.  Only three people were there, but we all left drenched in sweat and smiling. 

We spent the last 40 minutes playing a “monkey in the middle” sparring game.  One of us would be in the middle while the other two took turns attacking.  We used simple attacks so the guy in the middle could work on counterattacks and timing.  We rotated among the three of us – about three minutes each in the middle and then switched. 

It was exhausting, but really rewarding.  Even though we were tired, by the end, our counterattacks – whether kicks or punches had really improved.

I look forward to more kumite and timing practice this coming week.

I am getting ready to go to practice.  Need to get my gi out of the dryer….

Since I took this week off from work, I have been able to get in to the dojo about 30-40 minutes before class and warm up really well.  Jumping rope, hitting the makiwara, practicing my kata – back to practicing Chinto.  Lots of fun.

I feel like it is helping.  I am more aware of my posture and how that impacts my balance - both while sparring and during my kata.  Still need to work on keeping my knees bent and using my ankles for a solid foundation.

Looking forward to a great class!

Just four students today during the daytime class yesterday, but we had a good workout. After exercises, we all went outside to hit the makiwara. The sun was out and it was good to go outside – even if we did bruise a knuckle or two. Sensei really encouraged us to relax our bodies – especially our shoulders – while we worked on the makiwara boards.

Then we went back to the dojo where we practiced front kicks and roundhouse kicks. Initially, we just kicked across the floor, then we practiced in-place roundhouse kicks. Finally, we worked in pairs with one person kicking and the other being the target as we moved back and forth across the dojo floor.

We finished with kata – working on the three most basic pinan katas – Nidan, Sandan and Shodan. Sensei kept stressing the importance of posture, knee and ankle flexibility and relaxation – especially relaxation of the shoulders.

Looking forward to a great practice on Friday!