American Karate-Do, Black Belts Side Kicking practice

JRRMAS Staff members NL, JC and DG practice defensive (not stepping in) Side Kicks in a recent Adult American Karate-Do class. NL is leading the class. All are demonstrating excellent form.Lesson 1:Side Kicks are both a classical and a modern basic techniqueThe kick also crosses over to real life self-defensefrom both a standing and a lying position.It is one of the most powerful techniques in Martial Arts, especially for women. For men the legs are twice as powerful as their arms, but for women the legs are four times as powerful as their arms! So learning to kick is a must for women’s self-protection, especially the side kicking action that uses the joints of the hip and the knee working in unison. The Side Kick is a very powerful kick indeed!Lesson 2:Remember to drive your knee straight up (as in a front kick)and learn to use the momentum of the initial vertical action of the kneechanging it from vertical to horizontalThe ‘secret’ to a quick and powerful Side Kick is keeping the knee up as the initial power of the vertical knee driveturns the ‘corner’ to a horizontal thrusting action using the hip and the knee jointBe very clear about the ‘line of power’ at the end of your kick!!

T’ai Chi Ch’uan Dance, Part Three, Receiving Side

Sifu and JRRMAS Staff member BL practice Grand Master T. T. Liang’s T’ai-Chi Dance. Sifu is on the receiving side of Part ThreeLesson 1:When practicing, at first go slowly,Concluding your gestures with your whole body ONE unit!pausing slightly as you synchronize your movementsas the Yin/Yang flow and exchangeThe Dance is truly marvelous and infiniteas you learn to SEE with your touch,and not merely your eyes!Lesson 2:The eye is easy to fool, but to fool the touch of a T’ai Chi Ch’uan Master, is very difficult, indeed!Once you know the ‘sequence’ of a solo or two person set, then try practicing with your eyes closed. Remember to meditate on the principles, your balance point and your breathing!Practicing with your eyes closed is an excellent way to practice anything from solo forms to Trapping Hands and Chasing Hands, as well as any of the Pushing Hands and Da Lu variations.

Bagua Zhang, 1st Yin Fu Set, Change #3

Sifu and JRRMAS Staff members BL and WF practice the third change in the first Yin Fu Set.Lesson 1:Because Bagua Zhang is moving meditation with a focus on correct body mechanics,T’an T’ien breathing The mind is controlling the bodies movements, with low single leg squats for strength and flexibility and standing on one leg for balancetwisting the limbs and trunk for circulation.With all of the ‘principles of Bagua Zhang’ that are going on simultaneously, regular DAILY practice of Bagua Zhang WILL: improve and maintain your overall health and well being!You will become Stronger (in your overall constitution), more apt to be Centered (especially in high stress situations) Calmer in your approach to everyday life More apt to have a positive attitude in general and especially towards life little surprises!Sifu

Modern Arnis Empty Hand Form 2 – Anyo Dalawa

Sifu practices Modern Arnis Empty Hand Form 2 – Anyo DalawaSifu regularly had his Modern Arnis forms corrected by Prof. Presas himself…usually in Sifu’s living room or front yard after one of the East Coast Camps or after one of the many Seminars that Sifu organized for Prof. Presas.Many thanks to Prof. Presas for sharing his art with me! I honor his effort in the most meaningful way I know…. I practice the material!

Sparrow Hop

JRRMAS student helper SM feeds a Side Kick (light) to White Belt RH so that he can practice the ‘Sparrow Hop’. RH holds a body shield and allows the power of SM’s Side Kick to move his body backward by allowing his front foot to replace his back foot. If it’s a really powerful technique the receiver might have to ‘Hop’ back two or three times in rapid succession.Lesson 1:This practice will help the student to develop the ability to ‘see’ the kick coming and study what it looks like when someone kicks at you. He will get the timing, body movement, distancing, and nuance. In normal life we rarely have a kick (or punch) coming at us…and never in a way that we can really study it. So the body shield (and focus pad) holding is invaluable in ‘seeing’ techniques and thus being able to defend against them.Lesson 2:Holding a body shield for kicks and punches will help the student to emotionally acclimatize to the physical feeling of being kicked, without being hurt. The student will slowly gain confidence and will be able to deal with powerful kicks effectively.

An amazing story about one of our students!

This week end one of our best young students Scott M. a Green Belt who also assists with the Youth Karate-Do classes, accomplished an amazing feat for a truly worthwhile cause….outstanding Scott! We are all very proud of you. Those of us that have lost loved ones to cancer (my Dad in 1992) are very grateful and appreciative of you and your teammates efforts…..Go Green Wave!
Why they Relay
The Green Wave Team is comprised of current members, alumni, and friends of the Greenfield High School cross-country and track teams. Last year, one of its freshmen, Scott, asked if some of his friends and teammates could form a Relay For Life team to support his mother, Sharon, who was recovering from breast cancer. The cross-country and track teams had experienced devastating losses during the previous year and the athletes understood the importance of his request. Eli and Luke had lost their father,Ken, during the last weekend of the cross-country season and Marcus lost his younger brother, Logan. Ryan learned that the cancer courageously endured by his mother, Mary, was terminal and CJ and Austin supported their mother, Carlene, as she began her battle against breast cancer. Joined by cross-country and track alumni, the team members decided to run every lap of the Relay For Life. Scott and several other members ran the twenty-six miles that constitutes a marathon distance while most ran at least twenty miles. This year, the Green Wave is running in honor of cancer survivors Carlene and Sharon, and in memory of Ken, Logan, and Mary. Like last year, the team plans to run every lap. Parents and alumni will host a spaghetti supper and meeting of hope and remembrance for team members the night before Relay at Greenfield High School. How can one team experience so much loss? This team has spirit, energy and a serious commitment to run every lap in honor and in memory of their loved ones. Be sure to give them applause (and plenty of water) as they run their way to finding a cure! Go Green Wave!

NOTE: REPRINTED from The Relay News June 2009 edition – Thanks Sharon

American Karate-Do, Wallace Roundhouse Kick Exercise

JRRMAS Staff member DG demonstrates his excellent kicking form. This is an exercise I learned from Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace back in the 1980’s and has become an intergral part of the American Karate-Do curriculum for both the Youth and Adult groups. Lesson 1:Doing the kick slowly gives you the best indication of your kicking ability. Your knowledge of the kick will be revealed by going slowly. This knowledge includes:Kicking knee position, Supporting foot position, Hip position, Upper body position Slow kicking will also reveal :Your stretch, Your strength And most importantly your balance. Slow kicking is healthy for practitioners of all Martial Arts and for praticioners of all ages!Slow kicking is a tried and true method that has come down through the ages. Many thanks to Bill Wallace for pointing us in the correct direction!

Tuesday’s Youth Karate-Do Class

A group photograph of the Youth Karate-Do class this past Tuesday. We did an ‘open workout’ where the students have to use their own initiative and creativity. This was an excellent group….hard working, productive and focused. They were inspiring each other, while researching and examining the ‘Art’…. What more could a Teacher look for?
A big congratulations to JS for his recent graduation from High School! All the best luck to you!!