Sifu and JRRMAS Staff members WF, SK and BL practice lines of basic Stabs (Thrusts) with Broadswords.Lesson 1:Take any single techniquethe more basic the technique is ….the better!Choose your technique wisely…..One, that is a common denominator to the Art or FormThen…..while paying attention to principles and details repeat the single technique in a line or rowamassing as many repetitions as you have the capacity forRemember the idea is develop and refine …..Changing the way you do the technique should happen daily…Because: Mastery is the goal! Lesson 2:To achieve Mastery in Martial Arts…Correct practice is essential!A basic level that is available to everyone is around 10,000 (correct) repetitionsMastery is only available to those with a life long,regular daily practice and is around 36,000 repetitions!Repeating rows of the basic, is the main practice methodRows makes it relatively easy to repeat the basic 100 or more times in one practice sessionThen the secret is to do that practice daily……It’s amazing how quickly the repetitions will amass!
Tag: Classical Basics
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!!
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!
American Karate-Do, Crescent step, block and punch drill
JRRMAS Staff member JK leads the adult Karate-Do group in classical basics (retracting hand going to the hip for the rear elbow strike) Lesson:Crescent step…feet come close togetherto protect the groinwhile advancing forwardat the moment the rear footshuffles to the new Seisan Stance Focus your Reverse Punch (classical vertical punch from the rear side)or focus your blockThen Reverse PunchAt either end of the Studio Triangle Stepto turn around with power.This drill builds dynamic root and stability, coordination and basic mind/body connections needed for Martial Arts and overall neurological conditioning. Rows of basic stepping, blocking, puching/kicking and turning are an intergral part of many Styles of Martial Arts…..it’s the foundation of the Kata’s and the basis for more advanced practices.Sifu