Seminar with Iain Abernethy

This weekend we had the privilege to train with Iain Abernethy, expert in kata bunkai. Last time he was here we went through some of the bunkai found in the five Pinan and Naihanchin Shodan. This time he showed us bunkai for the entire Kushanku Dai and Bassai Dai kata!

During the weekend we learned a lot about different types of arm and wrist locks, how to get out of grabs and also a few throws. Most things we learned were incorporated in drills where we avoided attacks, locked the arm, and how to make the attacker incapacitated.

On Saturday we went through the whole Kushanku Dai kata with all its nifty bunkai, some really fancy ones, and some very brutal ones! I had the opportunity to learn to walk through the kata beforehand so that it would be easier to recognise the techniques we were doing. This really helped me understanding the kata and the drills we were doing.

During the evening we socialised over dinner at an Indian restaurant down town.

Sunday was all about Bassai Dai, one of my favorite kata to perform. We learned some interesting history about the name. Many of us thinks it means "To storm a castle", but actually no one knows the meaning of the name. That's just what the kanji means to make up the sounds of the name Bassai Dai. So the original meaning of the name is lost in history. Many of the techniques that are in Kushanku Dai are also in Bassai Dai, so it was a bit easier for both mind and body to go through the techniques.

We got a lot of information and learned many drills and useful techniques. It's really hard to remember everything, but some things stuck to my mind that I want to practice on and also teach others in the club. On this seminar I was the only one representing the club, so I have the responsibility to bring my new knowledge back to everyone else!

Picture by: Sofia Danielsson

Left side, strong side!

Well I wish, haha!

A couple of weeks ago I strained a chest muscle on my right side. I finally went to the chiropractor as it didn't go away by itself with icing treatments. She stretched out some muscles around the shoulder and cracked my back a few times. She also took a look at my posture, which is good now by the way, except for my left shoulder.

Since I'm right handed my left side is naturally weaker. I lift most things with my right arm, so that shoulder is positioned where it should be. But since my left side is weaker, that shoulder needs to come back a bit for me to get an even better posture!

So every time I move about,lift things, or even do punches from shizen dachi or senkutsu dachi, I try to constantly pull the left shoulder back while trying to relax my right side. I'm feeling it working as my left arm and shoulder is getting more of a workout out of it.

I was thinking of doing some extra training on my left side so that I become equally strong on both sides. My chiropractor advised against it, and told me to just try and focus on doing things with my left side. So I'll try that for a period and see how it works. I don't want to strain my left side too! :)

Closing in!

Yes! It's less than 1½ month left to the black belt exam! Am feeling more ready every day.

My strength is improving, much due to the physical work I do. I have been trying to do my strength exersizes, but have been forced to cut back also due to my work. Am still trying to do core at least once a week at home.

Since strength is improving, my techniques are improving and I'm more stable and have better balance. The hip has improved, but still has days/periods where it doesnt quite like to cooperate. But with proper warm up this isn't really a problem.

In some of the kicks I still point my knee down a tiny bit, but it has improved since autumn, and will be something I have to work on more in the future. I think it's much to do with my leg strength...

All katas are looking great except perhaps naihanchin nidan. This one I still need to work on to feel a bit more secure with. But since it's just a plus kata I'm not too worried. I'd rather work on my kihon and get some more sparring in.

Since I also have my arthritis to consider, I'm thinking of doing the exam with budo shoes. Though if I keep trainith without shoes for as much as possible I might not need to. I figured I would try out how it works with training on wooden floors and then decide what to do. But since the pain can come suddenly it could me risky not doing it with shoes...

Summary

I have had things to write about the past few weeks. But I have been a bit low and not motivated with training, so that has payed its toll on the blog as well. Though I have been doing a few posts on Facebook once in a while. So here is a little summary of what has happened!

Our club was host for this years Shorin Ryu Championship. The competition was very well planned, and seems like everyone enjoyed it. We had a lot of judges and very few referees, so the judges got to try themselves as referees. It's not the easiest thing in the world when you are a rookie, but it went very well and everyone got some practice with some coaching from Terje Årdal.

Due to injuries in the club we had only four on the youth group that participated in the competition. Two of them only participated in kata, while the other two did both kata and kumite. Everyone did a great job, and I could see their progression. Tinus was the only one to take a medal, bronze in kata. Me, I was coach for the day, and I must say it went a lot better than last year! Now I have had time to get to know the kids, and I have learned more on what to look for in a bout to help.

The week after the competition I found out that the knot under my foot is arthritis caused from an earlier injury. There is nothing more to do but wear good shoes. Though I have been sent to an orthopedic for a second opinion. Due to this I still can't train 100% in the dojo, as I still have to wear shoes or take breaks when it hurts. This is really frustrating, since I was counting on being ready for the black belt exam by now, but I can't hop around on the foot for too long! I do hope the orthopedic has a better solution, because as it is now it's very demotivating to go the dojo knowing it will hurt.

But the world doesn't end.

I've put myself up for a coaching and communication course this Thursday. It's a one day course offered for free from the Norwegian Athletics Association. And on Wednesday me and a couple of help trainers from the club are going to be guest trainers for the second graders at a local sports school.

Picture by: Sofia Danielsson

Competition preparations

On Saturday it's the annual Shorin Ryu Norway Competition. This year it's our turn to arrange it. So the past few months has been all about planning, and training our karatekas for the event.

Last year I participated in kata and was coach for the youths. This time I'll focus on being coach. I'm hoping it'll get easier this time as I have gotten to know the kids a bit more since last time, and I feel they have really progressed! I'm really excited for the weekend, and I hope all our participants do their best!

We don't have as many participants from the club this year, sadly. Only 3-4 boys and one girl in the youth section, and 19 kids below 12 years. This is due to injuries and sickness that some of our karatekas are suffering at the moment. Hopefully they will be ready for other competitions later in the season.

Picture by: Maren H. Øvsthus

The foot story so far

Since the beginning of December last year I haven't been able to use my foot properly at training. This has meant that there are many techniques I can't do as intense as I would like to. The injury is not only affecting my training, but also work. I walk and stand a lot on concrete floors at work, and that is truly heavy duty for already healthy feet. Imagine walking on concrete on an injured foot!

I've been to the doctor twice. Last time he sent me to do MRI on the foot at a neighboring town. He then called me up this Monday, explaining to me what they have found. It's a knot that sits directly on one of the small bones in the foot, and is an injury caused by overloading the foot. The knot itself is harmless (except for hurting like an s.o.b.), and is not growing. My doctor didn't know how to treat it, so he went to consult an orthopedist. On Thursday I got a text message, saying they want to do some supplementing MRI.

I'm now waiting to be called in for a second time, and am hoping it will be a bit quicker than last time. For the first MRI appointment I was given a time at 5th April. A few days later I called them up and asked if they had any cancellations. Long story short, I got in on 2nd February!

The past week I have noticed the front muscle of my lower leg getting really sore after working or walking for long distances. This is due to me compensating to not step on the pea sized knot sitting on the side of the big toes pad. I'm worried that if this goes on for too long I will get some other sort of muscle injury not unlike my right hip injury I struggled with a year ago! So, I'm now trying to be extra careful. I try to walk as normal as I possibly can, I've asked to take more sitting breaks at work, and I use my trusted ice pack on the over worked muscles.

Training with shoes means I don't have to risk getting surprise pain shot up through my foot when I twist my foot on the mat. Though it means I stick to the mat more, and have weaker balance. This means I very often have to take unnecessary extra steps in both kihon and kata. SO when this whole ordeal is over, I'm feared I have to teach myself the proper foot techniques yet again.

Since this is taking a bit of time to sort out before I even get a treatment, I'm not 100% sure I will take the black belt exam in the summer. Sure I'd be bummed out. But that also means I have an extra 6 months to prepare, and will hopefully do a stronger belt exam. As my chiropractor stated, this could actually be a blessing in disguise.

Pictures by: Sofia Danielsson

Judge/Referee workshop 2013

Last weekend three of our clubs judges headed up to Oslo for the annual judge/referee workshop held by the referee committee. During the three days we went through the new changes in the rules, went through some new situations in kumite, and discussed our different roles at competitions.

I must honestly say I learned more at last years workshop, though that could be because this was all new to me. Though it was good to run through the new changes. We had some healthy discussions about both kumite and kata that will make the difference in progression. I feel I'm starting to train my eyes on what to look for. But I'm still really fresh and need a lot more practice.

January 25th was the deadline to sign up for the Norwegian Championship. I haven't signed up this year due to many reasons I will not bring up here.