The first session was well attended. We worked on the stepping punch to begin with. The lower grades practised the standard form of the technique where the hips remain square and power is generated by moving body weight in a forward direction. The higher grades added body rotation to the delivery of the shot. Developing fast hand speed is challenging; but not as challenging as developing fast legs! So stepping speed was focussed upon. In fact some of the juniors made rapid improvements; by the end of the session they were darting forward like tiny arrows!
This sharpness of technique was fed into the kata practise which concluded the first session of the evening.
We began the 7pm class with several rounds of skipping. We started with a light 2 minute skip, then followed this with some interval type training where the tempo was varied. The tempo changes were initiated spontaneously, or as a response to a command, or as a reaction to a skipping partner’s work rate. We also diversified the skipping patterns whilst skipping in an orthodox manner, and did the same whilst skipping in an unorthodox manner!
To continue the warm up we worked on the 1st and 2nd dan special grading combinations and then we partnered off. We worked on two techniques with a partner: gyaku tsuki and maewashi geri. We did singles and doubles with both. After partner work we usually move straight into jiue kumite to practise applying the moves, however we injected a little kata practise at this stage and saved the kumite for later!
We studied enpi kata move by move. It was good to see that some of the brown belts who have only recently been introduced to this kata are picking it up very well indeed. We ran through the kata twice with the second performance at full bore.
We then donned mitts and gum shields and sparred. We used straight punches to chudan or jodan, and maewashi geri off any leg.
An exceedingly good workout was enjoyed by all!
17 members trained in the 6.15pm session: Jacob Gracey; Willy Astleigh; Iona Dennis; Izzy Ponsonby; George Coates; Jonathan Osborne; Paul Osborne; Frank Dennis; Steve Cassapi; Gregory Mills; Anthony Mills; Alex Heather; Harry Heather; Darren Cockburn; Myles Ponsonby; Kerry Lee; Gareth Thomas.
Assistant instructor: Becky Cassapi
10 members trained in the 7pm session: Gregory Mills; Anthony Mills; Darren Cockburn; Ryan Skilton; Rachel Tyler; Tom Ludlow; Jack Robson; Kerry Lee; Gobe Hobona; Gareth Thomas.
SOUTH NOTTS KARATE 