No More Broken Toes?

Further to my last entry regarding the difficult time my toes have been having during sparring - I may have found a solution - Turner Sports shin and foot protectors - there are probably others that are similar on the market, but these have been perfect for me and much better than the pull on cotton ones I had been using which stop just beyond the instep leaving toes exposed. See the link below. Essentially they cover your entire foot yet the elastic is only underneath the arch of your foot leaving the heel and ball of the foot free to grip the floor. There is an additional piece of elastic which goes under your toes which I just hook over my big toe to maximize foot-floor contact. Fantastic! I feel considerably more secure when sparring now.

link to Turner Sports

Kumite Injuries - Toes

Now that I'm starting to enjoy sparring, I am also having to deal with the inevitable consequences of throwing punches and kicks at someone - pain. Invariably the person has more experience and skill than I do. This is good - the more experienced the better - an experienced practitioner is much less likely to injure you in my limited experience. However, minor injury is part of the deal. Not broken bones, but the odd bruise and in my case, sprained or broken toe. Twice now, once each side - I did my right foot, so I used my left leg more and did my left foot. Now I have two sore feet and high heels are out for the time being. Something that male martial artists don't have to consider for the most part. Fighting without kicking is not as effective and more importantly, it's less fun. I suffered a sprained finger only once and now I never leave them sticking out, but you can't make a foot-fist to tuck your toes away. Toes are just out there, tiny weak things ready to be snapped. It's not that my opponents are out to get me or lacking control, it's just that it takes very little force to break a toe. Both mine were done by people not unreasonably blocking my kicks. I'm going to invest in some more substantial leg and foot shields, but most of these devices leave your toes sticking out like the ones I've got. Until I become massively better at sparring, I'm not sure what the solution is.

I've turned to youtube. Watching good fighters is a good way to learn if you're a total beginner like me - this chap Rafael Aghayev is great to watch and he seems to incorporate judo throws which is a nice touch if you can do it. Also the sparring is remarkably controlled with both competitors trying to score the point rather than inflict damaging force. In fact looking at the WKF footage the fighters in general are very respectful of each other. Despite this, theirs toes are still sticking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKrfJuQjTP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0GD9kanca4

Weight Training - Is It Important For Karate?

Before I started karate I had heard of people lifting weights and I'd even seen them in the gym. Groups of tattooed, muscle-bound, men training to achieve their own particular vision of physical perfection. Not really my thing. Also muscle that looks good may not be functional and anything that doesn't help you - like fat or unnecessary muscle - will hold you back. However, there are others who lift weights to develop muscles for a specific purpose other than looking good - to help them do their chosen sport better. Karate is no different and power needs muscular strength as well as good technique. I started about a month ago after our Sensei incorporated weights into a particularly gruelling training session where we used hand held weights and replicated different types of punch and blocks. It was great! I now use small weights at home to do the same along with sit-ups, modified press-ups (still can't do a full one), planks and squats, but I'm not up to doing this with my muscular brethren in the gym. So I do think using weights will be an important part of my training once or twice a week for about fifteen minutes, but karate seems to be one of the best all over conditioning sports there is, so weight training should not be done at the expense of karate training if you have limited time, but rather as an addition.

Mawari Ashi - Turning

Moving from one technique to the next is hard for beginners like me. At first you "walk" into the next technique, rather than deliver the technique with power. This continues even after you know the moves and feel confident with them. Arriving at the next move is different from really delivering that move with power. This is really obvious in kata. Take Pinan Ninan for example - the first, simplest kata, but one it is hard to do well. To actually deliver each move correctly and with power and speed takes practice and more practice and I still can't do it, but at least I know that. When I perform kata, I sometimes catch my Sensei smiling - he's not happy, it's suppressed laughter - because the sight of poorly performed kata carried out with sincerity is almost too much for him. It took me a few months to realize that I was simply walking through the kata. Movements in a straight line are hard enough, but the real challenge is  on the turn, or mawari ashi. If you're a beginner, try the moves below on this website. They're very helpful since it is hard to do the entire sequence with good technique and power. Good luck!

http://www.shitokai.com/shihouke.php

Kiai

The "Kiai" is an essential but initially awkward component of karate. It's the shout emitted during a particularly good attack. Every kata will have a couple of kiai points. I had been suffering under the illusion that the kiai meant that you had to shout "kiai" loudly at the appropriate time. Not so. Ki is your inner strength and it is put simply a battle cry designed to momentarily stun or terrify your opponent. To a degree the kiai is a natural part of performing the technique. Once you develop even modest technique, you will feel that air is expelled from you involuntarily as you perform a technique - especially upper body techniques such as punching. Your breath is simply forced out without our control. If you build on this to add sound you have your "kiai". It could be any sound. I still shout "kiai" along with the rest of the class, but this is wrong. I don't know what my proper kiai sounds like yet, but Bruce Lee had one that sounded like a girl and he was a great fighter. His kiai certainly would have successfully distracted an opponent while they looked round to see where the small child was, giving Bruce vital split seconds to gain the upper hand.

Gradings In Karate - Why Put Yourself Through It?

I passed another grading - green belt! I'm probably not alone in finding gradings a little frightening. It is odd that people choose to do a hobby that puts them under pressure and makes them perform in front of others with the potential to fail - but most students of martial arts do exactly this. During a grading (or exam) you have to demonstrate your knowledge of the basic moves, set combinations of moves, pad work (hitting and kicking against a pad held by a partner), sparring and kata. Kata I love, but it becomes much harder and less enjoyable when you are performing alone in the middle of the dojo with everyone else looking on! Regardless, I did it about as well as I can anyway, so I was pleased. What I was most pleased about though was my sparring. I really struggle with this and I'm easily the worst in the class - until recently..... About two weeks ago I "fought" two men and was better than both. Now firstly, I must say that sparring is not fighting, it's very controlled and only the trunk is the target zone with the contact being light. Clearly either bloke could have just clobbered me hard and that would have been that. However, within the rules of sparring, I was better. The first was a white belt, just started. "So what" you may say, but I had assumed all men were just good at that sort of thing - apparently not, my limited skills were sufficient! The second encounter was with a brown belt. Yes, brown. He was new to the club and had previously trained in a club that never did free sparring (weird) and was quite unable to cope with the speed of free sparring. I'm sure he'll catch up soon, but what a confidence boost for me! It taught me that I must have learned something and with my new found confidence, I'm not too bad. My usual partner, who I've affectionately named King Kong since she's five inches taller than me and considerably stronger, was amazed. So was I. I actually scored points against her! I'm also less worried about getting hurt. I'm not sure why, time perhaps. Anyway, gradings are horrible and anxiety provoking with the potential to be embarrassing, but when you get thought one you feel good because you have achieved something openly and in front of everyone.

An Inspirational Sensei - The Art of Kata

Next week it will be six months since I took up karate. Prior to this my activity level had been close to zero - myself and exercise were like magnets that repelled, but no more. Six months ago I was 10st (too heavy at 5ft 1in), a tight size 12 and a 34DD cup. Now I'm 9st despite gaining muscle and size 10, a 32F cup and very pleased. The bust effect can only be explained by developing pectoralis major, since even karate cannot make your boobs bigger however visually, the effect is the same. Additionally, I feel happier and get to eat more - much more - presumably because my basal metabolic rate has increased from greater muscle mass and the additional calories burned through exercise. I also consume less alcohol which is good for me and assuming I don't get unlucky, I should live longer since all the exercise will lower my risk of death from cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Win, win, win.

I am eternally grateful to my Sensei who is wonderfully dedicated to the sport and to his club and without even knowing it has bestowed upon me F-cup tits. I watch him give children confidence and see the improvement in their behavior. He is also very tolerant of those who will never be good, or even moderately good. His area of expertise is kata. Sometimes watching him can be jaw-dropping. Kata done well is amazing to watch, it's not just the accuracy of the movements, it's the power. Replicating this is easier said than done. I've not written for a month and the reason is there's been nothing to tell, I'm stuck. I know the moves to six katas, but I lack what my Sensei calls 'technique'. By this he means power from the hip and probably a lot more besides. Essentially, the thing that makes kata different from dance. Without power there is no point. So this is the next challenge, because until I start to get this, I will not progress, but if anyone can teach me, he can.