Demonstrating Yakusoku kumite with Makishi Sensei in Okinawa. Yakusoku kumite means "promise" kumite, pre-arranged sparring, seven sets developed by Osensei.
 
Glimpses from Okinawa, entry #5
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snippets from Preston Sensei's karate journal
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Kata corrections - my notes on Fukyugata Ich

As I was doing keiko with many Sensei in Okinawa, they all offered different corrections. I took notes on these, and present some here for you. Chances are someone else may benefit from insight directly from the masters.

Note: these kata correction pages (this is just the first one) are not so much intended to tell you the "right" way of doing kata, but more to point out that everyone will focus on something different.

Kadekuru Sensei

On the turns going in gedan uke from zenkutsudachi, check belly button alignment, mine tends to go to the left too much, should be lined up with imaginary target.

Another important correction from Kadekuru Sensei: the last two moves in the kata, from zenkutsudachi to shizentai, to do the jodansky at the 45 degree angle. He would be behind me and place his hands on top of my shoulders, holding them slightly as I raised them to execute the move.

The reason: because my shoulders are almost rising off my body leading into that punch, see, my legs and midsection should kind of raise up first then the strike is executed. I was over-extending and constantly he made me correct this.

Often he made me learn to not lead the kata with my eyes in terms of angle and direction, but rather to use the belly button as the eyes. It is more accurate and the whole body will be in correct alignment.

I think there is almost a slight twist with that left knee and a torque into correct position when you start to stand up to do that last jodansky in the kata. (of course this needs to apply across the board).

Arikaki Sensei

In my left punches, the fist is turning over very early instead of at the end. On the Zenkutsudachi gedan uke I need to scissor them more, keeping closer to my body, and when in transition need to cross.

My biggest problem seems my punching the hikete, the drawing back arm is not going the same speed as the outgoing.


Osensei Shoshin Nagamine
 

Grandmaster (Osensei)

  1. Chin is tucked down, need to keep it level.
  2. Buttocks should be aligned to the back, keeping the back of the body straight.
  3. Need to keep the zenkutsudachi narrow (and this does not refer to the width of stance but the general idea of it).
  4. Keep the eyes and head centered, don't let them shake.
  5. There is a lot of wind expenditure to the kia, and done just slightly before the impact, yet finishing upon impact.
  6. Chin posture: again: neck alignment the back of neck needs to be straight (as in zazen: see diagram in booklet), so if something was to hit the forehead your head would not snap back.
  7. He said my shoulders/neck/head are exaggerating on the turns. I need to keep my upper body level.

 

Makishi Sensei

Makishi Sensei

  1. Drop the chudan uke to to close the gap between elbow and ribs.
  2. When you spin and do the zenkutsudachi gedan uke the block must be fast, all must land at same time (once you have mastered the basics..the sequence is competent foot, setup, balance, koshi...).
  3. When you go into the first spin to the 45 angle, your right forward leading punch, forget the focus on the leading foot, leave it there, spin with the back (left leg driving the mementum, the the right foot simply follows, spins on the ball not the heel.
  4. On the last technique make sure shoulders square at the 45 angle, don't over extend the left shoulder. (also it should be low and level to the other).
  5. On the gedan uke, you pull the leading arm in tight and swing in an arch-like fashion from the elbow down.
  6. On the walking chudanske my koshi goes out but does not return, so I need to work on snap back the koshi.
  7. On the second jodanuke right before kia, you need to place foot first, then do the jodan uke.
  8. On the way back on the turn place leading foot first and let the back foot pivot last on the ball. Don't lift the ball, but let it slide.

Nakamura Sensei
 

Nakamura Sensei

  1. Must torque all the techniques, for example the strike/punch/chudanske the arm that drives back is half the success — both must be equally fast and powerful.
  2. He stresses how the hips/koshi and lower back must be the first to move and limbs are to follow, lower back is the driving force, how this works in conjuction iwth the tanden, the belly button-the power/speed/form - all must work together.
  3. Every technique needs spin/snap.
  4. Techniques can easily become a push concept which is wrong, they must follow the concept of "SNAP". This is how in Matsubayashi a block done properly by this principle can become a strike that breaks an arm.

Tamaki Sensei
 

Tamaki Sensei

Tamaki Sensei taught me that in the katas when you turn and do a zenkutsen down block; when you are turning to get there, first bring your elbow in. So no longer a one arm unit, it kind of breaks for a moment.

Lara Wendy Preston



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