From the title above, you can guess that we did a lot of kicks in class today.

Start with kicks and keep going

Sensei Noia had us start class with some Partner kicks. Kicking my partner is always a good time, especially since my partner, in most classes, is normally my wife. Joking aside, she normally kicks me much harder than I kick her but maybe I deserve it.

We started with alternating front snap kicks and then moved on to alternating side thrust kicks. After that, our partner stood in a Cross Leg Stance and the other partner did front snap kick at our partner, then side thrust kick to the side and back kick to the rear. After that, still working with one partner in cross leg stance, we did front snap kick at our partner, side thrust kick to the side, back kick the rear and roundhouse at our partner. Still working on kicks, one partner held a pad and the other partner did front snaps kicks at the pad.

We already had the pad so we might as well punch it

We moved into a horse stance while one partner held the pad, the other punched the pad. Single punches, double punches and some more double punches. After that, one partner still held the pad and other turned all the way to one side, facing 90 degrees away from our partner, holding the pad, and then stepped in and reverse punched the pad. The idea was to stand with slightly bent knees and push from the rear leg to drive the entire body and punch into the pad.

One step, kata and basics

After that, we worked on one step sparring. The lower ranks worked on the basic one step techniques and the Shodan’s and above worked  on whatever one step techniques they wanted. This is always a good time for me because I can work on techniques from various katas. This helps give me a better understanding of the katas and also lets me work on timing even if my partner attacks very quickly.  It always helps when you know what attack is coming but if you think too hard about your counter techniques, you will get hit.

We then worked on the standard testing basics with various punches and kicks and then moved to kata training.

The lower ranks worked on their exam katas and the Shodan’s and above worked on the four katas required to become a Nidan in our club. For those who aren’t in my club, this includes Kanku Dai, Hangetsu, Empi and Bassai Sho.

After that we finished up with one more kata but for the Shodan’s it had to end in a Sho. I choose Gojushiho Sho because that is one of my favorite katas and luckily for me, it ends in a Sho.