2009 Workout #32: Finally some kumite!

Tonight’s workout was pretty tough.  Our warmup was four different combinations focusing on different types of body shifting.  We then moved on to do those combinations with partners for awhile.  Thankfully, we took a break for water because I was dying about 3/4 of the way in.  We ended the class with some kata, we did Heian Sandan, Empi, and our individual kata a few times (for me, it was Sochin of course!)

After class, I was chatting with Sensei Gordon who is a sixth dan (I believe).  He threw a few techniques in “just messing around” fashion, I countered them back and commented that I hadn’t had much of a chance to free spar since I’ve been out here.  He said “Well, we can fix that” and out to the middle of the room we went.  There were other students doing kata, but they stayed mostly out of the way from us.  I got in with several of my usual tricks, but Gordon got the last word with a Heian Yondan style technique where he grabbed my shoulders and threw a knee strike right into my slightly untensed stomach.  Almost knocked the wind out of me, but I got tensed just enough to make a grunting noise.  That was about the end of it, but I requested more of the same after class in the future.  He said that it wouldn’t be a problem and that it was fun.

Sensei Yaguchi was watching us spar, and when we were done he told me “Good, but big problem!  Tense stomach more!  Tense legs and stomach!  Tense tense tense!”  I felt like my showing was passable, and at least I got some good feedback from him.  And I have a sparring partner again!  I have a passing distinct fear that Sensei Yaguchi himself is going to want to free spar me one of these days.  That will be a “tense your belly and attack” day, for sure!