2010 Workout #32: Sweeping…

Karate night tonight, we opened up the class with some basic combinations done in a circle.  Then we moved on to their Shodan test basics, transcribed from a 2006 dan exam:

• Sanbon tsuki
• Variations on lin-geri (front kicks, round kicks, side kicks)
• Inward block, elbow strike, backfist strike, reverse punch
• Outward block in back stance, front leg front kick, reverse punch shifting into front stance
• Knifehand block in back stance, front leg front kick, reverse punch remaining in back stance
• Standing in place, rear leg front kick and without putting it down side snap kick to the side
• Standing in place, rear leg front kick and without putting it down side thrust kick to the side

Then we moved on to semi-free one time sparring, including a variety of different sweep timing drills.  Basically it was free sparring where one side attacked and the other side could lightly block and attempted to pick up the sweep timing by slightly touching the leg.  Then we moved on to where the attacker could only use sweeps, the defender just offered a good target.

After that, we did kata in small groups.  I was tapped to help one of the adult white belts with Heian Shodan so I showed him some of the bunkai.  He really appreciated it and told me after class that it helped him understand why the pauses were there and helped him visualize a real attacker.  That made me feel good.

After class, Sensei Tarrant and I traded some more war stories (he sure does like to do that) and we shared some thoughts on sweeps.  I got to brag on how Sensei Brewer always stuns us with really great sweep timing, so that was fun as well.  It was a good workout, much needed after all this work stress!