2011 Workout #15: Long, long combinations

Tonight’s practice was brought to you thanks to Sensei Hartman, whose Facebook post this week inspired me to get off my butt and get to the dojo despite a long and stressful week at the office.

We started things out with a few simple basics to get warmed up (always nice), and then descended into one of the longest combinations I have experienced in my recent training.  It started out with a jab and rear leg front kick at the same time, landing by bringing the kick back to the starting position.  Then it was followed by reverse punch, jab, reverse punch.  After that segment it was front leg roundhouse kick, rear leg front kick, stepping back to original kicking position, then rear leg roundhouse kick followed by reverse punch.  And that was ONE.  We probably did 50 of those combinations in quick succession, then a handful up and down the floor.  It was very difficult.

After that, Sensei Tarrant wanted to work on hip action.  We accomplished this with partner training, starting with front leg front kick and then cutting to the 45 degree angle and doing a second front kick with the other leg.  We did this about a dozen times and then repeated the same combination with roundhouse kick, focusing on whipping our hips to let our skeletons provide most of the speed and strength to the kick.  I did pretty well with this.  We then moved on to what they call semi-free sparring, which is better known in the Pekin dojo as jyu-ippon sparring.  Lunge punch (head/stomach), front kick, roundhouse kick, side thrust kick all moving naturally like sparring.  The defending side could block and counter however they choose.

We wrapped up the workout with our personal kata (Sochin here) about 5 times apiece.  I’m glad I went to train, but I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow!  More soon!