3rd annual Koyo Camp – Co- hosted by Ottawa JKA, Scarborough JKA, Toronto Shotokan Karate Do and Brad Jones Karate Do.
Tanaka Sensei Seminar, Assisted by
Satomi Okuie Sensei and Minoru Saeki Sensei -
Approximately 100 people showed up
for this seminar that was hosted by the local JKA clubs and Saeki sensei of
Next on the agenda was kumite exercises, a fine display of continuous attack were displayed by sensei’s assistant. The seminar was in a high school gymnasium, the technique was Kizami zuki, gyaku zuki, jab and reverse punch, step forward and repeat. This was executed at full speed across the entire gym. with Tanaka sensei in retreat and parrying most of the attacking flurry of punches. This was repeated again with Okuie sensei performing on her own with even more speed and dynamics. All this to the delight of the crowd, who broke out into spontaneous applause. Our turn now, we all lined up at one end of the gym. with a partner, there were three lines of two people across the gym/dojo. Each line performed the technique about eight times, 4 attacking and 4 retreating. My group got to go second, this gave me some time to try and figure out timing and technique. My training partner (Mike Bingham), who is also my sempai really pushed, I had to push off forcefully to land my strikes any where near him. On my turn to retreat he came on strong and I was parrying to save my life. We were really moving, this is a fantastic training exercise. You have to be very relaxed and very aware of what your partner is doing, it is very easy to get hit or completely steam rolled. After the third line finished the exercise we took a 15 minute break, I must say this came at a good time as I was in serious need of water and stretching.
When the seminar resumed we worked on kata, at this point the kyu belts split off to go train in another smaller gym. Tanaka sensei started with Basai-dai and then followed up with Kanku-dai. I thought the pointers that sensei gave were very good and I have tried to explain them as best I can. We worked on kata for about an hour, time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to stop for a lunch break.
When we got back we did another warm up that consisted of kihon, punches and blocks.
Back to kata again, we went through, in detail, Jion – Empi – Hangetsu and Gankaku.
On points that I found important:
Basai dai – the foot work for the open hand block after the stepping back shuto strike, shift from the kukutso dachi stance to an inline zenkutsu stance (I had been taught to step over for a wider zenkutsu) perform the grasping block slowly, circular motion , pulling down from head to just below shoulder.
- Shuto strike to groin – make a chopping motion, not a grab as I and many others were doing. This is the same for heian godan.
- the turn into yama zuki, pivot on the right leg for an inline zenkutsu stance, strike to groin with the gaedan zuki and chin with jodan zuki, keep head in line with hips.
- geadan sukui uke ( scooping block – sensei made sure to point out the arm that is striking is natural from directly overhead – strike the kick with the outside (thumb side) of arm just above the wrist and a quick flick or elbow rotation rather than an inside outside block other wise you will deflect the kick into your head.
Kanku-dai, we spent the most time with explanation or points, as sensei would say on the opening movement of this kata. Slowly from yoi position, raise hands to 45 degrees, slight pause and spread hands as if tearing hands apart, to just outside shoulders and then slowly bring hands down to meet at centre of belt, right hand on left hand, specifically right index finger on left index finger. Rapidly move to jodan uke same as heian yodan, blocking a punch to your head with outside forearm just below the wrist; hence, a little higher than 90o, the other hand is ready in shuto kamae, slightly angled to strike upward towards throat.
Jion – explosive start, sensei demonstrated the step back leads with a hip torque, the hips drive the process.
- Slowly perform the wedge block, set the block in zenkutsu dachi – with out changing the position of the hands lift the knee as high as possible and snap kick, upon foot landing oi-zuki from the wedge block position, no chambering.
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Empi – sensei instructed to pivot
on the starting line for the opening move.
Hangetsu – in one knuckle fist – ippon ken the second strike initiates the withdrawal of both fists, no setting up here just a very fluid motion. The bunkai was explained as someone grabs you from behind, the ippon ken comes back to strike the back of their hands with the supporting thumbs. Make a fist an extend the knuckle of the index finger, support the index finger with the thumb at the first joint so the knuckle of the thumb becomes the striking force.
In moving on the line in kiba
dachi, sensei indicated we must make a transitional move to set up the cross
over. Many people step in one motion from right kiba to left kiba, loss of
power and difficulty walking the line.
Gankaku – we must have collectively done this form pretty good, as there were no major points that I can recall. We practiced this form to movement 10 on sensei’s count numerous times. We completed the kata once to a count then we did it a couple of times on our own.
To summarize; it was a great day long seminar for me and I wish I could have participated for the full three days. I definitely came away with a better understanding of the basics and got some excellent kata instruction.
I was very inspired by this seminar and
delighted to see the level of commitment of the shotokan community in the
My only complaint, we did not get to go through Jitte, Bassai-sho, Kanku-sho, Sochin, etc, etc…. Well maybe next time, I know one thing for sure; I will make every effort to be there. I would strongly encourage all Shotokan karate practitioners to take advantage of these great opportunities when they present themselves, you just cannot beat instruction from a master of Tanaka sensei’s experience.
I wish to thank
Thank you sensei
Sincerely,
Paul Ianuziello
Black Tiger Karate-Do