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Fall 2007 Lesson Plans

Wow!



I am so thrilled with the response to the latest newsletter announcing the Fall 2007 Karate Lesson Plan Booklet that has been added to the paid subscriber area of MyShotokan, known as Sensei's Office.




There have been so many replies, questions and requests for more information, that I'm working on putting together ONE FREE CHAPTER of the exclusive Lesson Plan Booklet, to be included with the Shotokan Kata Videos in the Free Members area!




Many of the questions I've received (from all around the world, which still boggles my mind), were about testing requirements.


Comming Soon!


Dojo Key Holders with access to Sensei's Office will soon be delighted with a booklet of Canadain Shotokan Belt Testing Requirements from Yellow Belt Testing Requirements, all the way through to Black Belt Testing Requirements - and even including combinations required for Second Degree Black Belt Testing!


But I would like to add more

I recall from early in my training years, a testing silibus (sp) from KUGB that was very different, with many challenging combinations that are different than the testing requirements I will be putting together and listing here. I would be endlessly greatful if someone (you) could send me a copy of the Shotokan Belt Testing Requirements - from where ever you live in the world.

Creating drive in your stance

The last time I had a few students test for their next belt, my Sensei pointed out that one of my students had "no drive" in her stances.


I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.


"What do you mean?" I'm thinking to myself "she is so strong I can hardly block her punches! I think she has lots of drive."


Seeing the unbeliving look on my face,
Sensei repeated "No drive! No drive!"


And I'm thinking... "?"


Finally I say, "Sensei, I'm coming to the main Dojo to train for a few days. If she doesn't have drive, and I don't know it - then I must not have drive in my stances. " (Sensei nods to confirm) I continue "When I come to train, could you run through a few practice drills to help me work on creating drive in my stance?"



Zoom forward two weeks. I'm in the home dojo.


Sensei had us stand in front stance with reverse punch out.



We repeated a basic combination:

Kizame Zuki, Gyaku Zuki
Age Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Soto Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Uchi Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Gedan Barrai, Gyaku Zuki


For the jab punch, Sensei had us check the pressure on our back leg to be sure we were pushing maximum, then for the first reverse punch, Sensei told us to push a bit harder with the back leg - as though we were pushing a car. The rising block required an extra strong push from the back leg to provide support against a strong attack - then push a bit harder with the back leg for the reverse punch...

For each successive block and punch, Sensei reminded us of how the back leg should feel as it supported the rest of the body and stance. After a few repetitions - my butt muscles were screaming! Just the fact that my gluteous muscles became so fatigued so quickly is evidence that I've not been creating drive correctly or powerfully enough.

Summer of 2007 - Karate Week

Sensei Doug's Week of Karate

For the next 10 days, you get to come along, virtually, on my journey of Shotokan Training. Out of the blue, I've come upon the... opportunity... to work from Winnipeg for the next week-and-a-half - and, while I'm here, I'm going to take advantage of some intensive Shotokan karate training at the headquaters Dojo for Western Canada.

Here's some of my karate training goals as I start off the week:

Review and practice all Senior Kata

Learn Junro Shodan

Study how to teach my intermediate students to create "Drive" in their stances

Video Tape and publish video clips of each training session within Sensei's Office on MyShotokan.

Monday evening. After a seemingly endless 6 hour drive from Atikokan to Winnipeg, I was treated to a special evening training session with Sensei Don DeGrow, a Shotokan Yondan, and my Sister Jill, who is a Shodan. This is the monday of a long-weekend, and there wasn't a normal karate class scheduled. We started off at the beginning and practiced each of the Heian Kata, then the three Tekki Katas. I noticed a small change in Tekki Sandan - I'll have to review the videos to verify.

As we started our review of the senior kata, we practiced them in groups. Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, Empi and Jion are needed for someone testing for Shodan. I found that I recalled Gankaku, Jutte, and Hengetsu - but I was a bit rusty at them, and had to watch Don and Jill in a few parts. After a few more repetitions I'll be able to start asking about practicing applications.

Next we reviewed Sochin, Bassai Sho and Chinte. I could follow along for these, but they were distictly more rusty, and will require more than just a couple times through each kata to get them back in my repetoure. Kanku Sho and Nijushiho are at about the same level of disrepair.

Unsu and Gojushiho Sho were another step down in proficiancy for me.

We practiced Junro Shodan 6 or 7 times and I'm starting to recall the first 10 moves or so before I get lost... I'll have it by the end of tomorrow.

I only did a short introduction to the stretching routine Alanna has been working our club through. I'll need to write out a short list of the static-active stretching routine so I keep to the schedule of long periods of relaxed stretching after each training session over the next 10 days.

Through the week I'll need to find an instructor to help me learn Meikyo, Wankan and Jiin from scratch - but I'll leave them for a couple days.

Following the extra training Don gave us, Jill and I were invited to his home for dinner. An oriental influence is evident in the decor and garden of their delightful and cosy home.

In order to re-inforce all the kata information Sensei Don reviewed with us, I'm going to take a few moments to stretch and watch some of the Shotokan Kata Videos.

Shotokan Karate Blog

If you have a Shotokan Karate Blog - be sure to let me know!

I'd like to include links to anything you write about your karate training - and of course, I especially enjoy watching karate videos between classes.

One member of my small Shotokan karate club has had the great fortune of living in different countries over the past few years. Recently she was living for a few months in an asian country - and was able to train with a Shotokan dojo there. She describes the training as... Brutal. Much more physically demanding that our classes. She also says that almost all the senior belts in their club (brown and up) can do the full splits.

She is moving back to asia and will be training with that club again in a few months - and - she wants to be able to increase her flexibility and do the full splits before she returns.

So - our club is re-focusing our training time to emphasize flexibility training. To help learn what routines we should be doing, I'm going to research and develop an entirely new section of videos for Sensei's Office in MyShotokan. This new section will be dedicated to everything I can find about stretching and how to develop strong, flexible legs and hips.

Watch here for more details.

Sensei Doug