Monday 6th Karate Kids and adults Two trainings spent with preparing for the grading. Not much else to say, we did kihon, Sanchin kata with the adults, San Dan Gi, etc. I didn't go too hard today, it was a bit more relaxing trainings. I was a bit sore from the weekend.
Tuesday 7th June Morning Taiji I felt a bit stiff at the beginning, but it got better and by the end of the class I felt really comfortable. We were practicing the kicking part of the form today, learning and polishing the flying kick. I pulled my hamstring a little and felt it was starting to feel uncomfortable again, so I pulled my kicks a bit. The teacher asked whether I was coming this Friday for an instructor meeting and training. I had appologized before as we are going for a holiday Friday morning, so I apologized again. The teacher then said: "Ok, then, I'll just cancel it, there are more people who can't at this time." Yay I mean, I am glad I won't miss out on anything and that the training will be postponed to a later day. There are also going to be demos in the botanical garden in the two Saturdays I'll be away. The second teacher organizes this and I had to apologize. Then I saw the youngest instructor working his butt off with all the weapons including those that are usually demonstrated by someone else. I asked curiously if he was doing all the work this year, but he shot me not a very nice look and complained no one can actually come and started demanding where the hell I was going, so I made for an escape... It is a pity I will miss on that, but hopefully next time. I'm sure the instructor will do well, but I am a bit afraid to wish him luck ^^
Tuesday 8th June Taiji kung-fu I thought I wouldn't make it today, but it stopped raining and I could ride my bike and was nearly on time, yaaay! Today we started with the first 5 moves and the teacher went through them one by one and showed us applications that we would practice. I paired up with instructor L as usual. Most of the time today I was the attacker. Not all worked for us perfectly and it was some joint manipulation, which I proabably had more experience with. Just the Taiji move to go with it was a bit more difficult. We managed to do up to the third move, where the application was a bit more complicated. I could sorta do it, but mostly due to manipulating joints, not my partner's force that much... I did my best to at least help my partner figure it out, but it was difficult. When the teacher came to check on us, he asked me to attack him. Apparently, I did the push wrong (it was a rather tricky change there), but I managed to improve somewhat with his guidance. Then the teacher attacked my partner, helped her understand the technique and she was able to make him lose balance. However, when it came to me attacking her again, it again did not work at all. I did my best to push as I should and not be too tense when it would be her turn to change the direction of my push and twist my wrist, but then I stopped pushing and I apparently shouldn't have. But when I tried to keep pushing, she couldn't really redirect me and instead lost balance herself as I was starting the attack with an advantageous stance and was heavier, so unless directing me to move my center of gravity, it wouldn't work. It was hard, I tried to do my best to be a good partner, but we didn't figure it out very well. Well at least not the two of us together. Since my partner was able to do it with the teacher, who's begger than me, the fault should lie with me. At least partially. But I couldn't do it :/ Truth be told, these wrist twists don't work that well on me unless done with precision (I have relatively flexible wrists - at least in some directions), but still, it wasn't supposed to be the only point of the application. Taiji sword The whole form at the beginning. I wasn't able to do the hip movement that well today, but I felt nicely balanced, able to relax my body and keep it straight, just leting it "sit" on my legs. It was a new feeling, one that I liked! After the empty handed form, we did the basic exercises with the sword. It looks like my wrist is ok already. At least good enough to comfortably manipulate the sword. We practiced the last few moves from the form that we learned and added one more. Of half a move. I enjoyed the class today. Well, I always do, but... Taiji - Lao Jia Yi Lu I was relatively comfortable in lower stances today, but considering the grading on Saturday and plenty of training in the weekend, my legs were getting fairly tired. I didn't change my stances, but I didn't appreciate that we did the last third of the form again twice right at the beginning. Ah, I was really tired. Then we practiced Cloud Hands and Stepping Back and Wrapping Upper arms, with the focus on our legs. I didn't do great. Legs were tired and I struggled a bit to keep my focus on everything. Luckily in the later part of the training, the teacher spent quite some time explaining and demonstrating things, so we got to relax.
Wednesday 8th June Taiji - assisting I went straight on the terrace since the weather was nice. And chatted with people, one person had some questions. Two mins before the class started, there was only me and three people. Some are coming late, some come from the previous classes that hadn't ended yet. So we decided to start the wuji meditation. Since we started earlier with not too many people, I made it a bit longer. I counted 50 breaths and when I turned back, the terrace was so full of people some were actually standing nearly in the door or in front of me. Wow, magic! And everyone came so quietly I hardly noticed. We did the sild reeling, and the teacher arrived by the end of it. He asked us to do 5 moves to 4 directions and sent the more advanced group inot the gym. I usually go with them at this point, but today I was straight away left iwth the less advanced group. For the last three classes or so, I spent most of the class with them, only getting hints from the teacher as to what to practice, but how exactly etc. was left to me. Today was the same. We were asked to check on the main stances within the 5 moves they knew, so I worked on that, I reminded everyone of some details, checked their positions. By checking stuff, I saw some general weak points, like stepping sideways. I did my best to explain the principles and practiced with them just this a bit. Everyone claimed they understood what I wanted them to do, but to actually do that was harder. We practiced this bit by bit till the end of the class. Mental note: next time another weak point would be turning of the arms. However, I'll be on a holiday for the next couple of weeks, so I guess I'll see how they do then. I am starting to quite enjoy these classes. I am slowly figuring out how to go about explaining Taiji things and there are nice people in this group, so it is a pleasure to work with them. I am trying to do my best, too.
Thursday 9th June Karate Busy day today, but I made it to training, albeit a little later. Sensei was talking about the program for the few upcoming weeks and then left as he had work. Sett led the training. Sanchin and kakie and a bit of talking at the end. Very relaxing for me.
Friday 10th June HOLIDAY - Slovenia We're on a holiday starting today. We left in the morning to arrive to Slovenia - Bled at 6 pm. We quickly went to our hotel and our for a walk around Lake Bled. A 7 km walk. Tommorrow we're continuing to Croatia for a Karate training camp.
Saturday 11th June We packed our things and on our way to Croatia stopped nearby Bled for a hike in Vintgar Gorge. It was beautiful. On our way bakc we had to go somewhat uphill and in the heat it as very tiring. Towards the end of our 8-9 kkm hike, my hamstring started giving me some trouble, and while walking through the town in the hot midday sun, I was really looking forward to getting back to our car. In the evening we arived to our usual destinaton in Croatia. It is my fifth time, I think, but we ha about 4 or 5 year break. Many people arrived this year, plenty or families with children, over 70 people altogeher.
Sunday 12th June CROATIA Morning Karate Today’s firt training was a bit shorter - 8 am to 9 am. We had three senseis teaching, all fifth dan. Our sensei J who organized, sensei V from a sister dojo in a different city and sensei I from Slovakia - who had organized the Bratislava gasshuku. Today’s training was about kihon and Sanchin kata.
Monday 13th June CROATIA Morning karate 7:30 - 9:00 These trainings model would be Junbi Undo and then 2 blocks with two different senseis. We split into three groups, our being the most advanced - 4th kyu up (till 2nd dan). We first had sensei I and practiced Sanchin kata. In the second block we worked on Shisochin kata with sensei V, but it was more about a general more advanced principle that we happened to practice in this kata. Working on kime etc. After class I did one Taiji form on the beach. Afternoon sea karate Every day there would also be afteroon training in the sea - 16:00 - 17:00. We did some footwork, kihon, San Dan Gi and Gekisai Dai Ichi kata. Then some partner drills including takedowns. I partnered up with sensei V which doesn’t happed very often. It was great, except for the fact that sensei V is over 2 m tall, so I had a hard time with some techniques, but most were ok. My dad, Sett and I mae an evening trip to Velo Blato a nearby ornithologial reserve. Especially my dad used to go there every year, but it is like 5 km one way on the rocky paths and in the heat it is really awful. Today is the first year we had a car, so we briefly drove there, which was much easied and did a short, few km walk. Probably it was aftr the water training, but my hamstring started iving me bouts of slight, but sharp pain, so I walked back vry carefully.
Tuesday 14th June CROATIA Morning karate Junbi undo, then blok with sensei J working on Saifa Renzoku kumite. Last block with sensei I about Sepai kata. He explained the first part of the kata step by step, to some detail and we practiced. Sepai is our next kata - one or Sandan. Therefore our main focus now. I really appreciated this kind of training. I basically reembered the steps, but not that many details. I skipped afternoon training in the sea. Yesterday I could feel my injured hamstring and it hurt later when walking. Tommorrow a trip with a hike was planned, so I decided not to do the water training today. A 5 km walk in the evening around the town.
Wednesday 15th June CROATIA Morning karate The training today was shorter, lasted only an hour because o the trip. In the end, the trip was postponed to tommorrow, but we only knew after class. We had a Junbi Undo and one block with sensei V, practicing and learning details about Sanchin and especially Sanchin Shime. It wasn’t hard hitting today, mostly control of stance and puting pressure on the arms etc. At the end of the block we made pairs and one person tested the other. Sett was my partner and he started with the kata, I was doing the Shime. Sensei wanted each black belt to be tested by two people simultaneously - one testing legs from behind, one arms from the front. It would be very hard on focus and also muscles, too. There were three black belts, so sensei split his attention between Sett and the next one. I did not realize that when it was my turn, I was the only black belt doing Sanchin at the moment, so i got senseis full focus, having two people testing constantly. It was hard. My muscles hurt, a lot of focus and always trying to push through sensei’s pressure while keeping good tension in the legs. I realised I was breathing relatively short, but very strong and I worried I’d be out of breath before half of the kata was over. It was really hard. I should practice like this more often, but it would be hard to find the opportunity.
Wednesday 15th June CROATIA Since the trip was postponed, I grabbed my Taiji sword and decided to practice at our apartment house’s courtyard, while Sett was helping a friend with Shisochin kata. Everyone was free to ask a sensei, us included for help or individual training. There were other people in the courtyard, but I found myself a bit of space. The sword was getting some attention and I didn’t know how many people would come. I also did one Taiji form. While doing so, I saw two teenagers from our dojo close to me, one teaching the other Saifa kata. It looked like they could use some help, so I went there as soon as I finished. I explained the first few teps to the learning boy and went through the kata with him. Sensei I was just resting on his balcony in the ground floor, very close to us. Sett then came to work with us too, when sensei I called me over and gave me a correction. Sett was woking with the boys now and the sensei said if I wanted to, to do Saifa kata and he’ll look it over while waiting for his coffee to cool down. I immediately agreed. He’s not my sensei, but he focuses on different details sometimes then our senseis as he’s more from sensei Raoul and sensei Bakkies’ brnch. When I finished the kata, sensei I dissapeared frm the balcony without a word to soon apper in the courtyard. There was apparently a lot of stuff Indeed. I got quite a few corrections or tips and was shown how to do the kata at the more advanced level, good for nidan. He tried showing me parts as sandan/yondan level kata would look like, but I didn't care too much, that was a step ahead. When Sett saw I was getting some good advice, he came, but sensei chased him away to continue teaching the boys. I felt a bit bad, but as soon as sensei was done with me, I relayed all the info to Sett and went upstaired to take notes for the both of us. At that time Sett’s strateg when the boys left was to practice some of his kata in front of the sensei’s balcony to hopefully get him to give him some advice, too, which apparently worked for some details he later shared with me ,too I skipped the water training again today, since the trip was postponed. I went for a birwatching short walk wiht my dad.
Thursday 16th June CROATIA Morning karate Today was the trip day,so the treaiing was shorter again. One block Junbi Undo, one block with sensei J working on oyo bunkai Gekisai dai Ichi - bunkai put in ne combinaion. Sensei V mentioned to us that our friend asked him to work on Sepai kata after the training, so we could join if we wanted to. Of course we wanted. Sensei explained the kata bit by bit, to us in more detail and we practiced. We spent additional 45 mins. Hiking in NP Paklenica Most people went for. a trip to Krka, where we’ve already been twice before, so Sett, my dad and I made a trip to NP Paklenica for a 15 km hike along the river. The scenery was beautiful, but the additional climb on the rocky path in the nearly midday sun was rather hard. I took the nordic walking sticks or what they’re called t prevent m hamstring from hurting.It was a big help. I used them with a bit of force when going uphill. We picked a very easy path, but it felt much harder cause of the sun. So hot! At least my leg was ok. I still burned over 1700 kcal, though. I guess I am not used to hiking...
Friday 17th June CROATIA Morning Karate After Junbi Undo we had a block with sensei I who finished eplaining and detailing the second pat of Sepai kata. Last block ith sensei V who had eac of us practice the kata for our next grading, which for me and Sett was Sepai again and we went through some details. Sett or I left ofr a while to take some pictures of videos of the training. Right after there was grading mostly for lower grades, but one person passed their third kyu, another 1st kyu. We watched and cheered for them. Afternoon sea Karate Today I finally went to the water training lasting an hour. We did Kihon, San Dan Gi and all the katas. Then we had final dinner and social evening.
Saturday 18th June CROATIA No more training today, only packing. Most people went back home, Sett an I only traveled more to the north of Croatia - a 4,5 hour journey to change for Taiji Croatia, which was jsut starting today (this worked out really well for me ). But we’re only going to stay for three days, not the whole week. On the way we crossed a nature park Učka, where we made a brief stop and a short walk. We decided to climb a hill. The total walk was less then two km, but was up a hill which was relatively steep at times and was on a tiny forest path with a lot of big ants who bit us as soon as they got on our legs, so me wearing sandals... I was a bit in a hurry.. Evening Taiji We settled in our bungalow and went to the hotel next to it for the first training. The group arrived probably not long ago, there were around 20 people. Apart from the teacher, I only knew three people. Two were complete beginners, so the teacher took them separately to explain the basics, while, as I kind of expected, I was asked take over the warm-up - wuji and silk reeling. Then we split into I think 4 groups. The teacher kind of lft me n charge of ours, which I wasn’t that happy about. I basically jut ageed with the people that we’ll practice this and that until the teacher comes. They all pretty much did Taiji for a longer time then me, though some probably had break and were returning to it. And we were working on the end of the form where I wasn’t 100% sure about all the details or how to explain etc. One lady had a question, though. I hoped the teacher would cme before we finish the form and I won’t have to do the explaining, but he didn’t, so I did my best. IN the middle, I realized the teacher was standing net to me, so I tried to back away from me, but he gestured for me to continue. I hate this. I wrapped things up and hoped he’d explain more clearly. He, however, had other thingsfor us to practice - White Ape Ofers Fruit. I got some corrections and we practiced sort of together.
Sunday 19th June CROATIA Morning Taiji Official training starts at 7:30, but the teacher invited me and another friend to come at 7:00 and bring our swords, so we did. The friend was just going to learn the beginning of the form, so I practiced by myself for a bit, hten the teacher had me show the form and gave me many corrections. I do not thing I ever had a 1on 1 class with him like this. It was great. H then went to the friend and back to me once more to polish stuff. At 7:30 the official training started. I again took the meditation and silk reeling and with our group went through Lao Jia Yilu. I am not sure if it is because I didn’t practice Taiji much for the past week, but my thighs were already sore from yesterdayWhen I normally regularly train, it doesn’t happen to me, and I only skipped a week... With our group we practiced the ending of the form and the teacher came and had us wok on one of those moves. He gave me a correction that caused that the whole move jut broke for me and if I did the silk reeling in the hips well in the firt part, I couldn’t smoothly cntinue the way I was used to. So I asked when the teacher came again, and sure enough, the movement was exactly in te opposite direction. We were told to practice this move 20 times, then the whole ending of the form, so we got some pratice and I figured out a way to kick and keep the knee up, which helped me be more stable. This move is one of the hardest for me. The training finished at 9:00. Sett and I went once through Sepai and Kururunfa. My legs were tired and I burned 950 kcal. No wonder I felt tired.
Sunday 19th June CROATIA Evening Taiji Evening training at 5 pm. I led the warm-up again, then again the form with our group, practicing the ending of the form agan with the moves we got corrections for. When the teachr got to our group, we worked on the next move, Dragon on the Ground. As we practiced this part for a while now, I was focusing again on the precice trajectory of the hips in this and I could probably do the beginning, I could do the end, but separately, couldn’t link htem together, so I asked about it. The teacher had me show him and said it was correct,but I indeed had to stop as we normally do a brief pause in hte move. He showed us how to do it without it and hten corrected me after all. I tried my best to do the move as demonstrated, but found it hard. When we practiced byourselves, I asked the ladies in our group. It seemed like the shortest way to success. Just ask as they were discussing like theyunderstood. They kindly explained and tried to help me, but my qauestion as about something else slightly. So I ended up askeing the teacher next time and sure enough, as always, no matter how stupid or hard to explain question I had, he can always find a solution within the rules we go by. This time it was just to go lower in htat one motion and suddenly everything worked. Wow.
Monday 20th June CROATIA Morning Taiji Me and this time two guys with swords started training with the teacher at 7 am. We practiced together a bit, got some tips, then I was taught the next move in the form, because last week when it was taught in class, I was in Croatia. The teacher showed me twice before going to teach the other guy and then returned back and added some details that would help me do the movemore precisely. General class started at 7:30. My legs are really sore. The beginners were already aught the silk reeling, so we weren’t split int groups, but I was still the one to do the warm-up while the teacer was going around, correcting and explaining a few things afterwards. Then in groups again the whole Lao Jia Yilu and practicing the ending, today the teacher had us show the Dragon on the ground, so I could improve in the very first motion and explained.I had a bit of a hard time geting this right, but I think eventually I did, more or less. When he arrived later, we god correction for a different move, there was a detail I didn’t know about before, so we practiced that. In the meanwhile, Sett very quickly learned the first 4 moves and I could see him pratice, so I gave him some tips. 900 kcal burned. We were supposed to leave tommorrow after morning training and spend three days in Slovenian mountains before going straight to a weekend karate seminar back home. However, there are rains and storms to come to Slovenia for the time we were supposed to be there, so we cancelled our accomodation and prolonged our accomodation here instead. Unfortunately our bungalow is free only till Thursday, so we’ll return home. day earlier, but it is till better to spend time in sunny Croatia training then locked in a hotel room in Slovenia, watching the rain.
Monday 20th June CROATIA Evening Taiji I was ready near the front to take the warm up, but the teacher said he’d do it himself. But invited me to stand beside him if I wanted, but I was rather quick to say there was no need for that. I am glad I declined, that way, I had the teacher right in front of me and could easily copy everything he did and it felt great. His silk reeling is pretty amazing jut by looking. And by ctching his rhytm and copying his motions etc. one easily feels like they’re a master themselves, haha I got a silent: "Elbows up" or something uttered quietly, so I corrected myself. The whole Lao Jia Yilu with our group and we continued practicing the end of the form that we got corrections for before. When the teacher came, he checked on us, said it looked good, we improved and had three groups join together, including ours, for his explanation of the fifth move. Again, I got corrections again. Then we split back, but our group joined the one working on the 16th form. I was asked to stand in front and practice teh 15th and 16th, so I did, without stop. My legs hurt, but for some reason, today’s practice felt really good, I felt soft in the hips and I was enjoying myself (maybe we just got enough pratice here alredy, the first thing Sett said when we finished was how well the practice felt today). When the teacher returned, he gave some general corrections, an personal ones to a friend and me again. The teacher asked about our leaving tommorrow and seemed happy we’d be staying longer: "Yeah, why hike in the mountains? It’s better to stay here and practice!"
Tuesday 21st June CROATIA Morning Taiji I went a few minutes earlier (6:50) to review the new sword move I larned yesterday. When the teache came for the swod practice we went through the form and he showed me the next move - the group back home will be learning that one today, so it’s good I won’t fall behind. The teacher wanted to see our form and he wasn’t content ith the timing so he did it twice with us so that we copy the tempo. My gosh, he was fast! When lerning etc. in classes he normally does it slowly, but today I had to focus to keep pace with him. I got a correction about the hips. I think I am getting better in it in the weaponless form, but I don’t focuse that much on that in the sword form. When the rest of the group arrived we did silk reeling with the teacher’s lead, so I did my best to copy again. Then our group went through the whole Lao Jia Yilu once, and we joined other groups to practice forms more from the beginning of the form. I think the class today finished a bit earlier and we moved to the sea to take a nice group picture. 800 kcal today.
