Post by Paul Bedard on Dec 8, 2010 4:17:00 GMT
Just this last weekend I had the pleasure of training with master Yutaka Yaguchi 9th dan and one of his senior students and assistant instructor sensei Gary Swain 7th dan. If I may, I`ll try to relate my experience of the weekend with these two fine karate masters.
On thursday the 2nd of december we started by attending the memorial of Jan Stepan a fine karateka who lost his battle to cancer. I talked of this in another post.
Thursday evening; the first session was sensei Swain working with the kyu ranks. his primary focus in this session was the three main stances for begining karate: zenkutsu dachi, kiba dachi & kokutsu dachi. An important point that I picked up here was that in kokutsu dachi we should be in hamni & not totally 90% like we would be in kiba dachi. This take stress of of the front knee, from going side to side. Then master Yaguchi took the black belt class, we did some basics going side to side using the cross over like moving in kiba dachi for yoko geri. Then we worked mainly on Kanku dai. For kumite we defended a chudan punch with mikazuki geri ( crescent kick ) recovering shifting to the side & as your foot landed kicking mae geri. Of course by the time we switched partners & switched legs the inside of the foot got a bit tender.
Friday morning, was an all rank session led by master Yaguchi , primarily working everyones personal kata. I worked on Sochin in this class. I should mention that these classes were in Port Moody our Provincial HQ.
Friday night, we went to Surrey YMCA dojo & sensei Swain started with us black beltsm, while master Yaguchi took the kuy ranks, after 50 minutes they switched. Sensei Swain had us doing choku zuki, gyaku zuki, tate zuki & ura zuki. Then we went to mae geri, yoko geri keage, yoko geri kekomi & mawashi geri. Then in sparring we used kazami gyaku mawashi geri. When master Yaguchi came to train us we were pretty well worn out & thankful for kata training. He worked Gankaku with us. Let me just say that after that, I slept well.
Saturday morning we were in Vancouver at what is called south slope, Langara YMCA, this time we had each of the sensei for an hour. Sensei Swan worked us hard in hangetsu dachi & neko ashi dachi. Master Yaguchi had us going over tekki nidan & tekki sandan. Saturday afternoon was instructor trainee class, another 2 hrs. We covered self defense while sitting in a chair, Bassai sho & Kanku sho. Also principles of jyu kumite, master Yaguchi explained to us some of his prefered methods of using `iso kamae` same stance as your opponent ( I hope I have the name iso right`same`) & gyaku kamae opposite stance of opponent.
Sunday morning, we were back in Port Moody where sensei Swain did the kuy class & master Yaguchi took us black belts. The main focus of this class was Chinte. We also did our personal kata. One thing that master Yaguchi brought to our attention is that you should have 2 kata. One shorin & one shorei, to get a better benefit from you training. Shorei being strong & shorin being more athletic.
Then came the dan testing, it is amazing on how if you use your nervous energy the right way, combined with your adrenaline pumping on what you can ask your worn-out body to do. In my case, interesting kihon, Bassai dai as my main kata & then master Yaguchi asked me for Kanku dai ( oh sure, a long one!! ). When I came of the floor I was thankful that I could hide behind the crowd as I worked to get my breath back. I was thankful that I got to take a break while everyone else did their kumite. I was the closing act you might say as I did self defense. Let me just say that the crowd was gasping & master Yaguchi was smiling & nodding his head. I had the most wonderful reception as I left the floor.
I would like to finish by saying that we also shared a lot of social time. I ate most meals with master Yaguchi, sensei Swain & sensei Joe Dixon. I stayed in the same Inn as the guest sensei`s & after master Yaguchi called it a night, I had some one on one time with sensei Swain, a very nice man. I must tell you about one conversation. Years ago as sensei Swain was asking master Yaguchi about a certain kata ( Sochin I think ), master Yaguchi told him `50 times` Meaning do the kata 50 times in a row & it will teach you. He didn`t take to this right away & once & awhile master Yaguchi would ask him if he did 50 times. He would reply ` no sensei`. He told me, that at the time there was no way in he!! that he was going to do the same kata 50 times. Anyway, he eventually found the time & ambition to try 50 times. He told me that the strangest thing happened, about time number 19 or 20 the kata started teaching him. Certain body parts would either start to feel weak or start to hurt & he adjusted himself to feel stronger & more pain free. So after doing this a few times, he was training with with master Yaguchi who watched him for a bit, got a big smile went over to him & said `so Gary 50 times now`, sensei Swain said` yes sensei`. Master Yaguchi said `I know`
After the seminar & grading were done, we went out for something to eat. There were 26 adults & 6 children at this social dinner with master Yaguchi & sensei Swain. I have heard so many stories of other systems not benefiting from any social time with the masters. This most certainly has not been my experience. The ISKF is family. IMHO
If you made it this far, thank you for letting me share my experience with you.
Osu, yours in budo.
Paul B
On thursday the 2nd of december we started by attending the memorial of Jan Stepan a fine karateka who lost his battle to cancer. I talked of this in another post.
Thursday evening; the first session was sensei Swain working with the kyu ranks. his primary focus in this session was the three main stances for begining karate: zenkutsu dachi, kiba dachi & kokutsu dachi. An important point that I picked up here was that in kokutsu dachi we should be in hamni & not totally 90% like we would be in kiba dachi. This take stress of of the front knee, from going side to side. Then master Yaguchi took the black belt class, we did some basics going side to side using the cross over like moving in kiba dachi for yoko geri. Then we worked mainly on Kanku dai. For kumite we defended a chudan punch with mikazuki geri ( crescent kick ) recovering shifting to the side & as your foot landed kicking mae geri. Of course by the time we switched partners & switched legs the inside of the foot got a bit tender.
Friday morning, was an all rank session led by master Yaguchi , primarily working everyones personal kata. I worked on Sochin in this class. I should mention that these classes were in Port Moody our Provincial HQ.
Friday night, we went to Surrey YMCA dojo & sensei Swain started with us black beltsm, while master Yaguchi took the kuy ranks, after 50 minutes they switched. Sensei Swain had us doing choku zuki, gyaku zuki, tate zuki & ura zuki. Then we went to mae geri, yoko geri keage, yoko geri kekomi & mawashi geri. Then in sparring we used kazami gyaku mawashi geri. When master Yaguchi came to train us we were pretty well worn out & thankful for kata training. He worked Gankaku with us. Let me just say that after that, I slept well.
Saturday morning we were in Vancouver at what is called south slope, Langara YMCA, this time we had each of the sensei for an hour. Sensei Swan worked us hard in hangetsu dachi & neko ashi dachi. Master Yaguchi had us going over tekki nidan & tekki sandan. Saturday afternoon was instructor trainee class, another 2 hrs. We covered self defense while sitting in a chair, Bassai sho & Kanku sho. Also principles of jyu kumite, master Yaguchi explained to us some of his prefered methods of using `iso kamae` same stance as your opponent ( I hope I have the name iso right`same`) & gyaku kamae opposite stance of opponent.
Sunday morning, we were back in Port Moody where sensei Swain did the kuy class & master Yaguchi took us black belts. The main focus of this class was Chinte. We also did our personal kata. One thing that master Yaguchi brought to our attention is that you should have 2 kata. One shorin & one shorei, to get a better benefit from you training. Shorei being strong & shorin being more athletic.
Then came the dan testing, it is amazing on how if you use your nervous energy the right way, combined with your adrenaline pumping on what you can ask your worn-out body to do. In my case, interesting kihon, Bassai dai as my main kata & then master Yaguchi asked me for Kanku dai ( oh sure, a long one!! ). When I came of the floor I was thankful that I could hide behind the crowd as I worked to get my breath back. I was thankful that I got to take a break while everyone else did their kumite. I was the closing act you might say as I did self defense. Let me just say that the crowd was gasping & master Yaguchi was smiling & nodding his head. I had the most wonderful reception as I left the floor.
I would like to finish by saying that we also shared a lot of social time. I ate most meals with master Yaguchi, sensei Swain & sensei Joe Dixon. I stayed in the same Inn as the guest sensei`s & after master Yaguchi called it a night, I had some one on one time with sensei Swain, a very nice man. I must tell you about one conversation. Years ago as sensei Swain was asking master Yaguchi about a certain kata ( Sochin I think ), master Yaguchi told him `50 times` Meaning do the kata 50 times in a row & it will teach you. He didn`t take to this right away & once & awhile master Yaguchi would ask him if he did 50 times. He would reply ` no sensei`. He told me, that at the time there was no way in he!! that he was going to do the same kata 50 times. Anyway, he eventually found the time & ambition to try 50 times. He told me that the strangest thing happened, about time number 19 or 20 the kata started teaching him. Certain body parts would either start to feel weak or start to hurt & he adjusted himself to feel stronger & more pain free. So after doing this a few times, he was training with with master Yaguchi who watched him for a bit, got a big smile went over to him & said `so Gary 50 times now`, sensei Swain said` yes sensei`. Master Yaguchi said `I know`
After the seminar & grading were done, we went out for something to eat. There were 26 adults & 6 children at this social dinner with master Yaguchi & sensei Swain. I have heard so many stories of other systems not benefiting from any social time with the masters. This most certainly has not been my experience. The ISKF is family. IMHO
If you made it this far, thank you for letting me share my experience with you.
Osu, yours in budo.
Paul B