Train It Like It's Real... - Meibukan Gojyu Ryu-Victoria

07 Feb

... And when sh*t gets real, you'll do it like you trained it...

This week went a little less intense than I would have liked. We do have a new student and she seems to be enjoying the training. She works real hard on getting things right though, so that makes each class a little brighter... 😎

The beginners class went well for both Monday and Thursday this week. Pounding out the basics and having a bit of fun with it. I don't think anything is as funny as little kids trying their hardest to do a kiai like the senseis do. They want to be as deep and as loud as Michael and myself, and the cacophony of sounds just makes me happy. Jo Chu Ge just doesn't seem to click for a few of the little ones, and next week, we're going to confuse the heck out of them with Sanchin Kata. 🤔
Some of the ones that have been with us a little longer, are starting to remember the Jo Chu Ge Kata, but they have slipped back a little from the level they were at before we had our break. I have to keep reminding myself they are all under 10 years of age, and not one of them is attempting to become a Black Belt anytime soon.

The intermediate classes were a little different to each other on the Monday and then the Thursday. Monday was a good night of training, we spent waaaay too much time going over Kata that they should already know. They knew them well enough to get the upgraded belt at their last grading(s). Holidays can really mess with the heads of kids between 10 and 13... 😡🤬
It's been a long while, but I am certain that Shiko Dachi and squat exercises were never that hard to execute when I was coming through the ranks...
Thursday this week was more Kata and a little less instruction. Messing with their heads, we did Kihon Kata as a warm up. Started with Chu Shuto Ge, confusion plus... We moved on to Chu Keri Ge, total disconnect from the brain and the arms and legs... and we finished the warm up with Ge Ge Ge, one of my favourites and very painful for newbies. Of course there were too many straight legs and some real bad Shiko Dachi, so we had a very quick instruction session and did it again. 😂

We started the advanced class with a Shuto Nukite drill that I saw Iain Abernethy Sensei demonstrating on his https://www.youtube.com/@practicalkatabunkai Channel. This has the potential of being a very scary drill when practised with intent. Unfortunately the kids, 13 and under, were too intent on having fun with, and making goo goo eyes at, the opposite sexes in class. 😣 Next week we're going back to basics, and focusing on Kata! Stay Tuned...