Tuesday February 15th... Muscle training versus flexibility training

Today's training was hard... very hard..!  Arrived at the dojo expecting that there would be a very small number of students training (as seems to be typical on Tuesday's for some reason) and that Inada Sensei and Matsue Sensei would be teaching.  When I opened the door of the dojo I realised that Kanayama Sensei was teaching.... "Oh no" I said to myself...!  Small amount of people training plus Kanayama Sensei suggested "muscle training"..! 

It was only Urushiro san (a Teikyo University graduate) and I who were training in the 6-7pm class.  And so the "muscle training" commenced!  Kanayama Sensei, Inada Sensei, Urushiro san and I grabbed a towel each and placed it on the dojo floor.  500 repitions of various abdominal strenthening exercises followed by around 200 pushups which were done in sets of 30, 20 and 10.  In between each set we had to keep in pushup position and literally drag ourselves down the dojo floor while keeping our feet on the towel.  Then we got 10kg dumbells and commenced with around 150 squats and 150 lunges while holding the dumbell.  Then quickly changing between left and right side zenkutsu-dachi while still holding the dumbells.  Finished the muscle training by going into kiba dachi and holding arms outstretched while quickly opening and closing fists.. different directions for arms and also different rotations.

The class concluded with Urushiro san and I practicing mae-geri in sets where we did mae-geri twice before returning leg to the ground.  We also did the same for yoko-geri.  Very very hard under the watchful eyes of both Kanayama Sensei and Inada Sensei.  Kanayama Sensei pointed out to me that I need to snap my leg back more after extending the mae-geri with hiki-ashi while Inada Sensei was concerned about stiffness in my upper body while kicking.  More about this later!

Both Urushiro san and I stayed on for the 7-8pm class and we were joined by two other students.  Inada Sensei took this class.  Practiced a version of gohon kumite but partners kept an increased distance and only acted as a target.  Jodan, chudan, mae-geri, yoko-geri and mawashi-geri.  We then did all Hiean kata's, Tekki Shodan and Bassai Dai.  Inada Senei was constantly watching me and everytime I finished he would call "DI-AR-MADO" and tell me what I need to improve on.  This was both brilliant for me to be getting this attention but hard at the same time..  People think that Hiean kata's are easy but the attention to detail of all the instructors demands perfection in each move and between each moves.  So difficult! 

At the end of class I think it clicked with Inada Sensei why I tend to be a little stiff in my upper body while kicking and why for example I break the centerline of my body (by leaning slightly forward) when pushing into yokogeri-kekomi.  My hips are not flexible enough!  How can I best describe it... If I swing my leg to the front and behind my flexibility is good but if I raise my leg to the side left and right... I am lacking flexibility... We did a couple of stretches before finishing class and I think Inada Sensei used these to diagnose me!

It's funny because this has been playing on my mind for a long time now but particularly since I came to Japan... Even today before training I spent about 45 mins in my apartment trying to work on this flexibility.  This brings me on to the whole outlook on "muscle training" which the Japanese instructors are pretty passionate about.  I weigh around 85kg.. Kicked a lot of football when I was younger... did a lot of running up hills etc... have been practicing karate since I was 10 years old and I consider my hips and legs to be pretty strong but I am not "naturally" flexible.  One thing that strikes me about the Japanese is their flexibility and their form particularly in their stances.  I know that the Japanese are probably so immersed in this "muscle training" because their bodies are different to typical westerners... they don't have the muscle mass or the same frames as we do... and I guess they are trying to bridge this gap... But for me I need to go in the opposite direction... I need to work on my flexibility and make sure that my muscle mass doesn't become so big that everything suffers..  I guess everybody needs to find their own balance..

Finally, I must say that all the instructors have been first class in their reception of me since I arrived and are so willing to correct me during class.  In particular Inada Sensei has probably been the "hardest" on me.. constantly watching me and correcting me but I really appreciate this.