I was pleasantly surprised when I met Kamal Sensei from JKS Lebannon when I went to change into my dogi. Kamal Sensei graduated from the JKS Instructor's training programme in 2008 along with Nagaki Sensei and Nihei Sensei. Kamal had his son and daughter training with him at the dojo. Very nice kids and good karate!
Nagaki Sensei took the class. It was another belter of a session. Kihon for the first 40 minutes and kata for the last 20 minutes. When doing Mawashi-geri, Nagaki Sensei corrected me for not preparing my kick from a more outside positon. I was cutting cutting too much off it and coming up a little too straight. This is no good! The kihon part of the class consisted of the usual kihon from fixed stance... kizami, gyaku - zuki. Mae Geri, front leg mae-geri... etc.. etc... All 30 times each side. We also practiced moving forward and backwards in zenkutsu-dachi and kokustsu dachi with towels under our feet. I had done this type of training with Nagaki Sensei before and it is great to keep contact with the floor and feel the contraction of the inside of the thighs while trying to maintain the same height as you move through the stances. I was absolutely wrecked after this first 40 minutes... I tried as hard as I could!
After a welcome 2 minute water break we started kata practice. Omanoto Sensei took Kamal Sensei's daughter for some practice while his son stayed training with the rest of us. There were 6 people in total training this morning. We practiced both Kanku-Sho and Sochin. There was a lot to be learned.... In particular Nagaki Sensei was trying to help me with my fudo-dachi in Sochin. I need to push my weight forward a little more while keeping the back knee pushed out. In addition to this, I need to make sure that my upper body isn't leaning backward... in fact I need to lean forward a little bit and make sure that I'm looking directly forward at all times.. Nagaki Sensei is always very particular with techniques and always spots something that I can do better. He is always very encouraging. Ishimine Sensei was rubbing Nagaki Sensei's calf before class and he seemed to be in a lot of pain... I'm thinking that this injury must be the reason why he didn't compete at the All-Japan's.
When we finished class, Yamaguchi Sensei, Kanayama Sensei, Matsue Sensei and Hideoshi Sensei had all arrived at the dojo. Kamal Sensei asked me if I wanted to do a little extra training when we had finished. Of course, I said "Oss!". This was a real honour for me to train some more with Kamal Sensei in the place where he went through so much in the Instructor's course. We started off with 100 sit-ups.. all in one go. Then 100 push-ups.. consisting of 2 sets of 50... Kamal Sensei would lift my legs off the ground and I would keep my elbows close by my side.. almost in hikite position. I got a break as I lifted Kamal Sensei's legs for his push-ups. We then did pulsing bow type exercises for the back.. 100 pulses.. the sideways rock.. 100 pulses.... I was ready to fall down at this stage... Absolutely and utterly spent!! We stretched for about 5 minutes and then concluded. I was delighted to have done this extra training but I was a spent force at this stage! I'm pictured below with Kamal Sensei right after we finished.
After I left the dojo I headed straight to Jonathan's for breakfast/lunch. I couldn't get liquids into me quick enough. 35 degrees of heat in addition to hard training is very dehydrating and a little dangerous I guess. Drinks bar it was and I ordered my meal (below). Right now they are taking about heat stroke on the TV and warning about the dangerous temperatures. It was so difficult to eat this meal. I just wasn't physically or mentally able to eat it but I knew I had to get as much nutrition as soon as possible. I eventually got through it after about 30 minutes!
I decided against going to training this evening. This morning's session really took an awful lot out of me and I don't want to be a hero... not until next week anyway! So, I went to Tokyo Dome Area for a wander around. There was a massive baseball game on at Tokyo Dome. Tokyo Giants were playing. It is all very commercialised and the Japanese certainly love their baseball!
I went for a second dinner at the local restaurant here in Nippori when I got back from Tokyo Dome. I'll watch some of the Olympics on tv before heading to bed. Back in the dojo for morning training tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment