Sunday’s class was exactly what I needed to get myself back on track after missing so many classes due to injury – two hours devoted to working on my own kata. Besides a temporary mental block where I’d combined Yodan and Godan I’m feeling really good about where I’m at. I’m really focusing on keeping each kata top of mind so my days of drawing blanks in class stay behind me.
Kiba Dachi is present in many Kata and I’ve been working hard on my posture, making sure my knees aren’t falling in, and keeping my hips in the proper position. I also try to be aware of the proper foot placement every time I move; both feet should be facing forward. While this sounds simple enough, it has never felt quite right; my ankles have always felt a bit more strain than I think they should.
On Sunday however, came a revelation that with practice will finally have me feeling completely comfortable in my Kiba Dachi. The secret lies not just in your feet facing forward, but how they face forward and exactly which part of them should be facing forward. One very important detail I was missing. It was seriously a slap myself on the forehead “NOW it makes sense” moment. I really wish I’d clued in to this a lot sooner, however, I guess it is all part of my Karate journey – I can’t learn everything at once now can I?
On that note, I'll refrain from revealing what the secret actually is and leave it to individual students to discover as part of their own journey. I'm just thankful it has now been passed on to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment