Articles especially for junior students written by Master Devine

Kid’s Korner by Master Devine

The front stance poses a great problem for younger students. The front stance is used extensively in karate movement and is very stylized. The lead leg bears 60 to 70% of the weight, the knee is perpendicularly placed above the ankle, while the rear leg has some slight flexibility at the knee. The foot of the rear leg is about 30 degrees angled off the forward direction and the 30% weight is pressed into the back heel.

Front stance is often the stance that supports the front lunge punch. Younger students have a tendency to lean forward in this stance, to make it too narrow, and to place the feet some what sideways to the front direction. In formal karate the shoulders and hips are generally at right angles to the direction of motion.

All this is awkward to younger bodies who like to reach for a target rather than punching only when the target has been properly distanced.

This stance must be practiced in slower motion until the student can make the moves correctly. In practicing going forward in this stance, the body torso must remain vertically upright at all times. This is somewhat like sitting in a saddle on a horse. The legs and the hips move, but not the torso.

Front stance finds its way into all your basic katas beginning with Neko, the Taikyokus, and the Heians. Without correctly performing this stance, the katas are diminished and the student never develops power punches. The formal Japanese name for front stance is ‘zenkutsu dachi.’ Learn this name and practice at home. Rewards come slowly but after awhile you will feel the difference and your teachers will see the difference.

TESTING FOR THE NEXT BELT!

Testing is always a nervous time. The student must perform certain routines before a senior belt and a couple of hundred spectators will be watching in the audience. The drills you do so well in regular class seem to disappear from memory. One of the better ways to reduce nervousness is in preparation. Try doing the material for the test in front of family and friends in your own living room. Push back the sofas and coffee tables, put on your gi, and run through the required drills. This is the toughest audience you can have. If you make your errors in front of them, you will get the errors and nervousness out of the way!

Remember on test day to enter the gym, bow nicely and say "Good afternoon sir." This will help set your mood. Then if possible try to locate your direct teacher or others and give them your greetings. They will make you feel more comfortable. Greet your examiner with a friendly "Good afternoon sir, or ma'am" and introduce yourself.

When you start the test, you can conquer your nerves with a lot of spirited kiais. Use lots of power in your punches and blocks, and never show a sad or angry face if you make an error. The examiner is looking for your spirit so just keep going. Remember above all else, we teachers are here to pass students, not fail them.

Good luck! Master Devine

STARS AND STRIPES... WINNING IS NICE!

Not everyone can win a trophy at a big tournament like Stars and Stripes. Even though students are divided into groups by age and belt rank to make the competition fair, the gold medal winners are at best 1 in 10. Striving to win is fun, nerve wracking, egotistical, physically challenging, lucky, and a host of other emotions and factors.

Some tips I often give to improve kata (forms) are:

Practice the kata at home and to music. Play your favorite CD, especially if it has a steady beat, and try to time the moves of the kata to the musical beats. This will improve your sense of performance rhythm on tournament day.
Practice the kata at least five times a day! Preferably ten or twenty. Sometimes do it slowly, sometimes very fast, other times with power. Get to know the kata. Try doing the kata in reverse order of the moves.
Breathe! Most students forget to breathe when they are nervous and in front of judges. They go gasping for air. This affects your power. Actually breathy loudly when you practice and remind yourself to do it.
Power is everything. I always tell the referees and judges to look for power in the kata. They will score you higher.
On my very first day in karate, I wrote down the words of my instructor when he described the characteristics of good kata. Those words were that every kata must have power, grace, technique and control. Do that and you will win.

Some tips on kumite or sparring!

The student on the left has just shifted and blocked the jab attempt of his opponent whose only options are to move in and head punch or to move his right foot back. The student on the left should quickly charge in with a right reverse to the middle under the outstretched arm.

You get good at sparring by practicing with partners, preferably higher belts than yourself, and faster in moves. You can also do things like shadow box, footwork, jump rope, double kicks, keri waza, and much more. Speed is critical and you must be brave enough to launch the attack and not back off from it.

About 50% of all points are won in sparring matches with the reverse punch. That may not be enough to win the match so you need something else. Practice your combinations like kick and back fist, or ridge hand followed by roundhouse kick. Go the special sparring classes (usually Friday at Old Town and Saturday at Del Mar.) You can never get enough sparring practice with a live partner.

Be a good sport in your kumite and don't get mad if you lose a point. Keep a calm mind. Avoid hitting your opponent (you lose by disqualification and it's a lack of respect too.) When in doubt about your opponent, just keep circling in both directions. Keep throwing punches, you cannot score unless you make punches or kicks.

Watch upper belts spar, you will get lots of good ideas from them. Above all, keep having fun. Sparring is fun. He who wins today can lose tomorrow. No one is perfect.