Wudang Sword basic Stab practice

Sifu and JRRMAS Staff members WF, SK and BL practice lines of basic Stabs (Thrusts) with Broadswords.

Lesson 1:

Take any single technique

the more basic the technique is ....the better!

Choose your technique wisely.....

One, that is a common denominator to the Art or Form

Then.....while paying attention to principles and details

repeat the single technique in a line or row

amassing as many repetitions as you have the capacity for

Remember the idea is develop and refine .....

Changing the way you do the technique should happen daily...

Because:

Mastery is the goal!

Lesson 2:

To achieve Mastery in Martial Arts...

Correct practice is essential!

A basic level that is available to everyone is around 10,000 (correct) repetitions

Mastery is only available to those with a life long,

regular daily practice and is around 36,000 repetitions!

Repeating rows of the basic, is the main practice method

Rows makes it relatively easy to repeat the basic 100 or more times in one practice session

Then the secret is to do that practice daily......

It's amazing how quickly the repetitions will amass!

American Karate-Do, Black Belts Side Kicking practice

JRRMAS Staff members NL, JC and DG practice defensive (not stepping in) Side Kicks in a recent Adult American Karate-Do class. NL is leading the class. All are demonstrating excellent form.

Lesson 1:

Side Kicks are both a classical and a modern basic technique

The kick also crosses over to real life self-defense

from both a standing and a lying position.

It is one of the most powerful techniques in Martial Arts, especially for women.

For men the legs are twice as powerful as their arms,

but for women the legs are four times as powerful as their arms!

So learning to kick is a must for women's self-protection,

especially the side kicking action

that uses the joints of the hip and the knee working in unison.

The Side Kick is a very powerful kick indeed!

Lesson 2:

Remember to drive your knee straight up (as in a front kick)

and learn to use the momentum of the initial vertical action of the knee

changing it from vertical to horizontal

The 'secret' to a quick and powerful Side Kick

is keeping the knee up as the initial power of the vertical knee drive

turns the 'corner' to a horizontal thrusting action using the hip and the knee joint

Be very clear about the 'line of power' at the end of your kick!!

American Karate-Do, Wallace Roundhouse Kick Exercise

JRRMAS Staff member DG demonstrates his excellent kicking form. This is an exercise I learned from Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace back in the 1980's and has become an intergral part of the American Karate-Do curriculum for both the Youth and Adult groups.

Lesson 1:

Doing the kick slowly gives you the best indication of your kicking ability. Your knowledge of the kick will be revealed by going slowly. This knowledge includes:

Kicking knee position,

Supporting foot position,

Hip position,

Upper body position

Slow kicking will also reveal :

Your stretch,

Your strength

And most importantly your balance.

Slow kicking is healthy for practitioners of all Martial Arts

and for praticioners of all ages!

Slow kicking is a tried and true method that has come down through the ages.

Many thanks to Bill Wallace for pointing us in the correct direction!

American Karate-Do, Crescent step, block and punch drill

JRRMAS Staff member JK leads the adult Karate-Do group in classical basics (retracting hand going to the hip for the rear elbow strike)

Lesson:

Crescent step...

feet come close together

to protect the groin

while advancing forward

at the moment the rear foot

shuffles to

the new Seisan Stance

Focus your Reverse Punch (classical vertical punch from the rear side)

or focus your block

Then Reverse Punch

At either end of the Studio

Triangle Step

to turn around

with power.

This drill builds dynamic root and stability, coordination and basic mind/body connections needed for Martial Arts and overall neurological conditioning. Rows of basic stepping, blocking, puching/kicking and turning are an intergral part of many Styles of Martial Arts.....it's the foundation of the Kata's and the basis for more advanced practices.

Sifu