We then practiced our katas. I did not do them right, forgetting much and adding kicks where there are no kicks. I have to work on that. I am getting better at my Neko Ashi Dachi though!
After that we practiced Yakushoku Kumite which we have not done a lot of. These are a series of attacks and defenses from an active and dynamic kumite kamai position. In order to rank to blue belt, we need to know six of them (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B). One of these involves taking your opponent down, and we did one more (4A) which also is a take-down.
We don’t need to know these to rank as green belts, but we are beginning to learn them anyway. We need to know 1A through 3B in order to rank as blue belts. At least that’s how I think it works.
But for now, it’s back to basics. I need to at least know the names, numbers and moves for my katas before I can do much to improve them. I think it is the mark of a good teacher that he ignores our missing a kata move or adding a move that should not be there in the interests of just improving our technique. I have no doubt they see those mistakes, and will correct them in good time if we don’t ourselves. But they ignore the mistakes in the interests of maintaining the flow without too many interruptions.
And now it’s off to bed for me as I am up early to run 20 km tomorrow. Hopefully I can find a route that will allow MM to come along riding her bike. I guess I’ll do that now and then go to bed.