Monday, April 6, 2020

Kata in the Time of Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 virus everyone is staying at home and that's a good thing. Karate classes, like all other classes, have moved to online video sessions.

Here are my notes from tonight:
  • Warm up before class!
  • Ushiro geri - remember not to let hips extend/turn sideways.
  • Question: Seiyunchin Kata - my shiko dachi is getting stronger and more square! But my lower back pays for it later. What can I do to tone and stabilize that stance?
    • Answer: The lower back was not meant to steady the spine. the lats and butt should be carrying the workload of protecting the spine. If hip flexors and hips are weak, then it shifts to your lower back, and you'll get pain because your lower back muscles are a lot smaller. That part of your body can't carry the weight. The girdle of your lower back, abs, and your butt, if they're weak the spine will fall out of alignment.
  • Ballistic hip movement will be painful if core is not strong.
  • An open hand can be used like a key, for unlocking something and making room to strike.
  • The angle of my stance and the center of my kata determine where I'm going to strike (my angle to my opponent), not where my opponent is standing.
My space is a bit awkward, there wasn't a good way to handle it so Sensei could see me and I could see him, too. Behind me are some of my partner's belongings so I thought it would be better to respect their privacy. It's a small city townhouse, the third floor is split into our bedroom and my office. The TV is in my office and the space I made to exercise is in the bedroom! I'm okay with it!


Loud and Clear
Practicing with some time like this, with my own Sensei teaching online, is a tremendous benefit for me because I can turn the volume up very high to hear better and I can switch devices to ensure a clear sound. I catch a lot more information when I can hear than when I'm in the dojo where I'm virtually deaf to instruction except for what I can lip read. With an online environment I can also stop to write down things I hear for review because my auditory memory is in a constant state of overdrive during verbal instruction.

Being deaf in a learning environment means that one misses out on what's called "incidental learning", beautifully explained by ASL Stew:



My Sensei has many pets. They walk the lines like Senpai do in the dojo, checking stances and ensuring we stay focused.


Physical Recovery Update
It's been now fourteen months of physiotherapy since my last bout with sepsis. I am back at the dojo, back at karate, as best I can be. This online method is giving me new information and helping me drive home details I have never gotten before. I've improved a lot but now I know exactly why, and to keep doing it!

In particular, PT has meant stabilizing my hips and finding creative ways to manage debilitating tightness in my legs. Since it's not possible to stretch out my muscles without also stretching out my tendons it's been useful to use a TheraBand Roller Massager before bed and whenever my joints lock up. It catches trigger points nicely, too, which knocks out two birds with one stone.

This is an exciting time for my body. I've worked hard on it. I'll never be bored with this body because there is always something to do. I think that's a good way of looking at it--as good a way as any.


Gassho, may you be well.

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