Brown Belt

Got it! After more than three years from my last test for the Green belt and two years from my Blue belt (I got it while I was training with Sensei Advincula in Ocenside for *free* 😉 I finally have my BROWN BELT.

It took a long time, but I am really satisfied. The test lasted more than three hours for me alone. I tested in front of 6 (SIX!!) black belts and on Monday I am still sore for all the beating I took, but it was worth it!

First Solo Karate Class…

Just recently I got my Junior instructor certifcate after completing an essay.

Due to a series of unfortunate events for my Sensei, I had the opportunity to run my first class all by myself

We had about 10 people in the class, mostly white and yellow belts. Run though warmups and Kata and did a little bit of pre-arranged sparring at the end, nothing fancy, but still…

Training with the Master

I had the opportunity this week with Sensei Advincula, first student of Tatsuo Shimabuku, the creator on Isshin-Ryu Karate.

I was in San Diego for a conference and my Sensei (Jeremy) was kind enough to let me train with him.

We spent three hours on my katas (Seisan, Seiunchin, Naihanchi, Wansu, Chinto and Sanchin) and got out with a ton of notes on how to improve them and with a much deeper understanting of the why certain things work the way they do.

 

It has been an honor and a great experience, one-on-one training with a master of Isshin-Ryu it’s not something that happens every day.

 

Thank you Sensei Advicula and Sensei Jeremy!

 

Got It!

Green Belt Test

I train in Isshinryu Karate and these are the requirements for my green belt test on Saturday:

• Chart 1 and 2, upper and lower body basics. link (kihon, one of the three Ks of karate)
• Know and explain the Megami. link
• dojo etiquette and courtesy (sempai/kohai relation, senior/junior)
• History of Isshin-ryu. link
• History of goju-ryu (link) and shorin-ryu (link).
• Lineage and history of Shimabuku’s teachers. link and link
• know Seikan (fist)
• know stances (dachi): Yoi, Seisan, Naihanchi, Seiunchin, Cat (Nekko-Ashi), Squat, natural (weapon stance), neutral, Half Seisan, Chinto, T, diagonal seisan, zenkutsu . link
• know katas (second of the three Ks): h-pattern (+bunkai, embusen), seisan (+bunkai, embusen), Seiunchin, Naihanchi. link
• know basic fighting posture
• how to wear and fold a gi, how to tie the obi
• explain the eight directions movement (manji)
• know kiso kumite 1 to 3 (kumite, last one of the three Ks)
• recite the kempo gokui (code of karate). link
• explain tanden (link), kime (link), maai or five fighting distances (throwing, grappling, punching, kicking, weapons) (link)
• explain zenkutsu dachi (link) and kiba dachi (link). These stances are taken from the shotokan style of karate.
• demostrate Yakusoku kumite (freestyle)
• demostrate kotekitai 1 to 3 (pressure on wrists, hitting forearm, forearm conditioning high-chamber-low)
• explain breathing: nogare (regular breathing) and ibuki (strong breathing like sanchin, seisan and seiunchin)
• explain kiai

That’s it, easy right?

Anyway, wish me luck!