Kihon Dosa Renzoku

Thursday I had two guilty pleasures: lifting at the gym for an hour, mid-day, while my parents watched the Little Man, AND training last night while the husband got some QT with our boy.
I'm so spoiled.
Class in review: an hour dedicated to Kihon dosa to kanren waza. Awesome.
These are the classes where we get to break the basic movements and applied techniques down into the finer details. (AND get a great workout if you're partnered with someone who will give that to you-which I thankfully was.)

The importance of basic movements cannot be emphasized enough, at least with the Yoshinkan style which I train in. Training your body to become strong, developing muscle memory for the movements, will lead to strong technique execution.
Here is a brief clip of Kihon Dosa by the Senshusei of the Hombu dojo:



Ok onto the review (this might be more for my journal/notebook and not so much leisure reading, I apologize if you were looking for an entry not so technical)..

Basic movements and related techniques.
1. Cross Step In Body Change #1:

• Keep hand on line and ENTER-will make uke very off balance in the backward direction. Don't go off the line/towards uke's side or uke won't be off balance.

2. 95 Degree Pivot:

• Don't break the connection between your wrist and uke's-maintain it by using stance hand to enter slightly on pivot. 
• For technique, palm up initially then palm down.
• Be sure uke's arm doesn't have elbow joint pointed towards you or control isn't obtained.

 3. Elbow Power #1:

• Note where "breakoff point" is for uke, depending on their height, there is an optimal point prior to losing the connection with uke arm.
• For the basic movement, pass the breaking point and still raise hands to correct level-forehead height.
• For technique, no need to raise as high, but be sure uke is off balance away from you, towards where you're throwing

4. Elbow Power #2:

• Don't pull uke as you body change on the basic movement.
• First drop your hand, uke will naturally follow you down and then body change, uke's body will "fall" in your direction.
• On technique, when shuffling in, be sure to line yourself up with uke's back foot, then apply second control.
• Don't make uke's head arc outward when you pivot. Keep arc small and contained. 
• 180 degree pivot and then body change (not 95 degree pivot as many people are doing.)

5. After Class Exercise #1 and #2:

• As uke, trust where shite's hand will be as you pivot around during the basic movement, it will be directly above your head. 
• Remember to do a big kick-step out or as shite cuts down, you won't have gone far enough for shite to do the basic movement.

Bottom line:  you don't want to interfere with your partner's ability to do the basic movement. 

I realized how much I truly love classes dedicated to the foundation of our style such as an hour straight of kihon dosa and then followed by the related techniques. Often times we get hung up with being excited for what technique we'll learn in class that day, but truthfully, when we drill the basic movements is when I find the most happiness on the mat. Sure flipping and throwing is fun, but feeling your leg muscles burn after holding kamae for 10 minutes can be fun too. I mean you're participating in something that is the foundation of what you love. Something that has been drilled for many, many years. Something the "masters" have instilled and continue to teach the importance of. You get to feel connected, literally and figuratively, to something that is the backbone of it all. So get out there and get your legs burning! Drill it. Do it.
Osu!