I take a staycation for a week and wouldn’t you know it, I get sick. I came down with a nasty cold and was on the fence about attending class at Contact Kicks dojo. I knew the results would be out from Friday’s test, and I didn’t want to let people down by not being there,…
We had testing on Friday night, which was physically demanding. I am still feeling the aftereffects of the conditioning. Yesterday I had my private class with Fogarasi Sensei. We worked one simple combination, with the focus on power and making it second nature. As I have written about before on here, I am fast and…
Two days before testing so I assumed it would be a lot of kata, kihon, etc., but instead we worked on our “Toolbox”. As Fogarasi Sensei said best, which I am still chuckling about, “you can’t make a pig fat in two days”! Osu! He tells us this is a Romanian saying used around the…
“Fudō-dachi” Fogarasi Sensei calls. We all move into stance and yell “OSU”! “Seiza”! We step back and down into formal kneeling position. Fist at our hips. “Fudō-dachi!” Fogarasi Sensei calls again. We all get back up with “Osu!” “Seiza”! Again, we step back and down into kneeling position. Fist at our hips. “Fudō-dachi!” Fogarasi Sensei…
Balance. We need it in life and in the dojo. In our technique and in our energy. As mentioned in recent blogs, we are preparing for testing at Contact Kicks Dojo, which means lots of practice of kihon waza, kata, syllabus, etc. Last night we had a real emphasis on kicks, and balance. After a…
Repetition. Drilling. Basics. Kihon. I have said it before, I know there are some who are bored or dread this type of work, but I love it and live for it. I know this is the type of work that will save me and make me a better karateka. I have heard the stories of…
Every time I leave a class with Fogarasi Sensei I know my cup is filling up. He imparts so much wisdom with his physical instruction. I heard him refereed to as a “Karate wizard” and real martial artist. Today was no different. I have been taking private classes, on top of my regular three days…
I still remember pulling up to the dojo on that Friday for the first time. I sat in my car for a while, contemplating what I was about to do. Questioning myself. “Am I too old to be starting this”? I almost didn’t get it out. I was going to start up the car and…
I returned to class last night after being off for a week with the flu. It felt good being active again, but it’s incredible how quickly we lose gains when away. After only one week I could already feel a decrease in stamina, strength, etc. The class last night focused on kihon, and I loved…
Are a person’s eyes the window to his soul? Yes, in some ways they are. If you look carefully, you can see a lot in another’s eyes — strength and confidence, weakness or hesitation. They can give away lies, or confirm truth. They indicate the type of brain processing too — drawing on memory or…
The Martial Way 