2025-03-19

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

As promised, we spent this evening expanding on the drill we finished with on Monday. It went in progressive stages, adding a bit more difficulty each time. Each of these progressive variations is done first with a count and then without a count. Doing them with a count gives students the opportunity to get accustomed to the “rules” of the drill. Doing it without the count then adds a variable, with attackers able to vary their timing and defenders getting practice “reading” the attacker.

The increasingly complex “stages” of the drill went like this:

1. Start with “vanilla” yakosoku ippon kumite. One side attacks, the other side defends and counters, and then both sides “reset” for the next iteration. This stage is static - staying in the same place. Partners change roles every 10 attacks, allowing each partner to have several chances to “dial in” on proper distance. The challenge here is for the defender to get off the line of attack while maintaining proper distance and orientation for an effective counterattack.

2. Next, instead of “resetting” after every attack, the attacker stays in position and the defender resets in front of the attacker, allowing partners to move across the floor in a straight line. The attacker’s job is fairly easy - just step forward and attack. The defender’s job is more complicated - block, counter, and get back into position as quickly and smoothly as possible. Once they reach the other side of the floor, partners switch roles and come back. The main challenge in this version is the defender’s tai-sabaki, getting back into place in front of the attacker.

3. This stage adds multi-directional movement. Neither side is allowed to reset. When the attacker attacks, the defender still has to defend and counter, but is now allowed to move anywhere in relation to the attacker and neither side resets. This means the attacker’s next attack has to be able to cope with the defender’s new position, wherever that may be. This version puts a greater challenge on the attacker, who must now cope with the defender’s new position, wherever that may be. Because this version no longer moves across the floor predictably, have students switch roles after every 10 attacks. I liken this version to a game of chess, because the defender isn’t just thinking about avoiding the attack, but also finding a position that makes the next attack more difficult.