2025-06-16

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

We had a small class last night - only four adults, but we continued with our slow march towards jiyu-kumite anyway. Everyone got to practice all eight one-step attacks and defenses with everyone else, on both sides, and then I allowed the attacker to change sides on every technique if they wanted to.

I spent more time than usual working through the block/counter kihon combinations, trying to get the yellow belts to get the hang of using both hands, and switching the hands as they start to move, particularly with the rising block combination. My most sucessful method of teaching this is to add a punch to the face on the half step. Let me explain:

When starting a rising block from the reverse punch position, it’s necessary to switch the hands completely before executing the block. Otherwise, chaos ensues, and most people end up blocking with the wrong hand. All four of the basic blocks we generally train in front stance are this way, but rising block gives people the most fits because it’s normally taught without a preparatory “halfway” position … so I add one here. I teach the rising block/reverse punch combo like this:

• Start from the reverse punch position.
• Step 1: Bring your feet together and punch to the face (this gets the student to switch his/her hands).
• Step 2: Finish the step and execute the rising block.
• Step 3: In place, execute the reverse punch.

The punch on step 1, while bringing the feet together, is what I call “technique on the half-beat” or, for the musically inclined, “syncopated technique.” This is likely the first time most students are exposed to it, but it’s a useful skill, as there’s merit in being able to produce kime at any point in a step.

From experience, I can tell you that simply saying “switch hands” for step 1 is much less effective. Some people won’t do it and some people won’t do it with any kind of vigor. But if you ask them to punch someone in the face on step 1 … no problem … that’s what they all signed up for.