2025-08-06

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

Last night’s class asked the best questions…

It was a small class, so we spent it going “deep” on the Heian kata, particularly those bits that students find difficult. Here’s a sample of what we worked on:

• In Heian Nidan, we went through moves 16 through 22 (the part with the counter-hip-rotated inside blocks) several times. The takeaway here was to focus on the counter hip rotation and, on the second inside block, drawing back the front foot isn’t so much a required part of the kata as it is an acceptable consequence of counter hip rotation.
• In Heian Sandan, we spent time on move 2 (moving from back stance into heisoku-dachi and the first double block) and its twin, move 5. Here we concentrated on keeping our hip down, shifting it forward, and using the rising of the hip to generate blocking power.
• In Heian Yondan, we drilled moves 11 through 13 (the part after the 2nd elbow strike leading into the first kiai). Our focus was getting the path of the hands just right on move #13 (left-hand osae-uke with right hand uraken tatte mawashi uchi).
• In Heian Godan, our time was spent on moves 8 through 12 (the downward “X” block through the first kiai), particularly the transition of the hands from downward “X” block in fists through rising open-handed “X” block and into the open-handed arm grab.

But what impressed me the most was some of the questions. They asked for specifics on little things like:

• In Heian Nidan, while transitioning from the knife hand block into the first counter-hip-rotated inside block (#16), does the blocking hand chamber to the opposite hip, like an uchi-uke, or does it drop behind, like sukui-uke?
• Also in Heian Nidan, near the end when you step forward into right-side augmented inside block in front stance, how does the left hand move?

Those are kinds of minor points aren’t the sort I would expect from 8th and 7th kyu students, but they asked them, and I’m really happy they did.