2025-12-22

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

Tonight’s adult class was well-attended considering it’s a holiday week. There’s no class on Christmas Eve, so our next and final class for the year will be next Monday.

Our focus tonight was on counter hip rotation; specifically, how to make it work when you’re already rotating in the direction of the technique. Think of the first move of Heian Shodan: It’s a downward block to the left, but you’re also turning to the left, so most people end up forgoing the counter hip rotation that’s supposed to accompany a downward block. The hip rotates counterclockwise to make the turn, but never rotates back as the arm makes the block. So how do you fix that?

I generally teach that you should complete the turn (any turn) before stepping out in the direction of travel. If you do this, your hips will be facing the direction of travel and can easily rotate back from there. But saying it and having students do it are two different things, so I give them something else to think about.

Returning to the first move of Heian Shodan, I ask them to think about blocking with the right hand as they turn to the left, with a sort of slapping motion. Having to block with the right hand means they have to turn far enough for the right hand to intercept the attack, at which point their hips are generally square. Then they can step forward with the downward block, applying counter hip rotation as they should.