https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/ Desert Valley Shotokan en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:20:22 +0000 https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-15/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-15/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Last night we talked about small habits, like keeping your hands closed when they don’t need to be open. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-13/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-13/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Over the weekend, I attended a small group training with Sensei Steve Ubl in Escondido, CA, so I brought back a few things that I intend to share. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-08/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-08/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 We spent more time than I would have liked talking about the chambered foot position for side snap kick. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-06/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-06/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Hitting from a stable platform is ideal, but self-defense scenarios are predicated on the "ideal" ship already having sailed. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-01/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-04-01/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Let’s talk about pelvic tilt. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-30/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-30/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 How do you practice the jump in Heian Godan? https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-25/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-25/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 We talked a lot about the cooperative nature of karate training last night, particularly during partner drills. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-23/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-23/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 I had another good question last night, during Heian Sandan. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-11/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-11/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Continuing with the theme from last time, we worked on staying close to our attacker while blocking and evading, so counter attacks were available right away. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-09/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-09/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Getting off the line of attack, while keeping the opponent on yours, is one of the most important lessons in karate training. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-04/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-04/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 We had a small kyu grading this evening, with only two examinees, and it went pretty well. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-02/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-03-02/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Pivoting on one foot requires balance and ankle strength. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-25/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-25/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Averages are the devil. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-23/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-23/ Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Last night we talked about the additive nature of vectors and how they work together to produce power in karate technique. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-18/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-18/ Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Tonight’s sparring practice introduced some new drills I’d like to share. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-16/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-16/ Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 I ended up using my Michelangelo analogy in class again last night, so I’ll explain in here in the hope someone else may be able to use it in their own classes. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-12/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-02-12/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 This was my first class since returning from vacation. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-12/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-12/ Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Back in October of 2024, I wrote "Spirit first; technique second", a look at the fifth principle of Funakoshi’s Niju Kun, and it came to mind again last night. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-07/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-07/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 When students begin free sparring, they tend to hold their hands like boxers - with their forearms pointing almost straight up. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-05/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2026/2026-01-05/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Our first class of 2026 had great attendance, and we’ve finally got enough students of sufficient rank to start a bit of genuine jiyu kumite. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-29/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-29/ Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We had an epidemic of front foot "pre-movement" in class this past Monday, so we spent some time making it go away. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-22/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-22/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tonight’s adult class was well-attended considering it’s a holiday week. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-15/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-15/ Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tonight we focused on hip position. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-10/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-10/ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I introduced another new drill tonight, this time for sparring. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-08/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-08/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We had twelve students in class last night, which may be a new record. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-03/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-03/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 It’s getting pretty close to the end of the year, so I’ll start with a few announcements for my students: 1. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-01/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-12-01/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I talked about this video during class last night, but I’m going to write about it from a different perspective today. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-19/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-19/ Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Our sparring drills are progressing nicely, but tonight I had to have "the talk" about staying low. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-10/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-10/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I gave out the results of last week’s rank exam and (as expected) everyone did very well. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-05/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-05/ Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We had a small rank exam tonight, with two candidates in the youth class and one in the adult class. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-03/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-11-03/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 As you probably know, on Monday nights I teach in the childcare room of my YMCA. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-29/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-29/ Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 When performing kata, you will make a mistake. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-22/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-22/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I’ve written before about the importance of orienting the "back" foot correctly but teaching Heian Sandan last night made me realize it’s probably better to… https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-20/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-20/ Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Your performance will almost never be better than your practice. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-15/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-15/ Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We all have "primal" fear reactions, and things like fire, the sensation of falling, and thought of getting punched, can trigger them. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-13/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-13/ Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I’m trying something new when it comes to teaching blocks: Point where you’re going to block with one hand, and block with the other. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-08/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-08/ Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Attendance was sparse again tonight. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-06/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-10-06/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I’m back from my trip to Illinois and, although it was a work trip, I still found time to train (and teach) with my friends at the Central Illinois Shotokan… https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-24/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-24/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Working on Heian Godan tonight, I had another great question. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-22/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-22/ Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I teach at a YMCA and, as you may know from reading these updates, I teach in two different rooms. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-17/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-17/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I got a request tonight. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-15/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-15/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 I had six, yes six, new students tonight - one in the youth class and a family of five in the adult class. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-10/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-10/ Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Most of my students probably didn’t know they were signing up for math, physics (and even psychology) lectures when they joine my classes. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-08/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-08/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 After class, one of the adult students showed me a video he’s been using to help work on his kata at home. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-03/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-09-03/ Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We had a small rank exam for the one student who was eligible tonight, and he did well. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-27/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-27/ Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Teaching students to have "dangerous intent" is hard. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-25/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-25/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Distance and angle are the two components of positioning yourself when it comes time to counterattack. https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-20/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-20/ Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Last night’s class continued to work towards free sparring, using the drills explained above, and culminating in partners executing any two-technique… https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-18/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-18/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tonight’s adult class picked up where we left off last time, picking two of our eight "standard" attacks, making a combination out of them, and using those… https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-13/ https://desertvalleyshotokan.com/diary/2025/2025-08-13/ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 We’ve been working on one-time attack/defense drills with the following eight attacks: oi-zuki jodan, oi-zuki chudan, kizami-zuki jodan, gyaku-zuki chudan,…