2006 Workout #1: Here we are again… at the beginning…

Tonight was the first workout of the year. My Dad brought me in some Healthy Balance cards so I could get them filled in for my work benefits. was so kind as to donate a book in debt management to my New Years resolution cause. I’ve read a little of it already and its really good stuff. Thanks Dave!

We were expecting Death By Hartman tonight, however we were somewhat surprised when Sensei Brewer showed up to teach the class. We got a very nice class on taking the time to snap each technique and make it solid. I attempted (poorly) to make use of the ideas that Sensei Hartman gave us about using ones core to make tension and snap. The first class ended with partner training (NOT sparring), I got across from Jerry-san and it was a fun little drill.

The second class started off with all the Heian kata, Tekki Shodan, and Kanku Dai. We then got a brief break in order to let the floor dry out and rehydrate ourselves, which was nice. It was then 3-5 time attack.

I have more trouble dealing with guys that are built like my Dad and Dave Erbe… I always get befuddled when I move in and throw techniques and they just stand there. In 3-5 I am at a loss since we usually go straight forwards and backwards. During free sparring, I am able to strafe from side to side and make my openings that way. Sensei Brewer offered advice to always put forward pressure on your opponent but the frustrating thing is when I do that and I bounce off, even when trying to penetrate through.

I don’t know what to do about this problem yet. Tonight I took a fairly hard fist in the face from Erbe when I tried to let him drift down into completion of his technique and counter attack him then. It just succeeded in putting my forward momentum in front of his fist, which is very much like getting hit by a mostly ripe watermelon thrown at you from 20 feet away. I did succeed in hitting him with a few side kicks, but they weren’t anything but standard fare.

Also: it appears that all of the brown belts appear to be suffering from a sparring affliction that I have dubbed “The Erratics”. Their sparring styles are starting to transmute into something that has some timing, some speed, and some power, but usually not all at once. This is compounded by the natural nervous energy of the brown belt, which makes them like sparring shapeshifters that just drank a case of Bawls.

The workout was a nice start for the year, for sure. I think I’m going to add a resolution to figure out how to spar people that are 100+ lbs more than me.