2011 Workout #14: Boxing?

After another inexplicably long day at the office, I headed to karate just minutes before the class started.  The class began with the combination of the month (captured elsewhere, so I won’t describe it further) and then we moved on to some combinations that Sensei Tarrant learned from a recent encounter with a 9th dan Shotokan instructor teaching at a Wado club.  He found out about it through the grapevine over the weekend and went to check it out.  The combination that we did was a killer:

Slide in reverse punch, slide back rising block, rear leg front kick stepping back into front stance, slide in jab, slide in reverse punch, front leg front kick putting it down then front leg roundhouse kick, slide in reverse punch, rear leg front kick stepping forward, backfist strike, then reverse punch.  That, friends, is ONE REP.  After a few dozen of those suffice it to say that the sweat was flowing.

After this, Sensei Tarrant went on a brief divergence to discuss the period in his life when he stopped competing in tournaments and instead opted to cross train in boxing so he could better understand the body dynamics involved.  He talked of the differences in techniques, the differences in footwork, and the high level of conditioning required to participate.  He explained how the ducking, bobbing, and weaving was done with the whole body, and how the power transfer was done with the heel up sliding toward the opponent instead of Shotokan-style driving from the heel.  He explained that the hip action translated pretty well, but the breating and tension was a lot more flowing than karate.

After some Q&A about this, it was time to do kata.  I did Sochin twice, and then it was time for our white belt to take his first belt rank exam.  I was the next highest rank black belt in the class tonight, so Sensei Tarrant had me sit alongside him and adminstrate the test.  I helped by looking stern.  Sensei Tarrant asked my opinion after the test was over and we came up with a few pointers to share with the tester.  This dojo is apparently one of those where you don’t get your results in the same class as you take your test, so the testing person has to wait to find out if he made the grade.

It was a good class that washed away much of the stress of a positively terrible week.  Here’s to hoping this marks the high-water point and the rest of the week is much better.