A Beginner's Point of View 411-412

Day 411:

Today I slowed down and included slower cuts and great circle paths into my kata. I got to complete three sets and I feel much better.

Day 412:

Today, I tried to include eyesight (looking at your target) into my kata. I forgot during half of my kata. I got through two sets when the instructor actually called for a formal lesson! We talked about the first kata and its finer points. He added the next step in proper higher-level kata. We should rise up from seiza slowly, building tension and drawing slowly. Then at the last second before drawing fully, we flick our toes into the ‘live’ position. That’s harder to do than it looks.

After class, he talked to me about something that sounded like ‘jo-ha-kyu’, which basically means starting slow and then speeding up to finish. It’s something to do at the shodan/nidan level. It builds momentum.