Learning Gekisai Dai Ichi

I wrote this in my journal on Thursday, February 9, 2006.

It’s still Wednesday because I haven’t gone to bed yet. (I have the same problem when blogging. To me, it’s still Thursday, not Friday.) Karate was fun today. Before class, Sensei helped me improve my kicking. My kicking wasn’t controlled so he made me kick a certain brick on the wall. That helped keep my balance and my aim. Sensei and I counted together when I kicked the wall. Then, he led me through Fukukata Dai Ni once and it was cool. He made me perform the kata so I can practice what I learned from kicking the wall. While going through the kata, he stepped on my foot so I wouldn’t move it. I realized that my zenkutsu dachi was too narrow. I need to make it wider.

Then, the whole class lined up and said the Dojo Kun. Then, we did Fukukata Dai San and Moving Attack once. We haven’t practiced Moving Attack for awhile. Then, Sensei said that we knew three kata and now, we’re going to learn a fourth. He had Emily do it twice, so we can get a side and front view. Then, he took the advanced students to another part of the gym. As he passed me, I gave him a smile, so he patted me on the back.

Then, we went through the new kata. I don’t know the name of it yet. (We were learning Gekisai Dai Ichi.) It has many new moves. We punch with two hands. There is a new stance called the Sumo stance (shiko dachi). We elbow strike and karate chop horizontally (knife hand). In some blocks, we inhale and kiai when we punch.

I received lots of praise from Sensei today. However, I messed up a lot when I was learning the new kata. Therefore, Sensei and Captain David had to correct me. Most of my mistakes were mixing up my arms when we prepared to block. I was getting my right and left confused. I was the same way when we learned the Fukukata. Captain David was mostly teaching us the new kata. Twice, Sensei came over and helped. Then, we all came together and said the Dojo Kun. When Sensei teaches us, Captain David helps correct. Such as today, he made me punch his hand while I was performing kata.

Guess what?! I get to go to the Dojo next Tuesday!!!! However, I’ll be late because I have a test in psychology. Class starts at 7 P.M. Hopefully, I’ll get there at 7:30 but probably around 8 P.M. I wish I could go for the whole thing! He would like us to be there at 6:30.

I wonder what the Dojo looks like. Naomi and Emily said being at the Dojo for the first time is scary. They said Sensei will slap people around because he’s meaner and stricter. I’m excited. P.S., Sensei says that I’m improving.