Maria's 90 days Shotokan Karate

Early last week, I went to my husband to train in the park and we stayed until the sun set. As we kept training in the dark, I realised it easer because as I couldn't see properly I didn't get distracted and I could concentrate a lot more and feel each movement of my body and all around me. I definitely like it! BTW, I haven't matter the side snap kick technique but I found I wasn't rotating my supporting foot as the sensei does.

Today I practiced the Yoko geri keage (side snap kick). It took me around 10 attempts to find the correct position and balance in one foot. At the moment of kicking is where it got complicated, frustrating and painful! I felt I couldn't hit at the right level and I couldn't open my leg to the side as I think I should. I whatched the Sensei lesson many times and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, maybe is lack of flexibility? Or I'm not executing the proper stance? I'll send the question to Sensei John and hopefully I'll dominate the technique very soon.

I always find hard to learn a technique if I don't see the practicability: where it aims to (head, face etc) or how it would feel hitting something physical. Last Monday, I was learning the Ni Tettsui Uchi (Double hammer fits strike) techniquie and I found when I hit, sometimes I was aiming high and sometimes low and I felt I couldn't just imaging a point to hit and I felt I was doing nothig. So, my husband help me with a pair of focus mitts so that, I could aim to them and hit them. When I did it, I could feel my arms where moving more precise and fluid and I felt much better hitting something phisical reader than just the air. I felt it made more sense in my mind. So when  I practiced the technique again by my self in the air, my mind new how it feels and where to aim at. My confidence increased as I new how it really feels and my movement felt more precise. Now I concider I leanrt that technique and from now on, I'll use the mitts as much as I can.

In Portsea, with my husband... What a best way to start the challenge?! It was a very windy day on Sunday but that couldn't stop us from going out looking for the perfect place to train karate and have lot of fun, remembering the yellow belt exam and trying to perform some technics of the orange belt (the Heian Nidan Kata). At that moment I realised, it is a long way to go! So the feeling started growing, believing I can reach higher! I'm going to do my very best,  giving all who I am for whom I can become.