DAMN.
Karate is starting to get to the level of difficulty of school. I know I can do it, but damn is it ever hard.
The instructors are really good at training each person at the level they are at. I'm doing pretty good with the basic stuff, so they're really picky about details, which I love. It means I can learn things 100% right the first time instead of creating bad habits, but frankly, some of these techniques are hard to execute perfectly after you've done them 50 times in a row. My body just gets tired, and it becomes a metal exercise to keep pressing on and stay focussed despite my fatigue. (It's not that I can't focus to that extent, but there were several exercises and techniques in a row that were testing that mental resolve, and by the end my body just hurt.)
Even with a lot of focussed practicing, it's actually very difficult to maintain that level of discipline while we are sparring. You have to have to get to the point that you can trust your body to defend and respond to attacks while simultaneously planning your own attacks. Of course, all of this is very dynamic, because you can't predict how you are attacked or how your attacks are defended. At first, it's impossible to even think in these terms as you're just fighting for self-preservation, but slowly, this active on-the-fly strategy becomes a necessity.
There were only two adults of rank this class, so the two of us sparred. He was a purple belt, and I orange (so he was 2 ranks ahead of me). Since there were many people, Sensei Kam told us that all today's rounds would be one-point matches, so I assumed we wouldn't be fighting long. The purple belt and I sparred for about a minute (which actually feels like an eternity when you're in active "battle"), and we were totally winded and Sensei Kam stopped us and tore us apart. lol I would say that was one of the best matches I've ever had too! But I appreciate the criticism, because there are so many layers to how you can approach a fight that I learned a lot from it.
His advice is always very practical, and so he noted that both of us were trying to use a lot of very strong kicks, and even though the kicks themselves were okay, they were not practical as offensive manoevers because they tired us out completely! He told us that fighting hard for a minute was nothing and wouldn't cut it in a tournament, and made several other comments, before finishing by telling us we did well. lol
He's introduced a dedicated sparring-only class on Saturday afternoons, and I'm tempted to sign up. It's quite expensive, but training at that advanced a level really appeals to me.
The instructors are really good at training each person at the level they are at. I'm doing pretty good with the basic stuff, so they're really picky about details, which I love. It means I can learn things 100% right the first time instead of creating bad habits, but frankly, some of these techniques are hard to execute perfectly after you've done them 50 times in a row. My body just gets tired, and it becomes a metal exercise to keep pressing on and stay focussed despite my fatigue. (It's not that I can't focus to that extent, but there were several exercises and techniques in a row that were testing that mental resolve, and by the end my body just hurt.)
Even with a lot of focussed practicing, it's actually very difficult to maintain that level of discipline while we are sparring. You have to have to get to the point that you can trust your body to defend and respond to attacks while simultaneously planning your own attacks. Of course, all of this is very dynamic, because you can't predict how you are attacked or how your attacks are defended. At first, it's impossible to even think in these terms as you're just fighting for self-preservation, but slowly, this active on-the-fly strategy becomes a necessity.
There were only two adults of rank this class, so the two of us sparred. He was a purple belt, and I orange (so he was 2 ranks ahead of me). Since there were many people, Sensei Kam told us that all today's rounds would be one-point matches, so I assumed we wouldn't be fighting long. The purple belt and I sparred for about a minute (which actually feels like an eternity when you're in active "battle"), and we were totally winded and Sensei Kam stopped us and tore us apart. lol I would say that was one of the best matches I've ever had too! But I appreciate the criticism, because there are so many layers to how you can approach a fight that I learned a lot from it.
His advice is always very practical, and so he noted that both of us were trying to use a lot of very strong kicks, and even though the kicks themselves were okay, they were not practical as offensive manoevers because they tired us out completely! He told us that fighting hard for a minute was nothing and wouldn't cut it in a tournament, and made several other comments, before finishing by telling us we did well. lol
He's introduced a dedicated sparring-only class on Saturday afternoons, and I'm tempted to sign up. It's quite expensive, but training at that advanced a level really appeals to me.