Godan Quest

GQ013 – Focus on Mastery

Yesterday, I did the workout that I had planned. I used the form of Sanchin-Ichi to focus on butt-tightening and thumb position while I very gradually increased execution speed using a metronome. I started out at 40 BPM and progressed up to 100 BPM. And I struggled at 100. It actually turned out to be a very good exercise because…

I was able to focus on some internal factors (butt-tightening and thumb position) but also had to direct my attention outside in order to follow the metronome.

So, Yes I made progress. I did all my stuff. And the metronome work with Sanchin-Ichi paid off. I feel much more comfortable with the form in just a short while.

Don’t know if I’ll retain it – if I’ll feel just as comfortable starting off today. But…

I liked it the workout so well that I refined it and expanded on it and I am going to work on it for the next month.

I will focus on each of the 10 forms for three days. During each of those three day periods, I will move from slow and conscious to fast and automatic. In addition, as a “background task” always focus on butt-tightening and thumb position throughout the forms portion of each workout.

Day 1:

First third of the workout: practice the form painstakingly slow.  Movement so slow that I will be aware of what every part of my body is doing. In this way I can position each part of my body exactly where I want it and move it exactly how I want to. The intent is to do the form totally consciously – total awareness of each position, each movement, each technique.

Second third: Practice the form at 40 BPM – the slowest setting on my metronome. Still slow enough so to be frustrating – yet fast enough to begin to observe the flow of the form. Also establishes the starting point for tomorrow’s workout.

Third third: Kata Practice – just reps of a kata. Focus is not real cerebral. Just choreography and fluidity of movement. I’m really working only on “the feel” of the kata – not the strategies and usage aspects – just yet. I will rotate through my all my katas focusing on a different one each day.

Day 2:

First two-thirds of the workout: Start at 40 BPM on the metronome and work my way up to “whatever”. Focus on whatever comes up – whatever I encounter with that particular form.

Third third: Focus on another kata.

(This is the same workout I did yesterday.)

Day 3:

First third: Start at 80 BPM and focus on quickly working back up to the speed I ended at yesterday.

Second third: Crank the metronome speed up 20%?? faster than my fastest speed (a speed where I’m overwhelmed but can still very sloppily keep up with the beat). Do this for a while – then return to my former fastest speed.

Third third: Kata reps again – with a new kata.

So there it is. I have my next month planned out. The exact numbers may vary – e.g. “40″ BPM or “20%” faster… I’ll find the right values as I do the workouts. And different forms will have different “natural speeds” so, I suspect I will have to adjust values each time.

Enough for today.

¤

Till next time – I seek peace,

Sensei Bob Matthews

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• GQ042 – Speedy Kakato-Hiza
• GQ041 – Another Transgression
• GQ040 – Oopsie!
• GQ039 – Slo-mo Kakato-Hiza
• GQ038 – I’ve Got Class!!!
• GQ033 – Seiu Speed Build
• GQ031 – GodanQuest is One-Month Old
• GQ029 – Kickin’ with the Oldies – Reprise