Breaking Wood

The last time I went to Canada, the very nice people at Atlantic Canada Kyokushin-Kan Karate (ACKK) gave me three boards to break. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

What's Your Range??

A little personal information first: I am very new at teaching. I don't think the first lesson I taught went over as well as I wanted to. I feel like I rushed everything but I do think the sparring game I had made up for it. People said that they really liked it. (see http://www.kihonwasa.com/2011/11/class-was-taught.html)

So for my second lesson, Shihan asked me if I would teach about 5 days before the class. I know, five days is a lot of time, but being new at this, 5 days seemed very short. I racked my brain for something that would be relevant to teach. Do I go over a basic technique and help them perfect it? Like front snap kicks, or the basic jab, cross? Do i go over something a little more fancy like a spinning jumping back kick? Do we work on something I need to work on so I can get better while helping others?

Kokutsu Dachi (Back Stance)

Last night was Sensei's class in Bethel. We did things a bit different. We didn't do kihon, but went straight to a technique.

We practiced the applications of Kokutso Dachi. It is also called the back stance and even "the akward stance". Often,it is described as the oppisite of zenkutsu dachi, forward stance. Kokutsu dachi is a very good defenseive stance. Usually it is paired up with shuto uke (knife hand block).

Dageki World Karate Championship

Last January the video came in from last October's world championship fight. It was saddly misplaced. Good news though! It was found the other day. So here is my semi-final fight from Montreal, Canada. I am the cute girl with the pig tails and the yellow belt.

Fight Video - 8th Annual US Kyokushin Karate Open

Patty Pittman vs Amy Kaufman

There are things in this life you just don't want to do, but you have to. I had to watch my fights from May. I had to edit and upload the video from the 8th Annual United States Kyokushin Open, the first 'full contact' fight I had ever done, it was also the second fight I had ever been to.


The reason for the quotes around the full contact, is that we weren't supposed to wear pads. There was a woman who came down to fight semi-contact, but there wasn't anyone to fight her. The powers that be, decided they would lump all us women together. So as we lined up for the march out to the mats, the woman looked at the rest of us and bowed out of fighting. It didn't matter if we fought with those thin hand pads and shin guards, it was fighting 'full contact' fighters that had her worried. They did find her a fight, but it was left on our ticket that we were "semi contact'. Let me tell you, pads or no pads, it was full contact.

Agility Ladder D.I.Y. Under $10 Under 1 Hour

Agility Ladder D.I.Y.
While coming up with a new exercise to introduce to the kickboxing class I was going to teach, I found some agility drills that used a flat ladder. So I went looking for a ladder at my nearest mall and found two at Dick's Sporting Goods. GoFit was $49.99 and the Champion, $64.99.  I was applaulled at the price. Some canvas straps and flat plastic for $65?! Crazy.

So I headed to the nearest craft store and picked up a large piece of plastic canvas (7 Count 13-5/8"X21-5/8" - Clear) for $1.19 and 10 yards of 1 inch webbing for $8.30 ($.83/yard). All you need for equipment is a regular pair of siccors and a small pair of siccors (I used manicure siccors)