Fran's blog

I’ve started today with Tekki Shodan kata. It seems not difficult, as there’s just a movement a bit complicated. The kata seems to be quite short, and the second part is the first one “mirrored”.
I’ve found next execution more original than those more classic from sensei kanazawa, that I used to publish here, so [...]

Yesterday I passed my examination for orange belt easily at my karate dojo. My Sensei told me that “If you continue training so hard, you’ll soon remove me from my post.” He also said that I did it with real kime, that’s really good. So I’m very happy with the results.
My exam consisted in some [...]

I’ve been offline for a while.
My wife has had a bad sickness and was on the hospital for a month. Now she’s at home after a complex surgery and he’s recovering fine, although may be she must medicate herself for life.
I’ve also started to prepare myself to study Political Sciences at UNED. First, I must [...]

Yesterday I did get my yellow belt. I’ve obtained 9 of 10 on the exam. I did Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan and Heian Yondan. I had some minor problems with Nidan and Sandan, because I’m not used to do it in front of so many people.
Honestly, I’m a bit dissapointed. I was not [...]

Today I started training my fourth kata: Heian Yondan.

My movements are far to be so good like Kanazawa’s one, indeed, but I think I do not more mistakes than other guys with a superior grade. I think the fact is that my subconscious has not forget all the work I did for my blue [...]

Andy Hug, one of the bests kyokushin karate fighters.

I just started to learn Heian Sandan today. Next embedded video is from Hirokazu Kanazawa, that as far as I know is the unique 10th dan alive currently. You can see all his katas through youtube, and may be you can download them through a p2p network also if the laws of your country are [...]

My obi -karate belt- has shrink about 30 cms. after I washed it. I’ve used the same temperature told by the manufacturer (Decathlon), but its unusable now. My sensei told me that I shouldn’t wash the obi, not just because it may shrink, but because “spiritual things”. Well, I’m a pure rationalist, so I do [...]

Since on Friday my sensei was satisfied with my execution of Heian Shodan, this week I’ll start learning Heian Nidan (Peaceful Mind II). Hope in this case the aphorism “never second parts was good” will be wrong.
I’ve found this nice and very complete video, in which the Heian Nidan kata is explained step [...]

Yesterday I began working on my first kata: Heian Shodan. When I practiced Jiu-Jitsu fifteen years ago, I used to learnt katas just for the belt’s exams, and I used to think that they were useless. I think I was too young and restless to understand the true value of the kata. Today I’m rediscovering [...]