Midtown Karate Dojo, NYC
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Do not blink when blocking or striking.
A common error made by beginners is blinking during a block or a strike.
Instructors, it is important to recognize this early in the students
training so that it does not become a habit.
There are many instances where Hanshi will point this out during a class.
And he usually follows this comment with another, "don't look at
the floor."
Hanshi will sometimes use the analogy of a baseball player. For this
particular technique of the week I will use the analogy of a handball
player. Look at this photo:
The players are Jim Jacobs (on the left ) and Paul Haber (on the right).
Since many people are not familiar with handball these two players on
the court at the same time would be the equivalent of basketball's Michael
Jordan playing against Bill Russell, in their primes. Giants of the
sport.
Jacobs is about to hit the ball. Look at those eyes. Now in karate,
it is not customary to keep them that wide. But you get the idea. Jacobs
is not going to blink, at any cost. And he is definitely not going to
look at the floor if he expects to make good contact with the ball.
The lesson - keep your eyes open during a block or strike. Once the
technique is completed then it is OK to blink. For instructors, please
watch for this error among the students in the very next class.
Arigato,
Steve Lott
