KarateAntti - ครู อันต์ติ

My day job keeps me busy, so I don't have much time to practice or play with FB, but a discussion the other day in one group motivated me to try if I still can do the flying side kick (tobi sokuto geri). Here is the result, sorry for the low light video. My karate training nowadays is mostly focused on exercise for health and wellbeing, and it was fun to do this. I did not get much height in the jump, but considering I am 52 I think it's still ok. I need to do more plyometric exercises, though.

I have been busy with work, so have not been posting much. Here is an old grainy clip from about 15 years ago. We are practicing a combo which I remember from a sequence in Gensei-Ryu's Chi-I-No Kata. The same combo can also be found in Chinto (the Itosu lineage version). Coincidentally, I first saw this combo done by Penchak Silat practitioners, and only after that realized that it fit perfectly the two katas mentioned above.

The fitness center nearby has Muay Thai once per week at a reasonable price, so have been visiting it a couple of times. Feels good to do some padwork. Great exercise, gets the blood properly flowing.

Playing around with the Bo (long staff). My humble Bo has some weight to it, so it's not the fastest in the world, but it means heavier blows and a nice little workout when playing with it. I learned this kind of stick work from Hanshi Patrick McCarthy some 25 years ago when he was holding a seminar in Finland. Many people do it better than me, but it's still fun do some exercise with it.

Doing some quick & relaxed breathing exercises before a private qigong session with a special student (my mom via a video call). One interesting thing about Gensei-ryu, the style where I did my belts, is that it has many same katas as in Goju-ryu, but they differ a bit from the versions seen in Goju-ryu, Uechi-ryu and Sh*to-ryu. This opens an interesting alternative view to conduct comparative analysis on the possible applications of Seiunchin, Seipai, Kururunfa and Suparunpei. I have had several "mind blown" moments as results of comparative analysis between the Gensei and Goju versions. Here I am doing three different versions of mawashi-uke, plus one version of morote torite uke (kake uke in Goju-ryu). All these exist in the old Gensei-ryu katas.
*toryu

What do Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have in common? They all lift weights and they are in great shape even though they are not young anymore. Chuck Norris has always been an advocate of cross training, and any self-respecting Karateka should feel at home in the gym doing weight training. Of course, need to do it in a safe way especially when we get older. But never stop! By the way, the gentleman lifting dumbells in the background is in his seventies. Way to go! 👍💪

is the only kata I do as mainly an "energy cultivation" exercise. It does have interesting grappling range applications, like Hanshi Patrick McCarthy has demonstrated with Rokkishu Futari-Geiko, but I like the /Kiko aspect of Tensho. Nothing mystical about it, just relaxed exercises for using body in an effective way when doing one-handed thrusts, circular motions, and double handed thrusts, plus exercises for wrist mobility and healthy breathing. It promotes blood and lymphatic fluid circulation, and stimulates the nervous system. And it's low impact training, meaning it's perfect when we are not so young anymore, or when exercising in a hangover on a Saturday morning 😇