Benefits:
- Leg mobility.
- Works out your quadriceps and gluteus.
- Stretches your quadriceps.
- Practices Core stability.
- Very good leg exercise for Karate stances.
Key pointers:
1. There are two ways to squat:
(i) One is flat on your feet (Asian squat).
(ii) The other is on your ball foot (Westeen Squat).
As you step back:
- Stretch your feet directly behind you. Not to the sides.
- Keep your knees pointed down. Not to the sides.
- Keep your torso upright (don't lean your body forward).
- Avoid touching the ground with your hands.
Repetitions:
Every change of a leg is counted as a single step, just like how you count the steps of a normal walk.
The recommended number of steps per set is twenty (20).
Benefits:
- Leg mobility.
- Works out your quadriceps, gluteus and hip muscles.
- Practice Core stability.
- Stretch your hamstrings and calf muscles.
- Practices your balance.
- When done properly, trains to reduce telegraphy when lunging forward in an attack as well as when kicking.
Key pointers:
1. Forward-lunge
- Reach forward as long as you can.
- Avoid hopping or falling forward. Drop down while reaching forward.
- Bend at the knees on both legs.
- Keep the heel of the rear-leg off the ground.
- Ensure your torso is upright (don't lean your body forward).
- Avoid supporting yourself with hands on the knee or thigh of the lead-leg
- Drop yourself as low without your knees touching the ground.
2. Swing-leg
- Raise yourself up, not forward.
- Drop your leg to a closed feet standing position. Not directly to another lunge. This is a common mistake.
- Keep your knees unbent all the way from the start until the end of the swing.
- Avoid hunching your back.
- Keep the heel of your supporting leg always flat on the ground.
3. Walk
- Ensure the next leg to lunge forward is the leg that just did the swing.
- For karate specific training: lunge with speed, swing up with speed, and swing down with speed, and move with minimal telegraphy.
- Reduce telegraphy: Avoid extra swinging or jerking motion of the arms, shoulders or head.
- Instead of leaping or pushing yourself forward and stamping down, allow your lunging leg to pull your body forward and slide down.
Repetitions:
Each cycle of this on a single side is counted as a single step. So, a lunge with a left leg then a swing with the right is one step. This is followed by a lunge with the right leg and and swing with the left leg as the next step.
The recommended number of steps per set is twenty (20).
Partnered training to reduce telegraphy for Kizami Tsuki.
The attacker attacks with Kizami tsuki, the defender blocks with the gyakute (reverse hand).
This training progresses to increase distance between partners. Eventually the defender progresses his blocks into counter gyaku-tsuki.
Key points:
1. Avoid leaning forward before attack
2. Avoid shoulder movement before attack
3. Avoid drop of hand before attack
4. Avoid regular timing
5. Avoid obvious breathing patterns before attack
6. Avoid thinking of when to attacking, instead just attack. Your thoughts will translate as body language allowing your opponent to read.
