Another Week, another bruise...oh and another bruise!

Harai-Goshi, Sweeping Hip Throw

So we've been working on this throw on Sundays for awhile. When I first started jujitsu I remember Sensei Coleman throwing me in this,m and remember feeling it being quite devastating...more on this later. Once I jumped over to Judo, the Harai was a constant throw they were setting up, when I asked why the explanation was that it was a quick switch from to or from Osoto-Gari. I like it personally because it makes me feel my whole body working with uke to pummel them into the ground!

So check out this video:
http://www.princetonjudo.org/princetonjudo/gokyu/Harai-goshi.html

So it breaks down like this
1. Connect with Uke, either clinch around the neck or grab the sleeves "Judo Style"
2. Pull uke into you while cross stepping in.
look at the video and see how tori places his foot between uke's legs
3. Pull opposite back and sweep with the foot that cross stepped
4. Turn your body towards where you want to drop uke

What starts to happen is that uke rolls off of the hip. This happens because the cross stepped foot has been placed behind uke's center of gravity, so as the leg rises the hip moves uke away from balance to the inevitable fall.

Another thing I noticed from this is that tori is always connected to uke.
A lot of times I can see tori twist before they get to me.

No-Gi Harai
One of the reasons Sensei Coleman has been showing us the over the collar grip, is so we can throw without a gi. Karo Parisyan has been talking about this for a long time in regards to judo and MMA. Here's a podcast on it :
http://www.thejudopodcast.com/audio/ep19.mp3
Here's a youtube video on it as well :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH89qHE68as
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r--Y9sMVhbY

Sukui-Nage, Scooping Throw

http://www.princetonjudo.org/princetonjudo/gokyu/Sukui-nage.html

Normally we do this from a back grab, but you can also counter a ippon this way...I've been meaning to do it when we do throw for throw...but everyone attacks the same way...frankenstein-style.

Karate
I like hitting people. I am getting better about people hitting me, but at least now when I spar I can think about what is happening, not just about how I don't want to be hurt.

Though my badly bruised foot and shins are definitely telling me what I am doing right, and wrong.

Hikite
This is the pulling back hand. As you strike one hand pulls back, creating the torque necessary as your body twists, throwing the punch.

Kicks
I still can't comment. My kicks suck, my legs do not like to kick, because my legs are not use to kicking. This is definitely different than "I'm not good at kicking", it's just that "I'm not good at kicking yet" but don't expect me to do any 540 spin kicks in the near...or even distant future.

Punches
I also call this, pow pow time! I like punching. I don't mind being punched either. Though recently I can tell you a few things, if you don't hit with the first two knuckles you will begin feeling pain on the ridge part of your hand, also you will hear the pad *smack* as opposed to just sink. I believe the smacking is from hitting with the flat part of the hand as opposed to the knuckles. I adjusted accordingly as though I do not get the dramamtic *smack* I do notice that while sparring people will stay away from me.

Sparring
Sparring in Karate is very different then in Jujitsu. Sparring with Sensei Coleman and Stephen was always frustrating because they never seemed to work, they just moved around me, let me try something then came in and f**ked me up. I can feel myself grow quickly after sparring a lot more. What's even better is knowing how to throw. In my sparring matches I have found myself setting up throws, then ... whoa whoa whoa ... this isn't Jujitsu! But it does remind me of what I said above...throws are devastating. Taking someone off balance and dumping them on their head is bad news! We train to be able to take the throw, but when someone doesn't...just remember the first time someone threw you in Osoto-Gari...bam!