From: Deshi-SRKUSA@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Deshi-SRKUSA@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of BIGFIGHTS@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:02 PM
To: DESHI-SRKUSA@YAHOOGROUPS.COM
Cc: Midtown-SRKUSA@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [USRKUSA - Deshi] Hanshi Conducts Class at Ueshiro Midtown Karate Temporary Location

Hanshi Scaglione conducted tonight’s class at the Ueshiro Midtown Karate temporary dojo location in the basement of St. Bart’s Church at 109 East 50th Street.

The following students were in attendance:

Kyoshi Baker
Sensei Lott
Sensei Garcia
Rob Neff
Michael Kleigman
Daniel Lax
John Lee
John Adams
Hend Elsayed
Shabbir Kazmi
Jonathan Cohen
Marc Goldstein
John Draghi
Ron Ballin
Nader Abdelrahman

And a special arigato to two deshi making trips in from out of town: Sensei Elliot Potter and Emiliano Mazlen.

Some of the important things Hanshi worked on were:
1. Stepping first before executing the technique
2. Keeping the proper fist (wrist) alignment with the two first knuckles absorbing the force as in pushup position. Important to remember that this fist alignment remains the same  whether punching, chest block, down block and head block
3. Locking in the technique. At the end of every technique there should be no “readjustment” or extraneous “movement” of the body. During the simple exercise of squat punching the fist sometime lands in one spot and then moves slightly to a different spot. Do not do this. Learn to punch directly to the correct spot with adjusting. The same applies to body movement. For example when executing low block, lock in the move. Then relax. But relaxing does not mean adjusting the shoulders, head, arms or feet.
4. Do not hold the chamber. This is a question of timing. For example, when executing the chest block the arms cross but they do not stop in the chambered position. They are constantly moving. The same is true for the chambers for every technique: low block, head block, and also for open handed block. To fix this Hanshi mentioned just keeping the arms still at first - move the feet to position  - and then execute the technique. This is all timing.

5. Take the shortest route in executing the technique. Punch in a straight line. Some punches leave the chamber and travel downward first and then upward to the target - do not do this. Same is true for blocking. Once a block is chambered - block in straight line. 

Arigato Hanshi.

Steve Lott

Director, Ueshiro Midtown Karate Dojo