I was recently "poked" into some thinking with regard to Full Contact kumite which is part of my karate. The Goju I learned on Okinawa and Kyokushin both had hard contact. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of Dojos, that may not fit the category of Full Contact style, but never the less kumite is hard contact. Perhaps it's the image of Full Contact that has those Dojos not take on the label of being a Full Contact style Dojo. (^^). Well that is not the topic I want to write about. Sorry for the diversion.
I am getting "old". 62 years old in couple of months. I love my style of Karate and the contact in kumite. I believe it keeps me honest about my mental and physical self. However, since returning to Hawaii (five years have now passed) , I have not done any hard kumite. Mainly because I have no one to kumite with. A lot of Pokemons, yes, and I love them dearly but they are not kumite partner material naturally. If Da Boss trained 6 days a week then I would have some kumite time. But, alas, she cannot, due to her work and more than likely, she would hurt herself in kumite. Don't get me wrong, she has taken her lumps along the way. Concussion, fractures, major bruising. I guarantee she is one tough lady mentally and physically. But I think the days of hard kumite is pau (finished in Hawaiian) for her and perhaps for me. We can continue to do kata and yakusoku kumite (a big difference from jiyu hard contact kumite)
Never the less. I still have the itch to do some serious hard contact kumite. Alas, I have been out of any serious kumite for the past 5 years. This year when in Japan, I did some kumite with Shihandai.......it was shocking to experience what 5 years absence can do. Gahahahahaha. It took a while for my engine to warm up and start but more like an clogged up engine such spewing smoke and no power. I miss the kumite, but I also question myself if it necessary at this time in my life. All my instructors were young (under 50's) and in their prime and got on the mat. Then again at one Dojo, the head was in his 60's, he would observe the training, make comments and explain but in a controlled setting, but I never saw him doing jiyu Gahahahahaha nor do I expect him to (now that I think I have gotten a little wiser).
I believe that there is a major difference in yakusoku and jiyu kumite. Yakusoku is prearranged so you know what course an attack is coming so ou have ample time to react. I jiyu kumite, there are no forewarning. It is often said you build up your skills with yakusoku and then apply them to jiyu kumite. Then there is no contact jiyu kumite and hard contact jiyu kumite, head shots and no head shots. Skills get rusty when not continuously practiced. Kata is a fine tool for training, but it cannot replace the hard contact. Some days it gets frustrating not to be able to enjoy full contact kumite.
At least I know there is no real "end" to my shugyo. So perhaps it is best to accept my current situation and just keep going and see where my shugyo takes me.
Thanks for putting up with my rambling of a geezer dreaming of remaining young!
OSU!
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