Insuring his students see the whole picture

Insuring his students see the whole picture
GMKS visits branch schools in 2012 by Mr. Amos


During the spring and summer months of 2012, GMKS has been busy, visiting several branch schools where he helps students and instructors to perfect their skills and techniques through watching, analyzing and correcting based on principles of CYR. Most importantly correcting instructors principals so as for them to pass them on correctly to their students.

At times it may be hard for all of us, as long term students, to step back and see our own blindness at times because we are too close and too assured we do see the whole picture. This reminds me of an old story about six blind men from India who were walking one day and came across an elephant on their journey. Each man stepped up to touch the elephant to understand what it must look like. And each man touched a different part of the elephant. The side felt like a wall, the tusk like a spear, the tail like a rope, the leg felt like the trunk of a tree, the ear felt like a fan and the squirming trunk felt like a snake. Each man argued with the others about who was right and who was wrong. At some point they all heard a voice from up high. The man spoke from atop the elephant, as he was the elephants master and was riding atop the elephant. He explained that while each of them had discovered a part of the picture, all of them had misinterpreted the whole picture.
Some recent observations that GMKS observed and has corrected he wanted to pass on to all of his students.

Instructors counting too fast in Horse-riding stance punching.
GMKS has observed at several schools that instructors were counting too fast so students were unable to inhale after each punch to build their core Ki. Counting too fast doesn’t give students enough time to breathe correctly before executing the next punch and results in improper core Ki training which results in improper breathing, a key CYR principle.

Not using your Ki correctly.
When punching you should be pushing your energy from your core diaphragm outwards as you time your breathing tightening your diaphragm muscles and the punch all at the same time. GMKS had noticed that some were sucking in their Ki diaphragm when it should be the opposite and your diaphragm actually moves outward when you punch. When you inhale your diaphragm fills with air and the top goes outward. When you punch your lower diaphragm tightens and your diaphragm goes outward.

Correct pivoting of the supporting foot when executing a front kick.
GMKS observed incorrect pivoting where some were kicking then pivoting when the correct principle is the kick and the pivoting of the support foot occur at the same time. This technique was developed to take torquing pressure off the supporting knee and lower back. Without pivoting your foot at the same time you kick, too much stress is put on the supportive knee and lower back ligaments ultimately causing injury to the joints.