Single Track Training for Kihon in Shotokan Karate

So far, it's been a great season for outdoor training in Shotokan-style karate.

Currently I have five outdoor locations where I practice my flavor of Shotokan karate. My current favorite though is the canal park about a mile down the road from where I live. I walk and run the single track trails; I also use them for warming up with dynamic stretches and movements, as well as fundamental kihon practice. It's great training, in my opinion, dealing with the nuances of the trail's terrain: grass covered, hard pack dirt, light gravel, mud, leaves and rocks - it's all part of the mix. Strong attacks into forward stances must be tempered by allowing immediate shifting and sliding while maintaining balance and forceful movement.

Much is learned when practicing with a variety of surfaces and terrain: better shorten your stances if the ground is slippery from mud, rain or gravel. Learn which stances are best when facing up or down hill, when the ground is deeply deformed or when you are moving from one surface type to another. Learn how to use the terrain to your advantage: position yourself on the high ground, on the sure-footed surfaces, with the sun at your back, with an escape route available.

Another spot I've recently discovered is along the gravel trail between the Betzwood picnic area of Valley Forge National Park and Pawlings Road. This spot a flat dirt packed piece of ground under an ancient deceased tree. Today I worked Tekki's Shodan, Nidan and Sandan keeping in mind the surrounding plants, branches, rocks and other obstacles on the ground. It's a great spot - kind of like a magical "dojo in the woods". A 20x20 foot piece of real estate made for karate training: level with a forgiving surface.

Possibly the best part of the canal park is the small glade of mature hardwood trees spread about a quarter of an acre: perfect for kata training - shaded level ground. On another note, I've decided to dedicate the rest of July to Bassai Sho and Hangetsu, with other kata interspersed of course. Grass is such a great surface for exercise: it's typically a bit forgiving if the ground isn't too hard packed. It offers just enough slipperiness in the right circumstances to make it challenging and also challenges based on it's height and thickness.

So I encourage you to get out and train your martial art outdoors. It's healthy and fun!

Well, that's all for now.