With the rise of COVID-19 restrictions almost a year ago, the Order of Isshin-Ryu (OI) continued training this past year through virtual classes. On Friday nights, Master Kline’s special class focuses on being prepared to fight – defending your family outside of the movie theater or pizza shop or wherever the need arises. The focus is strength conditioning and fighting drills that adapt our Isshin-Ryu techniques into fighting techniques.
At the end of each Friday night class, we perform push-ups and speed bag drills “for the angels”. They are for the special people we have lost or special people that we are sending good vibes to.
One such person was Master Cimorosi, who had become ill due to COVID-19. We included him in our dedication to send him healing thoughts and prayers. He made a full recovery, and when he had, he returned the sentiment by performing Kata and speed bag drills for the Friday night class.
“To everyone that attends Sensei Kline’s Jamming on Friday night workout.
I know you do several sets of 5 push-ups and 5 seconds on the bag for the angels,
and you always offer a round for me which I greatly appreciate, and it motivates me.
Today I did all 8 hand kata and in-between each kata I did 10 punches on the heavy bag for all of you.
Thank you all!”
This is what the OI family is all about – pushing each other up even when we are not in the Dojo.
There are phrases that we hear rather often in the Dojo and they remind us why it is we train. “You fight how you train” – train hard in the Dojo, so you are prepared in the street. “A Karate-ka is fierce in battle and gentle in life” – Be kind and good-hearted, but when the time comes to fight, fight hard.
This past year, we have been fighting hard to battle COVID-19 – and some more than others – but, we have been fighting it as a karate family.
⛩
