Karate teacher, Sensei Jonas Mayo with Katrina                 Karate class doing the fifth kata

Katrina on a 2 minute break. Other                 The class practices a variety of exercises to
class members continue warming up.                  warm  up.
 
 

  Katrina has been in karate for one and one half years.  In these photos, she is a purple belt at Mayo Academy of the Martial Arts.  Katrina takes lessons 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).  Katrina doesn't just do karate.  She practices escrima, a martial art from the Philippines.  She decided to show photos of a typical karate lesson which begins with warmups, basic exercises to warm the muscles and get the body ready for a workout.   This is followed by a 2 minute break so students can have a drink of water.  Then the real stuff begins.  In the next block of time the class reviews basic punches, kicks, and blocks.  Then the class starts kata.

   Kata are forms that are really emphasized in karate.  In Katrina's karate school, there is a kata to learn for every belt earned. Katrina knows more katas than she is supposed to, but that's good!  That means that at her next belt, she already knows the upcoming kata.

   Occasionally the class has a practice in escrima.  Escrima is stick fighting.  In theory, escrima fighters can break bones with a single blow of the stick!  Katrina can't do that yet, but she can do a lot.  She can fight with sticks already and knos how to beat an opponent.  She has some tips from a "veteran" fighter, and they are:

•    If your opponent strikes high, strike low.
•    If your opponent strikes low, strike high.
•    If all else fails, jump and strike your opponent in the head (really!).

    There's more.  Sometimes, there is karate fighting.  Katrina doesn't really like this beecause she has to get in hot, heavy gear and fight in it.  She especially hates fighting in summer.

    Other times there are fun drills.  One that Katrina likes most is a leg exercise.  It's a relay race.  Two teams are made, and the first person on the line hops around 2 cones (bunny style only) and then passes the object to the next person.  Each person does the same until one team completes the whole line.  The team to finish first wins.

   For some reason, Katrina's team always wins -- so far.  Really!