Purple Belt I (5th kyu)

Purple Belt I (5th kyu)

Purple belt is sometimes referred to as the belt of bruises. You will start to explore a hard-style of karate through the practice of kihon ippon kumite. The conditioning of your body through the purple belts is an important part of your karate journey. You should be focusing on distance (maai) and understanding when you are in or out of striking range from your opponent. The training syllabus for 5th kyu is as follows:  

Basics (Kihon)

Zenkutsu Dachi, Gedan Barai (front stance, low sweeping block)

• Sanbon tsuki [jodan, chudan, chudan] (punch to chin, reverse punch to solar plexus, punch to the chin) [Forward and backward].
• Gyaku tsuki sanbon [chudan, jodan, chudan] (reverse punch to solar plexus, punch to chin, reverse punch to solar plexus) [Forward and backward].
• Jodan age uke, gyaku tsuki (upwards, face-level block followed by reverse punch to solar plexus).
• Chudan soto uke [zenkutsu dachi], enpi uchi [kiba dachi], uraken [kiba dachi] (outside block at midsection-level, change in horse riding stance an execute thrusting elbow attack to midsection followed by back fist to chin).
• Chudan uchi uke, kizami tsuki, gyaku tsuki (inside block at midsection-level followed by a front fist jab to chin and reverse punch to solar plexus).
• Chudan shuto uke [kokutsu dachi], nukite [zenkutsu dachi] (knife hand block in back stance, followed by open handed jab to solar plexus in front stance).

Note: All should be done stepping forward and backward where appropriate.

Zenkutsu Dachi, Kamae (front stance, hands to the side

• Mae ren geri [chudan, jodan] (front snap kick - first to the solar plexus, second to the chin).
• Mawashi geri (front roundhouse kick, knee to the side).

Kiba Dachi (horse riding stance)

• Yoko geri keage (side snap kick to the chin using dorsel/instep of foot).
• Yoko geri kekomi (side thrust kick to the midsection using outside blade of foot).

Kata

• Heian Godan (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video).
• Must be able to demonstrate Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan and Heian Yondan.

Fighting techniques (Kumite)

• Kihon Ippon Kumite [left and right].
  
  • Jodan defences 1 to 4 (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video);
  • Chudan defences 1 to 4 (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video);
  • Mae geri defences 1 to 4 (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video);
  • Yoko kekomi geri defences 1 and 2 (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video);
  • Mawashi geri defences 1 and 2 (See Sensei Seamus O'Dowd's YouTube Video).

The minimum training time before your attempting a grading to 4th kyu is 3 months with a minimum of 36 hours of class time.