Last week, my husband traveled to the east coast without me to visit friends and family. Although I would have loved to go (I haven't seen my friends and family in over a years), I chose to do the responsible thing and stay behind since we are strapped for cash. Because my husband was away, this allowed me more liberty to train as well. Unfortunately, because I was down and out thanks to migraines and allergies, I wasn't able to quite have the training extravaganza that I was hoping for, but I did get to go to one additional class. My usual training schedule consists of the following:
Tuesday: 5:30-6:30: Aikido Basics, 6:30-7:30: Tai Chi
Wednesday: 5:30-6:30: Weapons Basics, 6:30-7:30: Aikido, 7:30-8:30: Iaido
Thursday: 5:30-6:30 Aikido Basics, 6:30-7:30: Weapons
Saturday: 8:30-9:30: Iaido, 10:15-11:45: Aikido
This week, I was able to attend class on Monday, which was from 6-7:30. As you may know, Monday was O-Sensei's Death Day. So, this made my extra day of training even more special for me. Once we arrived at the dojo and were on the mat, sensei, Marc, Ben and I were talking about various things. Sensei was telling us about his knee injections and that he was supposed to stay off the mat for three weeks, but mentioned that wouldn't happen. He said he wanted to get them done now so he would be ready for theatre (he is currently teaching the actors iaido for ‘Throne of Blood'). I'm not sure how we got on the topic, but at one point I told sensei that last week when I was sick and couldn't come to class I texted Marc "Tell sensei I'm frustrated with aikido and am never coming back." and then went on to explain that Marc didn't come to class either, thus my brilliant (though sarcastic) message was never delivered. Sensei looked at me and said "I am glad I didn't get that message."
Before he began class, sensei explained that this class would involve little to no talking- other then calling out a technique or something similar and mentioned that Abe would be joining us shortly. As sensei lead warm-ups, I heard the all too familiar crunching gravel that prematurely announces everyone's arrival. In comes Abe. He usually takes quite a bit of time taping his wrist, but today he got right on the mat; surprising. Sensei then told us to do whatever we needed to stretch ourselves out. Once we were done stretching, sensei had us go through variations of tai no henko to warm up. He then went and sat on the shomen and called out various techniques to do. Every so often, he would come around and demonstrate a finer point of a technique that I was missing.
Some of the techniques we worked on were: suwariwaza shomenuchi: ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo, yonkyo, gokyo, iriminage, kotegaeshi and kokyuho. I had a few problems with some of these techniques, but that is expected considering that I haven't done some of these very often from suwariwaza (or at all for that matter). My nikyo and sankyo are slowly, but surely getting better. For some reason, I had a problem with omote. For some reason, I just could NOT get my stinkin' thumb to smoothly go around Ben's wrist to go from the ikkyo to the nikyo position. I don't normally have a problem with this, so I am not too worried about it. I worked with Marc for yonkyo and gokyo. He was quite patient (as always) and helped me. He also reminded me to keep my elbows down/in. Not sure if I will ever get around to fixing that problem. I have always had a problem with yonkyo. It takes me forever to find the correct spot and then I just can't seem to get it right. Sensei told me that I need to project through my uke's elbow. I think out of like ten tries I got it right maybe two… three tops. Not so great of a percentage there. For gokyo, I kept grabbing the wrist like ikkyo, when you are supposed to grab it palm up instead of palm down. I figure with enough time and practice, I will get it down….. maybe….. maybe not…. Haha. Iriminage, kokyuho and kotegaeshi went so-so. I worked with Ben on these. He was patient and dealt with my ignorance rather well. :O)
After all of us were getting pretty tired and were sweaty, sensei had us stand up and grab bokken. We did some simple warm ups with those and then partnered off. This part of the class went by rather quickly and I am afraid I don't recall exactly what we did. When sensei clapped for us to line up, I was pleasantly surprised that our hour and a half was up already. Time flies when your having fun I suppose. Once we finished bowing out, sensei informed us that more classes would be like today. He stated that he wanted us to do more suwariwaza and that each class would be dedicated to suwariwaza from now on.
I went home feeling a bit tired, but happy that I went. Tuesday was an interesting class. Sebastian showed up. Sebastian doesn't really train on a regular basis, so it's nice when he makes an appearance. He is a 5th kyu like me, but has been at this rank longer, so I treat him as my sempai. As he went to mark his hours down he commented that "It looks like you are the only one training." Sensei and I both responded that it has been mainly Abe and I who are always showing up. Eventually Simon (the new guy) and Abe showed up. It is always nice having even numbers. It allows the instructor to walk around and make observations and corrections.
Before class started, two women came into the dojo and stated that they wanted to watch a class. They mentioned that they had spoke to someone on the phone. Sensei walked out from the little room on the shomen and mentioned it was him they spoke to. He then welcomed them in and told them where they could sit. As he was about to leave, he whispered to Marc "Don't scare them." (Marc was teaching for sensei) HAHA! Today's class was pretty laid back. We worked on ai hanmi ikkyo and iriminage most of the class. We also did jujinage as well. Throughout the class, Marc would come over and tell me what I was doing wrong and I would do my best to correct the problem. I worked with Simon for iriminage. He didn't do too bad! He is actually doing well for the short amount of time he has been in class.
Yesterday, I gave Marc a ride to class (like always) and wondered who would show up today. Marc said that he thought Ben would be the only other one to show since Abe said he had a birthday to go to. Sure enough, when we go downstairs to the changing room, Ben is the only other person there. Sensei shows up and asks Marc to lead the second hour of aikido since his leg is so swollen. Marc agreed and told him that he would take Thursday's classes as well so sensei could stay off his feet. Once class started, Marc had us do some work with the jo. It started off with jo basics. The jo has really started to grow on me as of late, so I am actually going to be sad when this month comes to an end and we make the switch to the bokken.
Pretty soon, Marc has us adding more and more responses (mostly kesa responses from kesa, but some other things as well). When the hour was almost over and the second hour was about to begin, Marc told us that if no one else shows up, we would just continue to work with the jo. I told him I was completely fine with that. The second hour went by quickly as well and soon Marc had us lining up to bow out. I then reid to Ben and thanked him for his patience. After class, Marc and I were chatting waiting for Jane to come up for iaido. He told me that I had been working on Sansho 2 in the previous class. Sweet! Now I know a bit of Sansho 1 (part 1 and part of part 2) and a bit of Sansho 2 (part 1 I am guessing).
For iaido, I was dragging a bit. I was low on energy, but I wanted to stay anyway. Luckily, we did standing forms today because for some reason my hamstrings are super tight. I can barely lift them half way to hip height and they are aching. I have no idea what I did to them…. but I did something! We started off with 100 shomen cuts to warm up. This didn't go so well for me. When you have a runny nose, it is kind of hard to breathe correctly, especially with you sniffling all the time. The sniffling led to me coating my throat with yuckiness, which then led to me coughing. Uck….. I am sad to say it, but this class did not go by quick enough for me. This isn't to say it wasn't a good class and that I didn't put forth and effort (because both of those statements would be incorrect), but I was glad to see it end.
After class, I drove Marc home and then went home to my hubby (who just got back today from the east coast). Unfortunately, my husband did not have good news for me. He informed me that one of our friends had passed away a couple hours ago from a heart attack. I am still in shock. I held myself together in front of my husband, but I did cry over by the microwave as I made myself some oatmeal for dinner. I was now officially physically and emotionally drained and I crashed out on the couch until it was almost time for bed. We decided to go to bed early and once again, as I was taking a shower the sad reality of losing a friend hit me once more. I just sat under the warm water and let it wash away my tears. This is the third year in a row that I have lost someone close. I can't help but be forced to recognize how fragile human life is. Enjoy the moments you have, because they could be taken away all too soon……
Things to work on/ remember:
1.) Ikkyo: don't push uke away, make sure you cut back to your center
2.) Nikyo: open up your hand on their wrist and lead around their wrist with your thumb
3.) Yonkyo: when you cut, lead with uke's elbow
4.) Gokyo: don't grab like ikkyo, grab their wrist palm UP towards ceiling
5.) Iriminage: don't just take uke forward, take them forward, down, then up and in towards you to take their balance
Paines/ bruises:
1.) Yonkyo bruises
2.) Tight hamstrings (probably from being taken down/ forward for iriminage (basically doing a split in the air)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sick and tired........
I am the type of person who trains at the dojo four days a week religiously. You can pretty much bet that on any given Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday, that I will be there on the mat. Well, this all came to a tumble last week. I almost missed class Wednesday because someone had the audacity to go off and stab a few people and I had to respond to the call out to process the scene. I barely made it home in time and trio of us that went were running a little late when we got to the dojo. Thursday, I had to respond to another call out (really part of the same stabbing for a vehicle process). While processing the truck, I couldn't help but realize that my throat was hurting and my nose kept running. I didn't think much of it. Thursday night I go to class and all the while during class, I can feel my congestion getting worse and the post nasal drip is making me cough more. I go home and go to bed. Wake up Friday and decide to stay home from work. Lounged around, sneezing and blowing my nose like crazy and feeling just plain exhausted.
Saturday morning, my alarm goes off at 7 a.m. and I realize that I can't go to class in my condition. I call the guy I give a ride and let him know that I won't be able to go today. I I go back to sleep and awaken three hours later. I go downstairs and sulk on the couch wishing I were in class. How am I supposed to get my aikido fix when I am stuck at home miserable!?! There is only one solution (and it is a decent one). I pop in a dvd that I am borrowing that has Chiba sensei demonstrating 5th and 4th kyu testing requirements and some other random things on there. For the most part, I found watching it helpful, but there were a few techniques that just amplified my confusion. I feel as if I saw 18 variations for nikyo for 4th kyu. As far as I know, there are only a few required for my examination. Then again, the posted requirements are not all inclusive. We have two lists and they don't match. Supposedly the two lists were combined into one, yet things are still left off this list. Not to mention, sensei has said that he likes to ask for tsuki kotegaeshi and a few other things that aren't on either of these lists. Basically, it is open to interpretation I suppose.
Well, at least I got some aikido into my day…. even if I wasn't practicing myself. Sunday pretty much went by the same. I went to work Monday feeling a bit better. Went in Tuesday feeling well enough to work, but exhausted. Part of the reason may be that I ran out of my thyroid medication. Stupid insurance plan switch and had to get a new scrip. Gah. Within a couple hours at work, I was feeling miserable. I decided that I would stick it out till noon. On my way home from work, I took a detour to get my new meds. By the time I got home, I had a full blown migraine. I go inside and try to be as quiet as possible (we put our shih tzu away in a room) in hopes that she won't realize I am home. I go upstairs and take my migraine med, which I usually refuse unless absolutely necessary and climb into bed. I put my head under the covers to block out the light and to help keep myself warm. To my surprise, Meili (the previously mentioned shih tzu) is still quiet. I close my eyes and hope the medicine kicks in soon before my head explodes.
To my utter horror, Meili begins barking. I lay in bed, hoping she will stop after thinking I am gone. After a few minutes of barking, I can't take anymore. Each bark is a sonic boom crashing into my skull. I drag myself out of bed and go to her. I lean down over the gate, pet her, give her smoochies and tell her to be good. This is usually our "good bye" routine. I am hoping that this will trick her into thinking I am leaving and be quiet. I go back into the bedroom and slide into bed. Within a few minutes she is barking again. I put my head under the covers again to wait out the pain. Luckily, after a minute she stops barking and I hear her lay down. Thank you! I close my eyes and eventually drift off to sleep (the meds have a sedative in them). I wake up around 1:30 to a rapid succession of about four "Droid" sounds (my phone's alert to text messaging). I groggily answer my friend and then turn the sound off my phone. I quickly text the guy I give a ride to and let him know that I won't be making it to class tonight and close my phone. I drift off to sleep again… the next time I wake up, I glance at my phone. To my surprise, it is after 4:30! It is a good thing I wasn't going to class since I am usually leaving at this time. I give my head a diagnostic check (feels okay) and jump out of bed. Meili has been in her room since 8 this morning. The poor thing probably has to pee!
I let her out of the room. Her tail wags and smoochies tell me that she forgave me for the error. We go downstairs and I take her out. The rest of my evening consisted of lounging on the couch and entertaining (or being entertained by) Meili. I sulk (yet again), wishing that I could be in class. Lately there have been very few people in class and I am convinced that the new kid will show up and not have a partner to work with. There really isn't anything I can do about it though, so I need to just let it be. When it is time for bed, I put clothes in the bathroom in preparation for work tomorrow. I figure if I am proactive about it, then maybe I will feel better tomorrow. I climb into bed. I wake up Wednesday morning and call work letting them know I am going to stay home. I am usually a little weird after having such a bad migraine. Turns out, I felt rather well by the end of the day. I was still pretty congested, had a runny nose and was coughing, but I decided that I was going to class tonight.
Luckily, it was a fairly slow going class. Only me and the yudansha I give a ride to were there for the first hour. So, we went slow and worked on Sansho 1. I am sad to say that I didn't remember very much from the previous time we worked on it. I have come to realization that the jo is beginning to grow on me. I used to think it was a pain in the butt, but now…. now I kind of appreciate its endless possibilities. I have also worked with it a lot more over time, so I am becoming a bit more comfortable with it. To be honest, I have kind of swung the other way and right now I like the jo a bit more then the bokken. Part of it is probably because I am having problems with my bokken, so it isn't getting any brownie points with me. New errors in my technique have begun popping up and to my dismay; I can't seem to fix them. I go from one extreme to the other without being able to find the middle. Grr….
For the second class another student came in. We took this class slow as well. We did quite a bit of suwariwaza. The other student will be testing for shodan at summer camp, so we have been doing a lot of things that will help benefit him. It is also neat for me because we do things that we don't do often. Today though, we stuck to simpler things, like katadori ikkyo and nikyo and then went on to yokomenuchi ikkyo, kotegaeshi and a few other things. Eventually, we worked on some tanto-dori techniques. I am sad to say that I am absolutely horrendous with these. We were working on techniques from a yokomenuchi attack. A few of them I was somewhat familiar with, but others were just awful. At one point I had uke bent over backwards in a headlock and I dropped to one knee and was trying to get the knife out of his hand. Well, next thing I knew, he was falling down on me. Oh well. At the end of class, I decided that I wouldn't stay for iaido. I was feeling worn out and didn't want to push my luck. After all, I am hoping to show up for tomorrow's class. I told sensei that I wasn't going to stay and told him that if I felt the same way as today, I would be here tomorrow.
Thursday is pretty much the same. Feeling a bit better, but still tired. I find myself wondering why I am tired. Am I tired because of my new meds and not taking any for two days? Am I tired because of my allergy meds? Am I tired because I am weak and am expending energy in class? The truth is, all of these are a strong possibility. In the middle of May, I go for another blood test to check my levels, so I will find out then if my medicine needs adjusting. I know the allergy medicine makes me sleepy, so that could be it. I am also fighting a battle with allergies, so my body is compromised and weak… so that could be it too.
Despite my dragging body, I decide that I am going to class. Let's face it… my name is Ashley and I am addicted to aikido. There are worse things in life I could be addicted to and I did take two days off of class! Turns out that the first hour is another small class. There's two yudansha (one is teaching), the first kyu, me and the new guy. The yudansha who is teaching pretty much works with the new guy while the other three of us work together. Luckily, the class is slow going. I had three tissues in my, so luckily, I was able to blow my nose. At one point, it was my turn to run out and grab the yudansha's wrist. I tried to hurry and he teased me by saying "Hurry up runny nose!". It was actually a good class. Towards the end we were working on ushiro ryotedori. At the very end, he just told us to do variations. All I could figure out was ikkyo, sankyo, kotegaeshi and kokyunage. I attempted a few other things, but they never really worked out. I guess that isn't bad considering I haven't done vary many techniques from that attack.
For the second hour, it was just me, the two yudansha and sensei. He had us work on a few iaido form that he did at a seminar with Didier Boyet. It seems like I have some more work cut out for me. After that, sensei had us do some partner work. For this, I was partnered with sensei for the remainder of the class. What a treat! This also allowed the yudansha to practice at a higher level as well. We did some responses and then we went to responses with someone attacking with the bokken and you empty handed. I had a bit of a problem getting my hand into the correct position at times, or not turning my hip enough. Sensei was very patient with me though. He then had me attack him and was throwing me into rolls or putting me into shihonage. It was rather fun. Before I knew it, the class was over and we were bowing out. In a way I was glad though. I was tired and I had used up all three tissues I had tucked into my gi earlier this evening.
On the way home I had a good conversation with the yudansha. I should really create aliases for everyone instead of saying yudansha and referring to kyu grades or new guy. I had created some names in the past, but I forget them! I need a cheat sheet really. We were talking about the quality of movement and how it is expected to increase as you go up in rank. Somehow we got onto the topic of testing and I mentioned that I wouldn't want to be testing for shodan this summer. The guy testing has a lot to cover before this summer. I mentioned that I wouldn't want to test for shodan unless I felt like I had everything down pat and then mentioned that I don't want to test for 4th kyu because I don't feel confident in the soundness of my techniques. He told me that when he was younger and training up through the ranks that he was often beyond the test he was testing for. I mentioned that I wish I had that problem. He looked at me and said "You do." I was skeptical and told him how I fumble with nikyo and sankyo all the time, so how could I pass a test that those are the main components.
He then went on to explain that at the lower ranks, they just want to see if you can get the technique. Can you get there and eventually complete the technique? He told me that it isn't until 2nd and 1st kyu that the quality of the technique is really an issue. At those grades, you should be able to apply the technique with more fluidity and you shouldn't stumble over the hand changes as much. I couldn't really argue with that logic, however I don't think it is much of an excuse for my lack of execution. Sure, I don't expect to look like a sandan, but geez…. I would think after doing nikyo so much that I should at least be able to get the hand locked into my shoulder and my hands in the correct position quicker then I am.
I guess in the end I am holding myself up to higher expectations. I don't see that as a bad thing. Heck, for all I know sensei and the yudansha expect more out of me as well. I stumble along, yet I continue to show up and train. Ever diligent in hopes that one day I will actually be able "see the light" and it will get a bit easier. Supposedly this 4th kyu test is coming up soon, but that has been said since I tested for 5th kyu in November. I am in no hurry. I see no rush to move up in rank. I mean, what is the point? It is like becoming another year older. I didn't really feel a difference when I was told I was now a 5th kyu. The only benefit I see about a couple of us testing for 4th kyu is to make the dojo more diverse rank-wise. We have five/six yudansha (excluding sensei) and they are mostly nidan and sandan, we have two 1st kyu, two 2nd kyu and after that there are a handful of 5th kyu and a couple 6th kyu. The 3rd and 4th kyu aren't represented, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to fill that void….. does it?
Saturday morning, my alarm goes off at 7 a.m. and I realize that I can't go to class in my condition. I call the guy I give a ride and let him know that I won't be able to go today. I I go back to sleep and awaken three hours later. I go downstairs and sulk on the couch wishing I were in class. How am I supposed to get my aikido fix when I am stuck at home miserable!?! There is only one solution (and it is a decent one). I pop in a dvd that I am borrowing that has Chiba sensei demonstrating 5th and 4th kyu testing requirements and some other random things on there. For the most part, I found watching it helpful, but there were a few techniques that just amplified my confusion. I feel as if I saw 18 variations for nikyo for 4th kyu. As far as I know, there are only a few required for my examination. Then again, the posted requirements are not all inclusive. We have two lists and they don't match. Supposedly the two lists were combined into one, yet things are still left off this list. Not to mention, sensei has said that he likes to ask for tsuki kotegaeshi and a few other things that aren't on either of these lists. Basically, it is open to interpretation I suppose.
Well, at least I got some aikido into my day…. even if I wasn't practicing myself. Sunday pretty much went by the same. I went to work Monday feeling a bit better. Went in Tuesday feeling well enough to work, but exhausted. Part of the reason may be that I ran out of my thyroid medication. Stupid insurance plan switch and had to get a new scrip. Gah. Within a couple hours at work, I was feeling miserable. I decided that I would stick it out till noon. On my way home from work, I took a detour to get my new meds. By the time I got home, I had a full blown migraine. I go inside and try to be as quiet as possible (we put our shih tzu away in a room) in hopes that she won't realize I am home. I go upstairs and take my migraine med, which I usually refuse unless absolutely necessary and climb into bed. I put my head under the covers to block out the light and to help keep myself warm. To my surprise, Meili (the previously mentioned shih tzu) is still quiet. I close my eyes and hope the medicine kicks in soon before my head explodes.
To my utter horror, Meili begins barking. I lay in bed, hoping she will stop after thinking I am gone. After a few minutes of barking, I can't take anymore. Each bark is a sonic boom crashing into my skull. I drag myself out of bed and go to her. I lean down over the gate, pet her, give her smoochies and tell her to be good. This is usually our "good bye" routine. I am hoping that this will trick her into thinking I am leaving and be quiet. I go back into the bedroom and slide into bed. Within a few minutes she is barking again. I put my head under the covers again to wait out the pain. Luckily, after a minute she stops barking and I hear her lay down. Thank you! I close my eyes and eventually drift off to sleep (the meds have a sedative in them). I wake up around 1:30 to a rapid succession of about four "Droid" sounds (my phone's alert to text messaging). I groggily answer my friend and then turn the sound off my phone. I quickly text the guy I give a ride to and let him know that I won't be making it to class tonight and close my phone. I drift off to sleep again… the next time I wake up, I glance at my phone. To my surprise, it is after 4:30! It is a good thing I wasn't going to class since I am usually leaving at this time. I give my head a diagnostic check (feels okay) and jump out of bed. Meili has been in her room since 8 this morning. The poor thing probably has to pee!
I let her out of the room. Her tail wags and smoochies tell me that she forgave me for the error. We go downstairs and I take her out. The rest of my evening consisted of lounging on the couch and entertaining (or being entertained by) Meili. I sulk (yet again), wishing that I could be in class. Lately there have been very few people in class and I am convinced that the new kid will show up and not have a partner to work with. There really isn't anything I can do about it though, so I need to just let it be. When it is time for bed, I put clothes in the bathroom in preparation for work tomorrow. I figure if I am proactive about it, then maybe I will feel better tomorrow. I climb into bed. I wake up Wednesday morning and call work letting them know I am going to stay home. I am usually a little weird after having such a bad migraine. Turns out, I felt rather well by the end of the day. I was still pretty congested, had a runny nose and was coughing, but I decided that I was going to class tonight.
Luckily, it was a fairly slow going class. Only me and the yudansha I give a ride to were there for the first hour. So, we went slow and worked on Sansho 1. I am sad to say that I didn't remember very much from the previous time we worked on it. I have come to realization that the jo is beginning to grow on me. I used to think it was a pain in the butt, but now…. now I kind of appreciate its endless possibilities. I have also worked with it a lot more over time, so I am becoming a bit more comfortable with it. To be honest, I have kind of swung the other way and right now I like the jo a bit more then the bokken. Part of it is probably because I am having problems with my bokken, so it isn't getting any brownie points with me. New errors in my technique have begun popping up and to my dismay; I can't seem to fix them. I go from one extreme to the other without being able to find the middle. Grr….
For the second class another student came in. We took this class slow as well. We did quite a bit of suwariwaza. The other student will be testing for shodan at summer camp, so we have been doing a lot of things that will help benefit him. It is also neat for me because we do things that we don't do often. Today though, we stuck to simpler things, like katadori ikkyo and nikyo and then went on to yokomenuchi ikkyo, kotegaeshi and a few other things. Eventually, we worked on some tanto-dori techniques. I am sad to say that I am absolutely horrendous with these. We were working on techniques from a yokomenuchi attack. A few of them I was somewhat familiar with, but others were just awful. At one point I had uke bent over backwards in a headlock and I dropped to one knee and was trying to get the knife out of his hand. Well, next thing I knew, he was falling down on me. Oh well. At the end of class, I decided that I wouldn't stay for iaido. I was feeling worn out and didn't want to push my luck. After all, I am hoping to show up for tomorrow's class. I told sensei that I wasn't going to stay and told him that if I felt the same way as today, I would be here tomorrow.
Thursday is pretty much the same. Feeling a bit better, but still tired. I find myself wondering why I am tired. Am I tired because of my new meds and not taking any for two days? Am I tired because of my allergy meds? Am I tired because I am weak and am expending energy in class? The truth is, all of these are a strong possibility. In the middle of May, I go for another blood test to check my levels, so I will find out then if my medicine needs adjusting. I know the allergy medicine makes me sleepy, so that could be it. I am also fighting a battle with allergies, so my body is compromised and weak… so that could be it too.
Despite my dragging body, I decide that I am going to class. Let's face it… my name is Ashley and I am addicted to aikido. There are worse things in life I could be addicted to and I did take two days off of class! Turns out that the first hour is another small class. There's two yudansha (one is teaching), the first kyu, me and the new guy. The yudansha who is teaching pretty much works with the new guy while the other three of us work together. Luckily, the class is slow going. I had three tissues in my, so luckily, I was able to blow my nose. At one point, it was my turn to run out and grab the yudansha's wrist. I tried to hurry and he teased me by saying "Hurry up runny nose!". It was actually a good class. Towards the end we were working on ushiro ryotedori. At the very end, he just told us to do variations. All I could figure out was ikkyo, sankyo, kotegaeshi and kokyunage. I attempted a few other things, but they never really worked out. I guess that isn't bad considering I haven't done vary many techniques from that attack.
For the second hour, it was just me, the two yudansha and sensei. He had us work on a few iaido form that he did at a seminar with Didier Boyet. It seems like I have some more work cut out for me. After that, sensei had us do some partner work. For this, I was partnered with sensei for the remainder of the class. What a treat! This also allowed the yudansha to practice at a higher level as well. We did some responses and then we went to responses with someone attacking with the bokken and you empty handed. I had a bit of a problem getting my hand into the correct position at times, or not turning my hip enough. Sensei was very patient with me though. He then had me attack him and was throwing me into rolls or putting me into shihonage. It was rather fun. Before I knew it, the class was over and we were bowing out. In a way I was glad though. I was tired and I had used up all three tissues I had tucked into my gi earlier this evening.
On the way home I had a good conversation with the yudansha. I should really create aliases for everyone instead of saying yudansha and referring to kyu grades or new guy. I had created some names in the past, but I forget them! I need a cheat sheet really. We were talking about the quality of movement and how it is expected to increase as you go up in rank. Somehow we got onto the topic of testing and I mentioned that I wouldn't want to be testing for shodan this summer. The guy testing has a lot to cover before this summer. I mentioned that I wouldn't want to test for shodan unless I felt like I had everything down pat and then mentioned that I don't want to test for 4th kyu because I don't feel confident in the soundness of my techniques. He told me that when he was younger and training up through the ranks that he was often beyond the test he was testing for. I mentioned that I wish I had that problem. He looked at me and said "You do." I was skeptical and told him how I fumble with nikyo and sankyo all the time, so how could I pass a test that those are the main components.
He then went on to explain that at the lower ranks, they just want to see if you can get the technique. Can you get there and eventually complete the technique? He told me that it isn't until 2nd and 1st kyu that the quality of the technique is really an issue. At those grades, you should be able to apply the technique with more fluidity and you shouldn't stumble over the hand changes as much. I couldn't really argue with that logic, however I don't think it is much of an excuse for my lack of execution. Sure, I don't expect to look like a sandan, but geez…. I would think after doing nikyo so much that I should at least be able to get the hand locked into my shoulder and my hands in the correct position quicker then I am.
I guess in the end I am holding myself up to higher expectations. I don't see that as a bad thing. Heck, for all I know sensei and the yudansha expect more out of me as well. I stumble along, yet I continue to show up and train. Ever diligent in hopes that one day I will actually be able "see the light" and it will get a bit easier. Supposedly this 4th kyu test is coming up soon, but that has been said since I tested for 5th kyu in November. I am in no hurry. I see no rush to move up in rank. I mean, what is the point? It is like becoming another year older. I didn't really feel a difference when I was told I was now a 5th kyu. The only benefit I see about a couple of us testing for 4th kyu is to make the dojo more diverse rank-wise. We have five/six yudansha (excluding sensei) and they are mostly nidan and sandan, we have two 1st kyu, two 2nd kyu and after that there are a handful of 5th kyu and a couple 6th kyu. The 3rd and 4th kyu aren't represented, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to fill that void….. does it?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Small Class
Saturday morning I had a hard time getting out of bed. Seems that this is becoming more and more frequent, which either means I need more sleep or my meds need to be adjusted. Uck…. getting my meds adjusted means more blood work. So, for now I will just go with me not getting enough sleep. Unless I get to the point where I was before (sleeping all the time and barely making it through an aikido class) I will assume it isn’t due to my meds.
While I am getting ready, I get a message from the yudansha I usually pick up and take to class. He says he isn’t going this morning. At least this gives me another 20 minutes to get ready. Hard to believe it tacks on an additional 20 minutes to my trip each way… but it does. I get to the dojo and see the usual suspects there getting dressed. I hurry up, change into my semi-warm gi (I always toss it in the dryer before class when it is cold outside) and quickly tie on my hakama. I hurry upstairs and sit in my usual spot (as we sit according to time spent in this class). Today we are to work on mainly defensive and offensive draws. A nice break from the forms we have been doing a lot lately. This was also a nice choice since my head is bothering me a bit this morning. I am blaming my head issues on the weather and allergies at this moment.
We do each draw a few times with Sensei and then he walks off and stands on the raised platform where our shomen is to watch. If he sees something that needs to be corrected, he tells you specifically, or he may make a general statement if we all are culprits of the error. Then, he usually has us do it again to watch. Is he watching for new mistakes, or is he watching to see if you are trying to fix your mistakes; probably both. If he doesn’t see something that he needs to vocalize, he quietly steps back down, takes his position and says “Hai” for us to do it once more. Towards the end of class he had us work on a few forms. I once again got corrected for having improper hand rotation. For some reason, my hand just doesn’t rotate around like it should on a particular movement. Luckily, this movement is only in a couple forms. I keep trying and trying, but I always end up off. As frustrating as it is (knowing sensei will call me on it after watching me do it for the first time), I keep trying. I keep working at it… because I know that one day, my hand will fall into the proper place and he will then move onto some other problem that I have in that particular form.
Once class was over, three of us sat down for zazen. This usually lasts for a half an hour or so. Sometimes it goes by quickly. Sometimes it seems to drag on forever. Usually, I find this time quite helpful. I find peace in the tranquility of the moment and time does seem to pass fairly quickly. I was also hoping that my head could use the extra half hour to prepare itself for the hour and a half class that was about to ensue. Saturday classes are usually more strenuous and I was hoping my head would be up to the task (I didn’t bring any Excedrin). Zazen went quickly and before I knew it, sensei was ringing the bell to signal the end of the session.
While folding my hakama, sensei told me that one of the yudansha wouldn’t be here today because he injured his shoulder skiing, which then lead to us having a discussion about our injuries. I told him that thus far I had been pretty lucky and have only dislocated a thumb and sprained an ankle. I went on to explain how I incurred those injuries and how I dealt with them. He then began to tell me about a few of his injuries. One being broken ribs on the same day as a seminar he was supposed to help teach in. I have always found it interesting how people deal with pain and injuries. Some people baby the injury and see a doctor immediately. Others suck it up and deal and refuse to see a doctor because “It isn’t that bad.” Some people continue to train on the mat after taping the area or wearing support. Others choose to stay off the mat and observe. Still, there are others who opt to not come to the dojo at all.
I myself am a “tape it up and get back on the mat” kind of girl. At least to a certain point. If I had a cast around my leg, I wouldn’t be out there hobbling around the mat or anything. Sore muscles, a little bit of blood, bruising, achy joints or back, sciatica and even a light sprain wouldn’t keep me off the mat. As for a broken toe or finger, I can’t say. Maybe I would. If the pinky toe I stubbed back in the fall (which still hurts to this day) was actually a break, then I guess… yeah… I would still train. Now, one 2nd kyu student had his big toe broken in class. That is a little different. Your big toe does a lot of work and plays a part in balance. So, I could see not partaking in class. A severely sprained wrist or ankle might warrant sitting out of class as well. The last thing you need is to have your wrist tweaked the wrong way or having your sprained ankle rolled or whatever while running in circles for ukemi.
I guess in the end, you just have to listen to your body and see what is right for YOU. Just because someone else trained with that same injury doesn’t mean it is the right thing for you to do. Once our conversation about injuries came to an end, Sensei left the dojo via the back door (the inside way to the downstairs) and I left via the front door (go outside and walk to the side door that goes downstairs). I quickly used the bathroom and traded my iai obi for my regular obi. As I walked back outside to head towards the dojo, I started thinking about the fact that I didn’t see anyone else downstairs. I walked inside the dojo and found two people inside: Sensei and his wife. Sensei had a jo. I rei’d onto the mat and looked at sensei and said “I don’t know if there is enough mat space for all of us today.” Sensei was playing around with his jo. He smiled and told me to go “Get a jo.”
The class actually turned out to be both fun and quite the learning experience. Because there were just two of us, sensei was able to watch. For the most part, he didn’t really make many corrections. I guess he was allowing me to feel my way through it. The only time he would step in is if I got confused as to the footwork or if I was confused about flipping the jo around (we were working on all the basic responses to kesa- spelling?) The comments I did receive were: Drop lower to the floor, hit the hand, make the drop heavier, take her jo all the way to the mat, etc. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the class. It was relaxed and we took everything nice and slow. This allowed me to digest what I was being shown and I found it easier to replicate (or at least attempt to replicate) what I was shown.
Once class was over, sensei asked me if I was staying for the healthy neck and shoulders workshop. I told him that I would stay if I had the money. He told me that they would give me a scholarship to attend. I thanked him and told him I would love to attend. I then asked Sensei if he wanted me to run the mats by myself (we soak rags in a water/vinegar mixture and run the rags up and down the entire mats). He told me not to worry about it. He told me that I could sweep the mats though. The strange part was, I was completely willing to runt he mats alone. It wouldn’t really have bothered me. I went into the upstairs bathroom and got the broom for the mats. Once I finished sweeping those, I grabbed the other broom and swept the floor. I took the rug outside and shook out all the dirt. Once I put everything back where it was, I grabbed a rag and went and dusted the shomen. I couldn’t believe how dusty it was up there! I can only imagine when it was last dusted. I will have to make an effort to dust it myself more often.
The whole time I was cleaning, I found the experience to be very rewarding. I actually enjoyed cleaning the dojo by myself. I got to thinking if this was a taste of what being an uchideshi was like. How I would love to be in a uchideshi program. Our dojo doesn’t have one, but they do have a kenshusei program. As far as I know, no one is partaking in that program right now. This would seriously interest me if it weren’t for me living 30 minutes away and being married. I would have to train more then I already am (four days a week) and I am pretty sure my husband would like me home. We hardly see each other as it is now with him working weekends and “weekend” occurring on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I walked downstairs and asked sensei if he minded if I stuck around the dojo until the seminar started. He told me I was more then welcome to stay. I told him I was going to walk to the coffee shop and asked if he wanted anything. After a long pause, he decided against it. I told him I locked the outside dojo door and would go upstairs about 15 minutes before the seminar to unlock the door and wait for everyone to come. He agreed that would be fine and then told me he was going to pick up the skeleton they needed for the workshop. I then changed and took all my crap back to the car. I then went to the coffee shop and got my chai tea and a slice of banana bread. I hadn’t eaten since 7:30 this morning and wouldn’t be home until around 5. Once I got back, I plopped myself on the couch downstairs and called my mom. While chatting, I ate my bread and drang my tea. Once I got off the phone with her, I emptied the two trashcans that were downstairs and then played games on my phone till sensei came back. He walked in without the skeleton and asked if anyone brought it by. I told him that no one stopped by. He then unlocked the spare room upstairs and asked me if I could take out the blankets for the workshop and asked if I could create a sign in sheet as well. I told him I would take care of it. He then told me he was going out again to find the skeleton.
At 12:45, I went upstairs and unlocked the dojo door. I stood around waiting. When people started coming in, I asked them to take off their shoes, sign in and collected the fee for the workshop. Turns out that about 13 people or so showed up to the workshop! The workshop wasn’t quite what I expected, but I learned a bit more about the mechanics of the body and the importance of keeping your body in a “neutral” position. At one point during the workshop, someone asked what aikido was. Sensei motioned for me. I quickly ran over to him and grabbed his wrist. He threw me into a roll and then when I grabbed again he did kokyunage. After his mini demonstration the workshop took a break. A few older ladies walked over to me and asked if being thrown like that hurt. I explained that once you learn to fall properly, falls like that aren’t a big deal. I then went on to tell them about a gentlemen we had training in our dojo (but I had never met) who trained into his 90’s. Sensei came over and told them a bit more about various people he has worked with and told them about a guy he worked with who only had one leg. He said that this man had some of the best ukemi he has ever seen. Once sensei walked away, I told them that it is never too late to learn.
At the end of the seminar, I walked around collecting and folding the blankets, returning the blankets to the spare room, putting the zafu back, throwing away trash and answering questions. A couple people were interested in take the ATM or aikido classes, so I went downstairs to find some schedules for them. When most of the people had left, I asked sensei if he needed me for anything else. He told me I was free to go, but asked if I could stay till the last person left, turn off the lights and lock up the dojo. I told him it wouldn’t be a problem and then thanked him for allowing me the opportunity to take the seminar. I patiently waited for the guy to gather his belongings and then closed up the dojo. Time to head home to my husband and shih tzu!
While I am getting ready, I get a message from the yudansha I usually pick up and take to class. He says he isn’t going this morning. At least this gives me another 20 minutes to get ready. Hard to believe it tacks on an additional 20 minutes to my trip each way… but it does. I get to the dojo and see the usual suspects there getting dressed. I hurry up, change into my semi-warm gi (I always toss it in the dryer before class when it is cold outside) and quickly tie on my hakama. I hurry upstairs and sit in my usual spot (as we sit according to time spent in this class). Today we are to work on mainly defensive and offensive draws. A nice break from the forms we have been doing a lot lately. This was also a nice choice since my head is bothering me a bit this morning. I am blaming my head issues on the weather and allergies at this moment.
We do each draw a few times with Sensei and then he walks off and stands on the raised platform where our shomen is to watch. If he sees something that needs to be corrected, he tells you specifically, or he may make a general statement if we all are culprits of the error. Then, he usually has us do it again to watch. Is he watching for new mistakes, or is he watching to see if you are trying to fix your mistakes; probably both. If he doesn’t see something that he needs to vocalize, he quietly steps back down, takes his position and says “Hai” for us to do it once more. Towards the end of class he had us work on a few forms. I once again got corrected for having improper hand rotation. For some reason, my hand just doesn’t rotate around like it should on a particular movement. Luckily, this movement is only in a couple forms. I keep trying and trying, but I always end up off. As frustrating as it is (knowing sensei will call me on it after watching me do it for the first time), I keep trying. I keep working at it… because I know that one day, my hand will fall into the proper place and he will then move onto some other problem that I have in that particular form.
Once class was over, three of us sat down for zazen. This usually lasts for a half an hour or so. Sometimes it goes by quickly. Sometimes it seems to drag on forever. Usually, I find this time quite helpful. I find peace in the tranquility of the moment and time does seem to pass fairly quickly. I was also hoping that my head could use the extra half hour to prepare itself for the hour and a half class that was about to ensue. Saturday classes are usually more strenuous and I was hoping my head would be up to the task (I didn’t bring any Excedrin). Zazen went quickly and before I knew it, sensei was ringing the bell to signal the end of the session.
While folding my hakama, sensei told me that one of the yudansha wouldn’t be here today because he injured his shoulder skiing, which then lead to us having a discussion about our injuries. I told him that thus far I had been pretty lucky and have only dislocated a thumb and sprained an ankle. I went on to explain how I incurred those injuries and how I dealt with them. He then began to tell me about a few of his injuries. One being broken ribs on the same day as a seminar he was supposed to help teach in. I have always found it interesting how people deal with pain and injuries. Some people baby the injury and see a doctor immediately. Others suck it up and deal and refuse to see a doctor because “It isn’t that bad.” Some people continue to train on the mat after taping the area or wearing support. Others choose to stay off the mat and observe. Still, there are others who opt to not come to the dojo at all.
I myself am a “tape it up and get back on the mat” kind of girl. At least to a certain point. If I had a cast around my leg, I wouldn’t be out there hobbling around the mat or anything. Sore muscles, a little bit of blood, bruising, achy joints or back, sciatica and even a light sprain wouldn’t keep me off the mat. As for a broken toe or finger, I can’t say. Maybe I would. If the pinky toe I stubbed back in the fall (which still hurts to this day) was actually a break, then I guess… yeah… I would still train. Now, one 2nd kyu student had his big toe broken in class. That is a little different. Your big toe does a lot of work and plays a part in balance. So, I could see not partaking in class. A severely sprained wrist or ankle might warrant sitting out of class as well. The last thing you need is to have your wrist tweaked the wrong way or having your sprained ankle rolled or whatever while running in circles for ukemi.
I guess in the end, you just have to listen to your body and see what is right for YOU. Just because someone else trained with that same injury doesn’t mean it is the right thing for you to do. Once our conversation about injuries came to an end, Sensei left the dojo via the back door (the inside way to the downstairs) and I left via the front door (go outside and walk to the side door that goes downstairs). I quickly used the bathroom and traded my iai obi for my regular obi. As I walked back outside to head towards the dojo, I started thinking about the fact that I didn’t see anyone else downstairs. I walked inside the dojo and found two people inside: Sensei and his wife. Sensei had a jo. I rei’d onto the mat and looked at sensei and said “I don’t know if there is enough mat space for all of us today.” Sensei was playing around with his jo. He smiled and told me to go “Get a jo.”
The class actually turned out to be both fun and quite the learning experience. Because there were just two of us, sensei was able to watch. For the most part, he didn’t really make many corrections. I guess he was allowing me to feel my way through it. The only time he would step in is if I got confused as to the footwork or if I was confused about flipping the jo around (we were working on all the basic responses to kesa- spelling?) The comments I did receive were: Drop lower to the floor, hit the hand, make the drop heavier, take her jo all the way to the mat, etc. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the class. It was relaxed and we took everything nice and slow. This allowed me to digest what I was being shown and I found it easier to replicate (or at least attempt to replicate) what I was shown.
Once class was over, sensei asked me if I was staying for the healthy neck and shoulders workshop. I told him that I would stay if I had the money. He told me that they would give me a scholarship to attend. I thanked him and told him I would love to attend. I then asked Sensei if he wanted me to run the mats by myself (we soak rags in a water/vinegar mixture and run the rags up and down the entire mats). He told me not to worry about it. He told me that I could sweep the mats though. The strange part was, I was completely willing to runt he mats alone. It wouldn’t really have bothered me. I went into the upstairs bathroom and got the broom for the mats. Once I finished sweeping those, I grabbed the other broom and swept the floor. I took the rug outside and shook out all the dirt. Once I put everything back where it was, I grabbed a rag and went and dusted the shomen. I couldn’t believe how dusty it was up there! I can only imagine when it was last dusted. I will have to make an effort to dust it myself more often.
The whole time I was cleaning, I found the experience to be very rewarding. I actually enjoyed cleaning the dojo by myself. I got to thinking if this was a taste of what being an uchideshi was like. How I would love to be in a uchideshi program. Our dojo doesn’t have one, but they do have a kenshusei program. As far as I know, no one is partaking in that program right now. This would seriously interest me if it weren’t for me living 30 minutes away and being married. I would have to train more then I already am (four days a week) and I am pretty sure my husband would like me home. We hardly see each other as it is now with him working weekends and “weekend” occurring on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I walked downstairs and asked sensei if he minded if I stuck around the dojo until the seminar started. He told me I was more then welcome to stay. I told him I was going to walk to the coffee shop and asked if he wanted anything. After a long pause, he decided against it. I told him I locked the outside dojo door and would go upstairs about 15 minutes before the seminar to unlock the door and wait for everyone to come. He agreed that would be fine and then told me he was going to pick up the skeleton they needed for the workshop. I then changed and took all my crap back to the car. I then went to the coffee shop and got my chai tea and a slice of banana bread. I hadn’t eaten since 7:30 this morning and wouldn’t be home until around 5. Once I got back, I plopped myself on the couch downstairs and called my mom. While chatting, I ate my bread and drang my tea. Once I got off the phone with her, I emptied the two trashcans that were downstairs and then played games on my phone till sensei came back. He walked in without the skeleton and asked if anyone brought it by. I told him that no one stopped by. He then unlocked the spare room upstairs and asked me if I could take out the blankets for the workshop and asked if I could create a sign in sheet as well. I told him I would take care of it. He then told me he was going out again to find the skeleton.
At 12:45, I went upstairs and unlocked the dojo door. I stood around waiting. When people started coming in, I asked them to take off their shoes, sign in and collected the fee for the workshop. Turns out that about 13 people or so showed up to the workshop! The workshop wasn’t quite what I expected, but I learned a bit more about the mechanics of the body and the importance of keeping your body in a “neutral” position. At one point during the workshop, someone asked what aikido was. Sensei motioned for me. I quickly ran over to him and grabbed his wrist. He threw me into a roll and then when I grabbed again he did kokyunage. After his mini demonstration the workshop took a break. A few older ladies walked over to me and asked if being thrown like that hurt. I explained that once you learn to fall properly, falls like that aren’t a big deal. I then went on to tell them about a gentlemen we had training in our dojo (but I had never met) who trained into his 90’s. Sensei came over and told them a bit more about various people he has worked with and told them about a guy he worked with who only had one leg. He said that this man had some of the best ukemi he has ever seen. Once sensei walked away, I told them that it is never too late to learn.
At the end of the seminar, I walked around collecting and folding the blankets, returning the blankets to the spare room, putting the zafu back, throwing away trash and answering questions. A couple people were interested in take the ATM or aikido classes, so I went downstairs to find some schedules for them. When most of the people had left, I asked sensei if he needed me for anything else. He told me I was free to go, but asked if I could stay till the last person left, turn off the lights and lock up the dojo. I told him it wouldn’t be a problem and then thanked him for allowing me the opportunity to take the seminar. I patiently waited for the guy to gather his belongings and then closed up the dojo. Time to head home to my husband and shih tzu!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Randori
You know you had a good work out/class when you wake up the next day and feel sore in some areas. This happened to me Sunday morning. I woke up and begrudgingly got out of bed earlier then I wanted. As I moved about my room, I realized that a few areas of my body were sore. I paused and took the time to think about what we did in class the day before. In all honestly, it was a fairly easy class (as far as strenuous activity goes). So, it really got me thinking. Despite the fact that our workout was easy, it was a good cardio workout and I’m guessing that I used the same muscles I use in most classes, just in a different way. If you take the time to think about it, the human body is a fascinating thing. It really is a miracle in and of itself. The things that a body is capable of are really quite astounding.
So what exactly did I do Saturday? It started off like most Saturday’s. By this I mean, I look around I am the only beginner in the dojo. There were five yudansha, a first kyu who was supposed to test for shodan this summer and myself. Whenever I see this, I always mentally prepare myself for a tough class. I guess I should take it as a compliment that sensei throws me into the tough classes. I don’t think he really expects too much out of me, but it is nice to know that he thinks I can at least manage enough not to injure myself (or others). What I didn’t know was that this wouldn’t be a “normal” type of Saturday class. The class somehow evolved into a randori class! We started off with simple partner work. Nothing too different there. Then he had us work with two partners. It started off with your two partners standing on opposite sides of you (either one in front and one behind or one on either side of you). You then had to find a way out of that pressure. The key to this was spinning your way out from the middle. After this exercise, sensei gave us two techniques and we had to use one of these two techniques on our two uke. The goal was to keep them on the same side and not let yourself get in the middle. We weren’t really throwing our uke around- just taking them to the point they lost their balance and they would walk a few steps in a direction to catch their balance.
Then sensei had us do the same thing with three uke. To make it a bit easier (probably for me), each person was assaigned an attack. One person would attack shomen, another yokomen and the third would tsuki. He kept encouraging us to be proactive and to walk towards uke and not be afraid to initiate. This was a bit more difficult then two people, but still manageable as we were all going slow and taking it easy (or at least most people were… some were still throwing you about). Sensei had us working in two groups of three, so one group would have time to rest while the other group was up working. It kind of surprised me how much randori takes out of you, especially if you are uke.
Once that was done, sensei then had us stand with four uke pressing on us. This was definitely harder then having two uke press on you. You really felt as if you had no place to go what so ever. Your only option was to spin and try to get out of the jumble of uke. At one point, sensei had us stand in the middle and the four uke would have bokken’s. They would all cut shomen at the same time and you had to get out of the circle. We also did the same thing with the uke having jo’s. Instead of shomen, they would tsuki. This all went pretty well and though I was a bit intimidated, I did alright. It was nice that I was the last to go each time (we went from highest ranking to lowest), so at least I got to watch several times. I don’t recall if we ended up doing randori with four uke or not. I think we did, but I just can’t remember…. So maybe we didn’t.
At the end of class, sensei had us do some breathing exercises to calm ourselves down. He told us that we would be working on this more in the future and that eventually, we will get to the point where the uke will be able to attack however they wish and you will just have to react. He closed by telling us to not be afraid of retreating during randori, so long as your attention and spirit continue to move forward. He told us, if all else fails and you are in a corner, run until you are in the open and can continue again. He also told us to not be “grabby” during randori. He said that if you grab too much, you can get stuck and it slows you down.
So, as I continue to ponder on whether I actually did something to warrant getting sore muscles, I conclude that perhaps I did. I used my muscles in a different way and I was under a bit of “stress” if you will. I was also thrown about fairly hard at times by an overly ambitious nage. It really takes you surprise when you aren’t supposed to be being thrown. It like being tackled during touch football, it happens, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily expected. In the end, I think it was a good class and I learned a lot. I’m sure everyone was easier on me since I am a beginner, but I appreciated the fact that I got the opportunity to try. If it takes sore muscles to continue to progress and learn, I will take them. Push me to my limits and even beyond. Break me down so that I can rebuild myself into a stronger and more accomplished aikidoka. I don’t think I’m ready to spread my wings, but I’m beginning to trust that when sensei shoves me off the ledge, that I will be able to open my wings and fly.
On a completely different topic, sensei saw me last week looking at my hours. He said “I know you are way past due to test for 4th kyu.” I looked over at him and told him honestly that “I could care less about testing.” I then explained that I keep track of my hours at home as well and for some reason, the hours at the dojo and the hours at home didn’t match, so I was trying to find the discrepancy. Yesterday after Tai Chi, I was once again trying to figure out where the hours went wrong (this time for my husbands hours). The yudansha that I give a ride came over and asked me if I had enough hours to test. I told him that I did, but felt I wasn’t ready to test. I told him that I didn’t really feel like I had a grasp on nikyo or sankyo yet and I wanted to feel more comfortable with them before I tested. He looked at me and said “Maybe you should let someone else judge your competency for a change. You aren’t testing for shodan you know.” I looked over, smiled and mumbled something about being a perfectionist. He chuckled and said “I have no idea what you are talking about.” We both laughed as we turned off the lights and locked up the dojo. Good times……….
So what exactly did I do Saturday? It started off like most Saturday’s. By this I mean, I look around I am the only beginner in the dojo. There were five yudansha, a first kyu who was supposed to test for shodan this summer and myself. Whenever I see this, I always mentally prepare myself for a tough class. I guess I should take it as a compliment that sensei throws me into the tough classes. I don’t think he really expects too much out of me, but it is nice to know that he thinks I can at least manage enough not to injure myself (or others). What I didn’t know was that this wouldn’t be a “normal” type of Saturday class. The class somehow evolved into a randori class! We started off with simple partner work. Nothing too different there. Then he had us work with two partners. It started off with your two partners standing on opposite sides of you (either one in front and one behind or one on either side of you). You then had to find a way out of that pressure. The key to this was spinning your way out from the middle. After this exercise, sensei gave us two techniques and we had to use one of these two techniques on our two uke. The goal was to keep them on the same side and not let yourself get in the middle. We weren’t really throwing our uke around- just taking them to the point they lost their balance and they would walk a few steps in a direction to catch their balance.
Then sensei had us do the same thing with three uke. To make it a bit easier (probably for me), each person was assaigned an attack. One person would attack shomen, another yokomen and the third would tsuki. He kept encouraging us to be proactive and to walk towards uke and not be afraid to initiate. This was a bit more difficult then two people, but still manageable as we were all going slow and taking it easy (or at least most people were… some were still throwing you about). Sensei had us working in two groups of three, so one group would have time to rest while the other group was up working. It kind of surprised me how much randori takes out of you, especially if you are uke.
Once that was done, sensei then had us stand with four uke pressing on us. This was definitely harder then having two uke press on you. You really felt as if you had no place to go what so ever. Your only option was to spin and try to get out of the jumble of uke. At one point, sensei had us stand in the middle and the four uke would have bokken’s. They would all cut shomen at the same time and you had to get out of the circle. We also did the same thing with the uke having jo’s. Instead of shomen, they would tsuki. This all went pretty well and though I was a bit intimidated, I did alright. It was nice that I was the last to go each time (we went from highest ranking to lowest), so at least I got to watch several times. I don’t recall if we ended up doing randori with four uke or not. I think we did, but I just can’t remember…. So maybe we didn’t.
At the end of class, sensei had us do some breathing exercises to calm ourselves down. He told us that we would be working on this more in the future and that eventually, we will get to the point where the uke will be able to attack however they wish and you will just have to react. He closed by telling us to not be afraid of retreating during randori, so long as your attention and spirit continue to move forward. He told us, if all else fails and you are in a corner, run until you are in the open and can continue again. He also told us to not be “grabby” during randori. He said that if you grab too much, you can get stuck and it slows you down.
So, as I continue to ponder on whether I actually did something to warrant getting sore muscles, I conclude that perhaps I did. I used my muscles in a different way and I was under a bit of “stress” if you will. I was also thrown about fairly hard at times by an overly ambitious nage. It really takes you surprise when you aren’t supposed to be being thrown. It like being tackled during touch football, it happens, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily expected. In the end, I think it was a good class and I learned a lot. I’m sure everyone was easier on me since I am a beginner, but I appreciated the fact that I got the opportunity to try. If it takes sore muscles to continue to progress and learn, I will take them. Push me to my limits and even beyond. Break me down so that I can rebuild myself into a stronger and more accomplished aikidoka. I don’t think I’m ready to spread my wings, but I’m beginning to trust that when sensei shoves me off the ledge, that I will be able to open my wings and fly.
On a completely different topic, sensei saw me last week looking at my hours. He said “I know you are way past due to test for 4th kyu.” I looked over at him and told him honestly that “I could care less about testing.” I then explained that I keep track of my hours at home as well and for some reason, the hours at the dojo and the hours at home didn’t match, so I was trying to find the discrepancy. Yesterday after Tai Chi, I was once again trying to figure out where the hours went wrong (this time for my husbands hours). The yudansha that I give a ride came over and asked me if I had enough hours to test. I told him that I did, but felt I wasn’t ready to test. I told him that I didn’t really feel like I had a grasp on nikyo or sankyo yet and I wanted to feel more comfortable with them before I tested. He looked at me and said “Maybe you should let someone else judge your competency for a change. You aren’t testing for shodan you know.” I looked over, smiled and mumbled something about being a perfectionist. He chuckled and said “I have no idea what you are talking about.” We both laughed as we turned off the lights and locked up the dojo. Good times……….
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