Well, it is good to be back! I missed class from the 10-14tth because my husband and I moved into our new place. What a bunch of work moving is. A pain in the butt I tell you… unfortunately, we are still renting, so there will be at least one more move in our future. As to when… I have no idea.
Anywho, my return class on Thursday, the 15th was an exciting day for me. Nothing special happened that day other then my return. I was just glad to be back because I felt like I hadn't been in class forever! I guess I didn't really realize how much I trained until I couldn't. I really only missed three classes because my normal week consists of training Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I was surprised to learn upon arrival at the dojo that Sensei was out of town. Boo. :O( To top it off, my first class back was only for an hour because the second hour class got cancelled for that day. Perhaps it was for the best though because I was still a bit tired from the move and I still had plenty to do around the house.
Saturday was great. The class was pretty intense and we did all sorts of stuff I have never done before. Several of the techniques involved rolls, which is always fun. There was one technique in particular that is now my favorite. At the end of class I asked what it was called and I was told it really didn't have a name. The catch all could be kokyunage, but it could also be called jujinage because the arms are crossed. I will do my best to describe it though. You start of in katatedori ai hanmi and you do ikkyo. Once you have them in ikkyo, you let your hand slip off their elbow towards the front or away from you. You then reach back under their arm and grab your wrist. You then stand up and turn towards uke. This jams them up with their own arms. You then put your right shoulder (if they grabbed your right hand to begin with) into their left and complete the 180 degree turn. You can also drop to the floor as you turn to add a bit more pop to the technique. Uke has the choice of either doing backwards ukemi or turning and going into a breakfall. Needless to say, by the time I got home I was a bit tired (I was still pooped out from the move).
Well, I am just about to fall asleep when I receive a call from a friend offering to come over now with her husband to help us move our bedroom dresser and chesser upstairs. We had tried taking them up with a dolly, but the stairway turns and the dolly wouldn't make the turn, so they have to be carried up. Now, I must tell you that this furniture is no ordinary furniture. One piece weighs 567 pounds and the other is about 300 pounds! So it was me, a female friend- Darla and her husband all pushing and pulling this stuff up the stairs. Needless to say, it took us about an hour to get both pieces up there. If it weren't for her husband working out as much as he does, they never would have gotten up there. He was a life saver (literally). Darla and I both commented that, that was the first time we ever though we would be killed by furniture. Darla later told me "I have moved a lot of furniture and that was the heaviest f*@!ing furniture I have ever moved!"
After they left, I realized I hadn't taken my medicine, so I do so and begin doing laundry. I am already exhausted from the furniture and my meds begin to kick in (they can make me really loopy like I am drunk or something). Well, I laid on the floor with my faithful shih tzu for about 45 minutes. HAHA. I must have fell asleep because next thing I knew my husband was coming in the door. What woke me up was Meili running down the stairs to greet him. Needless to say, I had carpet marks imprinted on the right side of my face. He was surprised to see that the furniture was upstairs when he got home and I told him it was magic. Of course he called me on it and I told him about my help.
Yesterday's class Sensei had come back. YAY! He is getting ready to go to the seminar with Chiba Sensei, so he was giving a few of the students who are going up there preferential treatment yesterday. This isn't to say the rest of us weren't getting attention, because we were, but he was just giving them a bit more. Hopefully, whatever they were working on will come in handy for them. I always like when Sensei comes back from a seminar because he brings what he learned to our dojo and we get to do it. So, even though I can't go this year, I may still get to do some things that the other people will be learning. All of the techniques we did were from katadori. We started off doing the beginning to ikkyo. By this I mean, take them to the point where they are bent over, but don't step towards them to take them down to the ground. Once Sensei felt we were doing alright, he had us do the complete throw. At one point, Sensei called me over to demonstrate something. He showed how you step back, throw the atemi and then how you cut the arm. He was trying to explain to us that nage had to keep their center towards uke instead of pulling uke on top of them if you turn sideways as you cut. Sensei did this to me a few times and then he began throwing me. It was very similar to sumiotoshi. He also showed how uke is supposed to come into nage to receive the motion via having me do the right and wrong things to do. At the end, Sensei grabbed my head, turned it and it put me into a breakfall. The landing wasn't bad, but my slap was horrible. So bad in my opinion I was embarrassed about it! My husband even commented about how bad it was after class. Boohoo……
We also worked on katadori ikkyo to nikyo and katadori straight into nikyo. These went fairly well. For this I worked with my husband. I enjoy working with him for the most part. HAHA. The one thing I have a problem with is that he doesn't come back up after a technique. So, once I did ikkyo, you are supposed to let uke come back up before you apply nikyo. Well, I would release enough for him to come up and he would just remain bent over. This isn't the only technique this happens to. It is just something he has to work on. Heck, I am still working on that! I try to be as connected as possible to nage, but I know I am not always connected. Sensei likes to do nikyo and when he eases off, you are supposed to jump back up and he does it to you again, releases and you jump back up. After a while, it kills your legs frog jumping like that. HAHA. That is one where I can say I do not maintain a connection the whole time. Maybe with more practice… and leg strength.
Sensei then switched it up to katadori kotegaeshi. I love doing kotegaeshi because for the most part I can seem to get this technique. I especially love being uke for this technique because the ukemi is fun. You can either take backwards ukemi, do a breakfall or do a hybrid type of fall. You can have a lot of fun with this. Since the partner I was working with doesn't really whip you around, I just turned and did the hybrid fall. Not quite a roll, but not quite a breakfall. I can't really explain it. Sensei came over and told me to try to use my hand and fold over uke's hand. That helps determine the direction the throw will go. Before that I had the one hand in the position to grab for kotegaeshi and the other hand was knife edge (edge on hand on the pinky side) over top of my other hand. It works, but the tip Sensei gave me helped make it a bit easier and uke went down easier then before. It is something I will have to keep in mind for future practice.
Finally, we worked on katadori ikkyo to sankyo. I didn't do too badly with this. I discovered that I am better on one side when it comes to grabbing sankyo then I am on the other. I have also noticed this on other techniques. Oddly enough, the ones I have noticed it on are when I am better on my left then the right. Who knows….. haha. One thing I can say is that I left the dojo feeling pretty good. My ikkyo felt great tonight. I used to dread katadori ikkyo and now I feel like I am better at it then I am the others. One thing I noticed tonight is that I was turning more with my hips and sinking down into my hip joints. I had my body weight forward, had a strong foundation and ended up in what I used to consider the "funky aikido stance" where your front foot is turned out and away from your center. I don't know why it clicked with me last night, but it did. I am hoping that I can carry over that same feeling into the other techniques. I just love it when you have those moments where something clicks and all the sudden, it doesn't seem so difficult anymore.
Last night after we got home, we ate and then watched some tv. I went online from 9:30 till almost 10. I got off and then sat on the couch and wrapped myself in a blanket because I was a bit chilly (the house was cold for some reason). Well, I ended up falling asleep till about 10:30. I told my husband that I was going to go up and shower to be ready for bed at 11. Well, I got upstairs and decided to lay down on the bed for just a second….. I'm sure you can guess what happened. My husband came up at 11 and woke me up. I told him I still had to shower before I went to bed. The hot shower felt good and I wanted to stay in there forever, but I was still pretty sleepy. I don't know if it is from the move or if my body is fighting to prevent me from getting sick, but I have been awfully tired since last Saturday! I guess only time will tell. In the meantime, I will just keep an eye on my health. Other then being more tired then usual, I feel fine.
Things to remember:
1.) Fold uke's hand when doing kotegaeshi
2.) Sink into your hips more…. It works (and now you know what it feels like….no excuses!)
3.) Come closer into nage when nikyo is applied not away! Seems counterintuitive, but it is safer on the wrist
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto
Have you ever thought about that while bowing out at the end of class. Hard not to laugh when that pops in your head.... Do yourself a favor and just don't listen to that song before class.
This week was a nice change of pace. I got to do a lot with the tanto. In fact, we have been using the tanto a lot more lately then we have been. I have begun to see the parallels and I believe it is adding to my understanding bit by bit. Tuesday we show up for class and "Sarah" shows up. She has been taking classes for over a year and is a 6th kyu student. She is a very nice girl, but she doesn't quite seem to understand much. She often spaces out. Since she is my sempai, she is supposed to do the technique first. It isn't uncommon for me to have to show her what to do before she can actually do the technique to me. Well, sensei's wife, "Lucy" had just finished teaching the kids class and we were all socializing before she headed down to change. Sarah turned to her and asked "Is there going to be another 5th kyu test soon?" (She was a no show at the last 5th kyu test). Lucy responded with "You know, we haven't had one in a long time and I think we are going to test for that in early November after Chiba sensei's seminar in Eugene." It took all I had not to glare at Sarah. I absolutely have no interest in testing at this moment and I was under the impression from sensei that he would hold off on testing my husband and I until we were ready for the 3rd kyu test. Waiting till 3rd kyu appealed to me. I know that I will have to show more techniques, but I figure that I will have more time to prepare for them. Now I feel completely robbed of time. EEK!
I went from having over a year to less then a month! I went completely from calm and composed to minor panic mode. Now, I remained calm on the outside, but inside all I could think about what how horrendous my techniques are. Just in case you are wondering, I do not have stage fright. I am great at public speaking, I have played sports in front of crowds, I have done martial arts demonstrations in front of strangers, etc. The difference is that I was prepared and confident in what I was doing. With aikido, I am just fumbling around like a monkey solving a math problem. Okay, maybe I am not THAT bad, but I am most certainly not comfortable with my abilities. I guess you could say that I am a competitive perfectionist. Now, aikido isn't really a competitive sport, which just leaves me left to focus on perfecting a technique. Naturally, I get frustrated that my technique isn't where I would like it to be. Yes, I am a beginner but that doesn't mean that it is an excuse to do poorly.
Lucy then looked at me and asked how many hours I had. I knew that she could easily tell how many hours I had because I have been diligently logging me and my husband's hours with each class we attend. I was trapped and I knew it. The only thing I could do was be truthful. I looked down and away from her as I tentatively said "Over 130 hours…." (You only need 50 hours to test.) As I looked back at her she said "Oh. You have more then enough hours to test for 5th kyu then. You should have tested sooner." She then asked if anyone else had enough hours. I quickly told her that my husband and "Sam", (who started the same day we did) have enough hours to test. Heck, if Sarah is dragging me down, I might as well drag my husband and Sam down along with me….
She walked over to the chart where we all keep track of the hours we have trained to see the hours that the other students had. She confirmed that me, my husband, Sarah and Sam all had enough hours. Because there were four of us who are ready to test, that basically sealed the deal. Uck. Not the news I wanted to hear in the beginning of the week.
Sensei walked in to teach aikido and Lucy told him about those who were ready to test. He agreed that the test would be held in November. By the time we all lined up to begin class, I had forgotten all about my testing woes. I don't really recall what we did for that class, but I do remember leaving feeling like I hadn't done terrible. There are just some things that I feel more comfortable with then others.
Wednesday my husband and I go to class. We walk in and Lucy is there as she is going to teach the intro to weapons class (jo this month). While we were standing around loosening up and waiting for the other students to arrive, Lucy approached me and Sarah and had us tie our belts lower on our hips. She said that Chiba sensei has been a stickler for this lately and has even retied quite a few ladies belts at the last seminar that they went to. This new tying location isn't quite working out for me. It keeps riding up and my gi is constantly opening up now. So, I am resorting to pulling my belt down and tugging at the bottom of my gi after most of the techniques. I think I am going to go back to the old way I was tying it. At the same time, I don't want to appear disrespectful to them though. We will just have to see. We all grabbed a jo and lined up. There is just something about that jo that I just don't like. I can't seem to grasp the way you handle it or the way you move it. I try to pretend it is a bokken for some of the things (because some of the motions are supposedly the same), but I just can't seem to make it work for me. I believe I am now at the point that I have accepted that I am horrible with the jo and that it may be something that I am never really much good at. Now, this doesn't mean that I don't try my hardest and that I have just given up on it. It just means that there are some things in life that you just aren't really that good at. I figure I will get better over time, even if I don't really become accomplished with it. Who knows, maybe it will be one of those things where I hate working with it and then all the sudden, it becomes my favorite weapon….. I doubt that will happen, but you never really know.
At the end of the class I put my jo away and then asked Lucy if we had to test when it was offered. I told her that I didn't really want to test at this time because I didn't feel ready. She told me that usually, when you have enough hours you are supposed to test unless there are extenuating circumstances or you feel like you are unready for one reason or another. She then added that she thought I was ready for the test and that I should be there for it. I must have had a look of doubt on my face because she assured me that I would be fine. I joked that I may just get a migraine that day, to which she responded "It's that bad?" I told her not quite as bad, but bad enough….
I then explained to her a few concerns I had about a couple techniques that are on the 5th kyu test. I explained that I thought I should be doing them better and find them easier since they are a requirement for the first test. Sensei walked in and heard this part of the conversation and told me that though kokyuho and suwariwaza shomenuchi ikkyo are on the first test, it doesn't mean that it is an easy technique. He told me that it takes a lifetime to perfect ikkyo and several years to get kokyuho down. He told me that I was wasn't expected to perform the technique above my level. I guess that is true. I person who has been training for 7 months won't look like someone who has been training for years…. but things would be better for me if I did….
Sensei, my husband and I are all chatting while we are stretching out and warming up waiting for the other students to arrive. 5:30 comes and no other students show up. So sensei begins class. I just kept thinking that the other students would show up (as there are a few who are constantly late), but no one did. Turns out that my husband and I got sensei's full attention! That doesn't happen too often. In fact, this is the first time that it has ever happened to us. Sensei had us each get a couple tanto to use. He told us that using the tanto for techniques would help us understand the concept of cutting with the hand once the tanto is no longer being used. We worked on kokyuho (standing and sitting), which of course I struggled with. I can do the technique, but I am using more muscle then I should be. Sensei came over and told me that if it isn't easy, I am doing it wrong. He grabbed my hands to show me the proper rotation. Once this was done, I had it for a bit. It was SO easy! Then, it was my husbands turn. By the time it was my turn again, I had lost it. WAH! We also worked on things from shomenuchi and tsuki. I was actually quite sad when the class came to an end. I really enjoyed the personal attention that we were getting. At the end of class, I told sensei that I wouldn't be in class Saturday and I wouldn't be in class Tuesday or Wednesday either because we were moving. He told me that he would miss us. I told him that he would have plenty of students to throw around. He looked at me and said "Well, they weren't here tonight."
Thursday, one of the sempai's "Jack" taught class. We started off with tai no henko and then he showed us how those movements are used in several other techniques. We worked on kotegaeshi, kaitenage, shihonage and a few other things from katatedori ai hanmi. At one point, I was working with Sarah for kaitenage. Her rolls are not that good, so you have to make sure to go very slow to ensure she has enough time to do the roll on her own. Basically, you take your hand slowly to the mat and stop and then she squats down and rolls on her own. There is nothing making her roll whatsoever. Well, things were going fine and I was being nice and considerate to Sarah. At one point, she decided that she wouldn't roll anymore. She just hung onto my hand. Jack came over and started critiquing my technique and was telling me that I wasn't doing it correctly because she wasn't going into the roll. Now, he started long before Sarah came into the picture, so he is well aware of her abilities. This kind of upset me. I know he knows that she cannot roll (she often rolls over her wrong shoulder as well) and I am surprised she hasn't hurt herself yet. Well, because Sarah was being difficult, I decided to put a bit more into it. She rolled every time (sometimes over the wrong shoulder…. Yikes!) after that. I wasn't mean to her, but I certainly wasn't as nice and considerate to her anymore.
For the second hour, sensei had us get jo's. This class is an intermediate weapons class. Truthfully, my husband and I are not at an intermediate level with weapons, but Sensei has invited us into the class, so we happily attend. We do a lot of partnered work in this class. Sometimes I find it over my head, but I usually enjoy the class. For this class, I felt like I wasn't horribly lost. There were times where I would hesitate to think about what the next move was (after switching roles) but I was able to retain the order for this one a lot better for some reason. I got to work with sensei for a bit and he gave me some very helpful advice. At one point, we were trying to figure out the best way for him to put me into a roll with a jo in both of our hands. Because of the angle of my body, I couldn't really hold onto the jo while I rolled. Sensei told me to just drop it and roll. So I did. When I came back to him he said "Let's not try that way again. You almost got bonked in the head with your jo." The second way we tried he took one end of the jo from me and I held onto the other end until I was in the middle of my roll. Then I let go. That worked alright. The third way we tried he took it from me right before he threw me in the roll. That was okay too. None of these methods were really satisfying him and I asked if I was doing something wrong. He told me no and that he was just messing around with some things. I told him that I would love to see a higher ranker in my position to see what they would do. I did not get to see that though. Haha.
Throughout the evening, sensei had us put our jo's down several times and work on throws that had similar motions used in the partnered kata. At one point, sensei called me up to be his uke. I was grabbing both of his wrists and he was pulling me into him, then he would send me back where I cam from (more or less- sometimes he would put me in another direction on purpose). He had me rolling every which way. While taking ukemi for him, I realized that something was different. Tonight I felt very connected to him. Instead of playing catch up with my body, I was keeping my center connected with him, yet letting my one leg leave from under me to allow me to pivot back the other way. This put me effortlessly into the position for the roll. It was an amazing feeling to just ride his wave of energy. I guess I was completely giving of myself and didn't worry about what was about to happen or what ukemi I would take. When he pulled, I entered, when he pushed, I followed his energy away from him. It was as if I were hyperaware of what was going on. My rolls were nice and smooth and I just kept running back to him for more. I was like a child who just discovered a new game or toy. HAHA. I could tell that sensei was pleased because he was smiling and he threw me more often then he normally would to demonstrate a technique (usually does 4), but this time, he did around 10. This isn't the first time I have felt this way, but this was the first time that I was able to maintain that feeling for that long. Usually it is for one throw and then it disappears as quickly as it came.
After class, I thanked sensei and told him that I hoped he had a great time at the seminar with Chiba sensei. On our way home, my husband out of nowhere looked at me and said "Your ukemi looked great tonight. Your rolls were very smooth and quiet." I smiled and thanked him. He then went on to say "Now I know why sensei called you up to be his uke for that." I looked at him confused. He responded with "He called you up there because he needed someone to go down and get up and you have great rolls. You just kept popping back up for more. You didn't look tired or anything." I couldn't help but smile as I imagined how connected I felt. I sure hope I can capture that feeling again because that is the closest I will ever get to flying.
I ended up not going to class Saturday because I had to wait at our new house for the satellite guy to come and install. He arrived at 12 and then told us that he couldn't install because we didn't have both tv's there and all the cables hooked up. I was so peeved! He responded with "I guess our tech guy didn't tell you that over the phone..." I wasn't upset about the installation not happening; I was upset that I had missed iaido and aikido class for no reason at all. GRRR! So, the satellite guy is coming Tuesday afternoon while we are moving in all of our crap. I guess sometimes things just don't quite go as planned…. No matter how much you try to have things organized.
Things to remember/work on:
1.) Give yourself entirely
2.) Turn your head to the side more during ukemi (for certain techniques)
3.) Tighten your tanden for kokyuho (as well as other techniques)
4.) If it takes effort, you are doing it wrong
5.) Turn your center during kokyuho
6.) Rotate your wrists
Injuries:
1.) Sore right wrist still
2.) Throat still bothering me after 3 weeks.... maybe I need to get it check out......
This week was a nice change of pace. I got to do a lot with the tanto. In fact, we have been using the tanto a lot more lately then we have been. I have begun to see the parallels and I believe it is adding to my understanding bit by bit. Tuesday we show up for class and "Sarah" shows up. She has been taking classes for over a year and is a 6th kyu student. She is a very nice girl, but she doesn't quite seem to understand much. She often spaces out. Since she is my sempai, she is supposed to do the technique first. It isn't uncommon for me to have to show her what to do before she can actually do the technique to me. Well, sensei's wife, "Lucy" had just finished teaching the kids class and we were all socializing before she headed down to change. Sarah turned to her and asked "Is there going to be another 5th kyu test soon?" (She was a no show at the last 5th kyu test). Lucy responded with "You know, we haven't had one in a long time and I think we are going to test for that in early November after Chiba sensei's seminar in Eugene." It took all I had not to glare at Sarah. I absolutely have no interest in testing at this moment and I was under the impression from sensei that he would hold off on testing my husband and I until we were ready for the 3rd kyu test. Waiting till 3rd kyu appealed to me. I know that I will have to show more techniques, but I figure that I will have more time to prepare for them. Now I feel completely robbed of time. EEK!
I went from having over a year to less then a month! I went completely from calm and composed to minor panic mode. Now, I remained calm on the outside, but inside all I could think about what how horrendous my techniques are. Just in case you are wondering, I do not have stage fright. I am great at public speaking, I have played sports in front of crowds, I have done martial arts demonstrations in front of strangers, etc. The difference is that I was prepared and confident in what I was doing. With aikido, I am just fumbling around like a monkey solving a math problem. Okay, maybe I am not THAT bad, but I am most certainly not comfortable with my abilities. I guess you could say that I am a competitive perfectionist. Now, aikido isn't really a competitive sport, which just leaves me left to focus on perfecting a technique. Naturally, I get frustrated that my technique isn't where I would like it to be. Yes, I am a beginner but that doesn't mean that it is an excuse to do poorly.
Lucy then looked at me and asked how many hours I had. I knew that she could easily tell how many hours I had because I have been diligently logging me and my husband's hours with each class we attend. I was trapped and I knew it. The only thing I could do was be truthful. I looked down and away from her as I tentatively said "Over 130 hours…." (You only need 50 hours to test.) As I looked back at her she said "Oh. You have more then enough hours to test for 5th kyu then. You should have tested sooner." She then asked if anyone else had enough hours. I quickly told her that my husband and "Sam", (who started the same day we did) have enough hours to test. Heck, if Sarah is dragging me down, I might as well drag my husband and Sam down along with me….
She walked over to the chart where we all keep track of the hours we have trained to see the hours that the other students had. She confirmed that me, my husband, Sarah and Sam all had enough hours. Because there were four of us who are ready to test, that basically sealed the deal. Uck. Not the news I wanted to hear in the beginning of the week.
Sensei walked in to teach aikido and Lucy told him about those who were ready to test. He agreed that the test would be held in November. By the time we all lined up to begin class, I had forgotten all about my testing woes. I don't really recall what we did for that class, but I do remember leaving feeling like I hadn't done terrible. There are just some things that I feel more comfortable with then others.
Wednesday my husband and I go to class. We walk in and Lucy is there as she is going to teach the intro to weapons class (jo this month). While we were standing around loosening up and waiting for the other students to arrive, Lucy approached me and Sarah and had us tie our belts lower on our hips. She said that Chiba sensei has been a stickler for this lately and has even retied quite a few ladies belts at the last seminar that they went to. This new tying location isn't quite working out for me. It keeps riding up and my gi is constantly opening up now. So, I am resorting to pulling my belt down and tugging at the bottom of my gi after most of the techniques. I think I am going to go back to the old way I was tying it. At the same time, I don't want to appear disrespectful to them though. We will just have to see. We all grabbed a jo and lined up. There is just something about that jo that I just don't like. I can't seem to grasp the way you handle it or the way you move it. I try to pretend it is a bokken for some of the things (because some of the motions are supposedly the same), but I just can't seem to make it work for me. I believe I am now at the point that I have accepted that I am horrible with the jo and that it may be something that I am never really much good at. Now, this doesn't mean that I don't try my hardest and that I have just given up on it. It just means that there are some things in life that you just aren't really that good at. I figure I will get better over time, even if I don't really become accomplished with it. Who knows, maybe it will be one of those things where I hate working with it and then all the sudden, it becomes my favorite weapon….. I doubt that will happen, but you never really know.
At the end of the class I put my jo away and then asked Lucy if we had to test when it was offered. I told her that I didn't really want to test at this time because I didn't feel ready. She told me that usually, when you have enough hours you are supposed to test unless there are extenuating circumstances or you feel like you are unready for one reason or another. She then added that she thought I was ready for the test and that I should be there for it. I must have had a look of doubt on my face because she assured me that I would be fine. I joked that I may just get a migraine that day, to which she responded "It's that bad?" I told her not quite as bad, but bad enough….
I then explained to her a few concerns I had about a couple techniques that are on the 5th kyu test. I explained that I thought I should be doing them better and find them easier since they are a requirement for the first test. Sensei walked in and heard this part of the conversation and told me that though kokyuho and suwariwaza shomenuchi ikkyo are on the first test, it doesn't mean that it is an easy technique. He told me that it takes a lifetime to perfect ikkyo and several years to get kokyuho down. He told me that I was wasn't expected to perform the technique above my level. I guess that is true. I person who has been training for 7 months won't look like someone who has been training for years…. but things would be better for me if I did….
Sensei, my husband and I are all chatting while we are stretching out and warming up waiting for the other students to arrive. 5:30 comes and no other students show up. So sensei begins class. I just kept thinking that the other students would show up (as there are a few who are constantly late), but no one did. Turns out that my husband and I got sensei's full attention! That doesn't happen too often. In fact, this is the first time that it has ever happened to us. Sensei had us each get a couple tanto to use. He told us that using the tanto for techniques would help us understand the concept of cutting with the hand once the tanto is no longer being used. We worked on kokyuho (standing and sitting), which of course I struggled with. I can do the technique, but I am using more muscle then I should be. Sensei came over and told me that if it isn't easy, I am doing it wrong. He grabbed my hands to show me the proper rotation. Once this was done, I had it for a bit. It was SO easy! Then, it was my husbands turn. By the time it was my turn again, I had lost it. WAH! We also worked on things from shomenuchi and tsuki. I was actually quite sad when the class came to an end. I really enjoyed the personal attention that we were getting. At the end of class, I told sensei that I wouldn't be in class Saturday and I wouldn't be in class Tuesday or Wednesday either because we were moving. He told me that he would miss us. I told him that he would have plenty of students to throw around. He looked at me and said "Well, they weren't here tonight."
Thursday, one of the sempai's "Jack" taught class. We started off with tai no henko and then he showed us how those movements are used in several other techniques. We worked on kotegaeshi, kaitenage, shihonage and a few other things from katatedori ai hanmi. At one point, I was working with Sarah for kaitenage. Her rolls are not that good, so you have to make sure to go very slow to ensure she has enough time to do the roll on her own. Basically, you take your hand slowly to the mat and stop and then she squats down and rolls on her own. There is nothing making her roll whatsoever. Well, things were going fine and I was being nice and considerate to Sarah. At one point, she decided that she wouldn't roll anymore. She just hung onto my hand. Jack came over and started critiquing my technique and was telling me that I wasn't doing it correctly because she wasn't going into the roll. Now, he started long before Sarah came into the picture, so he is well aware of her abilities. This kind of upset me. I know he knows that she cannot roll (she often rolls over her wrong shoulder as well) and I am surprised she hasn't hurt herself yet. Well, because Sarah was being difficult, I decided to put a bit more into it. She rolled every time (sometimes over the wrong shoulder…. Yikes!) after that. I wasn't mean to her, but I certainly wasn't as nice and considerate to her anymore.
For the second hour, sensei had us get jo's. This class is an intermediate weapons class. Truthfully, my husband and I are not at an intermediate level with weapons, but Sensei has invited us into the class, so we happily attend. We do a lot of partnered work in this class. Sometimes I find it over my head, but I usually enjoy the class. For this class, I felt like I wasn't horribly lost. There were times where I would hesitate to think about what the next move was (after switching roles) but I was able to retain the order for this one a lot better for some reason. I got to work with sensei for a bit and he gave me some very helpful advice. At one point, we were trying to figure out the best way for him to put me into a roll with a jo in both of our hands. Because of the angle of my body, I couldn't really hold onto the jo while I rolled. Sensei told me to just drop it and roll. So I did. When I came back to him he said "Let's not try that way again. You almost got bonked in the head with your jo." The second way we tried he took one end of the jo from me and I held onto the other end until I was in the middle of my roll. Then I let go. That worked alright. The third way we tried he took it from me right before he threw me in the roll. That was okay too. None of these methods were really satisfying him and I asked if I was doing something wrong. He told me no and that he was just messing around with some things. I told him that I would love to see a higher ranker in my position to see what they would do. I did not get to see that though. Haha.
Throughout the evening, sensei had us put our jo's down several times and work on throws that had similar motions used in the partnered kata. At one point, sensei called me up to be his uke. I was grabbing both of his wrists and he was pulling me into him, then he would send me back where I cam from (more or less- sometimes he would put me in another direction on purpose). He had me rolling every which way. While taking ukemi for him, I realized that something was different. Tonight I felt very connected to him. Instead of playing catch up with my body, I was keeping my center connected with him, yet letting my one leg leave from under me to allow me to pivot back the other way. This put me effortlessly into the position for the roll. It was an amazing feeling to just ride his wave of energy. I guess I was completely giving of myself and didn't worry about what was about to happen or what ukemi I would take. When he pulled, I entered, when he pushed, I followed his energy away from him. It was as if I were hyperaware of what was going on. My rolls were nice and smooth and I just kept running back to him for more. I was like a child who just discovered a new game or toy. HAHA. I could tell that sensei was pleased because he was smiling and he threw me more often then he normally would to demonstrate a technique (usually does 4), but this time, he did around 10. This isn't the first time I have felt this way, but this was the first time that I was able to maintain that feeling for that long. Usually it is for one throw and then it disappears as quickly as it came.
After class, I thanked sensei and told him that I hoped he had a great time at the seminar with Chiba sensei. On our way home, my husband out of nowhere looked at me and said "Your ukemi looked great tonight. Your rolls were very smooth and quiet." I smiled and thanked him. He then went on to say "Now I know why sensei called you up to be his uke for that." I looked at him confused. He responded with "He called you up there because he needed someone to go down and get up and you have great rolls. You just kept popping back up for more. You didn't look tired or anything." I couldn't help but smile as I imagined how connected I felt. I sure hope I can capture that feeling again because that is the closest I will ever get to flying.
I ended up not going to class Saturday because I had to wait at our new house for the satellite guy to come and install. He arrived at 12 and then told us that he couldn't install because we didn't have both tv's there and all the cables hooked up. I was so peeved! He responded with "I guess our tech guy didn't tell you that over the phone..." I wasn't upset about the installation not happening; I was upset that I had missed iaido and aikido class for no reason at all. GRRR! So, the satellite guy is coming Tuesday afternoon while we are moving in all of our crap. I guess sometimes things just don't quite go as planned…. No matter how much you try to have things organized.
Things to remember/work on:
1.) Give yourself entirely
2.) Turn your head to the side more during ukemi (for certain techniques)
3.) Tighten your tanden for kokyuho (as well as other techniques)
4.) If it takes effort, you are doing it wrong
5.) Turn your center during kokyuho
6.) Rotate your wrists
Injuries:
1.) Sore right wrist still
2.) Throat still bothering me after 3 weeks.... maybe I need to get it check out......
Friday, October 2, 2009
Steady As She Goes
This week was a decent week for me. A major accomplishment for me was that I managed NOT to get frustrated with myself and it wasn't because I was comfortable with everything because some of the things we did were new to me. Anywho, on to my weekly review
I do not really recall everything we did on Tuesday, but I know we worked on morotedori kaitenage, morotedori ikkyo, morotedori iriminage, tai no henko, I had pretty much done all of the techniques before for this class, but I am by no means completely comfortable with them. I worked with the new girl for kaitenage. I took her just to the point where she would roll so she could begin to get the feeling for the technique. Sensei came over and told me to rotate my hand a bit more as I took her forward towards the mat to help her get her rolling arm in the correct position. When it was time for her to throw me, she was told that she could do the entire throw to me. She didn't do too bad. One thing that I really like about her is that she has the desire to learn and she seems to want help and advice. I help her if I can, but I usually end up calling sensei over because I haven't been around that long myself. Morotedori ikkyo went good too, but I had a little problem with it. Sensei wanted us to keep the hands high for this variation, and I kept dropping them low as I turned. I realized what I was doing and attempted to fix it, but as we had been doing the other variation lately, if I didn't keep my mind on it, my hands would begin to drop. For iriminage I worked with my husband. I have no idea what was going on, but somehow I got twisted up during ukemi and I hurt my back. I don't know if it was something I did to myself or if the hubby did something. By hurt my back I mean like a muscle strain. It wasn't really bothering me at the time and I just made sure to be more careful whenever it was my turn to be uke.
Wednesday I woke up with my back feeling so-so. I went to work and throughout the day, the muscles started to get tighter. By the time I got home from work to get ready for class, my back was a bit worse. I decided to swallow my pride and I put some icy-hot on. I figured that between that and my back loosening up during class I would be alright. As I was changing, sensei's wife came into the room. She looked at me and said "I smell bengay or something." I told her that I had put icy-hot on because my back was bothering me a bit. I then went on to tell her that I hated using the stuff and avoided it at all costs. She told me that if during weapons class my back started to hurt, I could rest a bit and then join back in; turns out that I didn't need to rest at all. The icy-hot worked and the more my body warmed up, the more I felt the icy-hot. My back was quite comfortable actually. After that class, sensei arrived to teach the second class. As we were stretching, sensei's wife popped her head back in and told sensei that my back was bothering me. Sensei looked at me and said "Your back hurts?" I just smiled and looked as his wife and said "You tattled on me!". After warm-ups, sensei wanted to know exactly what was wrong with my back and I told him. He told me that he would avoid anything that required too much back bending. I told him I would be fine with doing them as long as I took my pelvis forward to compensate for it. Sensei called me up as his uke to demonstrate our first technique of the evening: katadori gyaku hanmi ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo to yonkyo. Turns out I never actually got to do them. I gave my partner an extra turn after sensei gave him some advice and I missed out. Evidently there was some confusion, so sensei decided to break it down. We first worked on ikkyo to nikyo. This went pretty well for me as I have done this one before. After that, we did ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo. This all went pretty well for me too. I just had to remember to use my shoulder to keep uke down while I was transitioning from nikyo to sankyo. Finally, sensei added back in yonkyo. I have never been able to get yonkyo and tonight was the same way. First I had a hard time figuring out how to transition my hands and then I just couldn't figure out exactly where my thumb should be. I know to separate the wrist and I know where my hands go, but I just can't figure out how to rotate my hands into the perfect position to find that nerve. We don't do that technique too often and I won't need to know it for a while. I figure that it will eventually come to me sometime. HAHA.
At the end of class, sensei called me up to be his uke again. For this technique we started from katatedori ai hanmi. Sensei did shihonage to me. I went down and sensei held on to my hand and told me to get up. So, I rolled out of it and came to my feet. Sensei then did kotegaeshi to me. I waited for the pin and sensei again held on to my hand and told me to get up. I quickly scrambled to my feet where he responded with iriminage. Once I was back on my feet, sensei asked if that hurt my back. I told him that I was fine since my back was warmed up and loose. Sensei told me to get up if I wasn't being held down. Well, after demonstrating this series a couple more times I was pooped! Sensei then called the other 3 students up one by one so they could be uke for the technique. I think it was partly to give me a rest, but to also show the other students what to do as uke. The secret to this series is switching hands between each move as uke is getting up. I had a bit of a problem switching hands from shihonage to kotegaeshi for some reason. After that, we all reid out of class. I told sensei that the class was a lot of fun. He told me he had originally planned on the ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo to yonkyo as our warm up for the class. I responded with "Until you saw how bad we were doing." Sensei and I both smiled at each other.
I then went and changed into my hakama for iaido class. By the time I had changed and gotten back into the dojo, my back had cooled off and was again beginning to tighten up. Gah. Is this what it is like to get older? For this class, sensei decided to have us work on all of the basic draws and the basic defensive draws. I think part of this was on my behalf. I am one of the few who does the kata from seiza and I don't know if he thought it would be too much for my back. Either way, I enjoyed the class. Every now and then, sensei will step back and watch us do the draws and then give us some feedback. My main focus has been not to shortchange my cuts. Sometimes sensei tells me that I shortcut my shomen.
Yesterday's class went fairly well. We worked on katadori ikkyo, katadori katagatame and katadori sumiotoshi (2 variations). I had never done katagatame from katadori before. For this technique I was working with the new girl and my husband. I was having a bit of trouble at first, but my husband helped me. As long as I remembered to put my hand under their elbow and then brought the elbow up and rotated, I didn't have a problem. Sensei used me as uke to demonstrate katadori sumiotoshi. We did two variations for this technique. Sensei was throwing me around like normal and then as he was throwing me, he started turning my head in strange positions. Before I knew it, I was flipping over and landing in breakfalls. I don't know how he does it. There is absolutely no effort on my part and it doesn't appear as if there is effort on his part. I strive to be that way some day. Sensei then turned to everyone and said "Don't do this to your partner. I am just demonstrating that you should go slowly to give uke the choice of how they want to fall." He used me as uke for the other variation as well. At one point I took a bit of a weird fall and I think I hit sensei as I went down. As I landed I looked up and said "I'm sorry sensei. Are you okay?" He chuckled and said "I'm okay. You are the one being thrown to the mat. Are you okay?" We both smiled and he threw me a couple more times before sending us on our way.
For the second hour there were four of us and we all take iaido. Sensei decided to have us work on the paired form for Ukifune Gaeshi. For this we stuck with the same partners for the entire class. My partner has been doing iaido for less time then me. I thought we did fairly well. Each time sensei added a step, he came over and worked with me and my partner twice (once with each role) and then my partner and I would work together. I think it went fairly good overall. I just need to remember not to slide back so far (when I slide back to swing my bokken up to meet my partners bokken as they attack shomen). Sensei also told me I need to sink further into my front knee when I step off the line for the final cut.
In the end, I think this week has gone pretty good so far. I am hoping that Saturday's class goes just as well.
I do not really recall everything we did on Tuesday, but I know we worked on morotedori kaitenage, morotedori ikkyo, morotedori iriminage, tai no henko, I had pretty much done all of the techniques before for this class, but I am by no means completely comfortable with them. I worked with the new girl for kaitenage. I took her just to the point where she would roll so she could begin to get the feeling for the technique. Sensei came over and told me to rotate my hand a bit more as I took her forward towards the mat to help her get her rolling arm in the correct position. When it was time for her to throw me, she was told that she could do the entire throw to me. She didn't do too bad. One thing that I really like about her is that she has the desire to learn and she seems to want help and advice. I help her if I can, but I usually end up calling sensei over because I haven't been around that long myself. Morotedori ikkyo went good too, but I had a little problem with it. Sensei wanted us to keep the hands high for this variation, and I kept dropping them low as I turned. I realized what I was doing and attempted to fix it, but as we had been doing the other variation lately, if I didn't keep my mind on it, my hands would begin to drop. For iriminage I worked with my husband. I have no idea what was going on, but somehow I got twisted up during ukemi and I hurt my back. I don't know if it was something I did to myself or if the hubby did something. By hurt my back I mean like a muscle strain. It wasn't really bothering me at the time and I just made sure to be more careful whenever it was my turn to be uke.
Wednesday I woke up with my back feeling so-so. I went to work and throughout the day, the muscles started to get tighter. By the time I got home from work to get ready for class, my back was a bit worse. I decided to swallow my pride and I put some icy-hot on. I figured that between that and my back loosening up during class I would be alright. As I was changing, sensei's wife came into the room. She looked at me and said "I smell bengay or something." I told her that I had put icy-hot on because my back was bothering me a bit. I then went on to tell her that I hated using the stuff and avoided it at all costs. She told me that if during weapons class my back started to hurt, I could rest a bit and then join back in; turns out that I didn't need to rest at all. The icy-hot worked and the more my body warmed up, the more I felt the icy-hot. My back was quite comfortable actually. After that class, sensei arrived to teach the second class. As we were stretching, sensei's wife popped her head back in and told sensei that my back was bothering me. Sensei looked at me and said "Your back hurts?" I just smiled and looked as his wife and said "You tattled on me!". After warm-ups, sensei wanted to know exactly what was wrong with my back and I told him. He told me that he would avoid anything that required too much back bending. I told him I would be fine with doing them as long as I took my pelvis forward to compensate for it. Sensei called me up as his uke to demonstrate our first technique of the evening: katadori gyaku hanmi ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo to yonkyo. Turns out I never actually got to do them. I gave my partner an extra turn after sensei gave him some advice and I missed out. Evidently there was some confusion, so sensei decided to break it down. We first worked on ikkyo to nikyo. This went pretty well for me as I have done this one before. After that, we did ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo. This all went pretty well for me too. I just had to remember to use my shoulder to keep uke down while I was transitioning from nikyo to sankyo. Finally, sensei added back in yonkyo. I have never been able to get yonkyo and tonight was the same way. First I had a hard time figuring out how to transition my hands and then I just couldn't figure out exactly where my thumb should be. I know to separate the wrist and I know where my hands go, but I just can't figure out how to rotate my hands into the perfect position to find that nerve. We don't do that technique too often and I won't need to know it for a while. I figure that it will eventually come to me sometime. HAHA.
At the end of class, sensei called me up to be his uke again. For this technique we started from katatedori ai hanmi. Sensei did shihonage to me. I went down and sensei held on to my hand and told me to get up. So, I rolled out of it and came to my feet. Sensei then did kotegaeshi to me. I waited for the pin and sensei again held on to my hand and told me to get up. I quickly scrambled to my feet where he responded with iriminage. Once I was back on my feet, sensei asked if that hurt my back. I told him that I was fine since my back was warmed up and loose. Sensei told me to get up if I wasn't being held down. Well, after demonstrating this series a couple more times I was pooped! Sensei then called the other 3 students up one by one so they could be uke for the technique. I think it was partly to give me a rest, but to also show the other students what to do as uke. The secret to this series is switching hands between each move as uke is getting up. I had a bit of a problem switching hands from shihonage to kotegaeshi for some reason. After that, we all reid out of class. I told sensei that the class was a lot of fun. He told me he had originally planned on the ikkyo to nikyo to sankyo to yonkyo as our warm up for the class. I responded with "Until you saw how bad we were doing." Sensei and I both smiled at each other.
I then went and changed into my hakama for iaido class. By the time I had changed and gotten back into the dojo, my back had cooled off and was again beginning to tighten up. Gah. Is this what it is like to get older? For this class, sensei decided to have us work on all of the basic draws and the basic defensive draws. I think part of this was on my behalf. I am one of the few who does the kata from seiza and I don't know if he thought it would be too much for my back. Either way, I enjoyed the class. Every now and then, sensei will step back and watch us do the draws and then give us some feedback. My main focus has been not to shortchange my cuts. Sometimes sensei tells me that I shortcut my shomen.
Yesterday's class went fairly well. We worked on katadori ikkyo, katadori katagatame and katadori sumiotoshi (2 variations). I had never done katagatame from katadori before. For this technique I was working with the new girl and my husband. I was having a bit of trouble at first, but my husband helped me. As long as I remembered to put my hand under their elbow and then brought the elbow up and rotated, I didn't have a problem. Sensei used me as uke to demonstrate katadori sumiotoshi. We did two variations for this technique. Sensei was throwing me around like normal and then as he was throwing me, he started turning my head in strange positions. Before I knew it, I was flipping over and landing in breakfalls. I don't know how he does it. There is absolutely no effort on my part and it doesn't appear as if there is effort on his part. I strive to be that way some day. Sensei then turned to everyone and said "Don't do this to your partner. I am just demonstrating that you should go slowly to give uke the choice of how they want to fall." He used me as uke for the other variation as well. At one point I took a bit of a weird fall and I think I hit sensei as I went down. As I landed I looked up and said "I'm sorry sensei. Are you okay?" He chuckled and said "I'm okay. You are the one being thrown to the mat. Are you okay?" We both smiled and he threw me a couple more times before sending us on our way.
For the second hour there were four of us and we all take iaido. Sensei decided to have us work on the paired form for Ukifune Gaeshi. For this we stuck with the same partners for the entire class. My partner has been doing iaido for less time then me. I thought we did fairly well. Each time sensei added a step, he came over and worked with me and my partner twice (once with each role) and then my partner and I would work together. I think it went fairly good overall. I just need to remember not to slide back so far (when I slide back to swing my bokken up to meet my partners bokken as they attack shomen). Sensei also told me I need to sink further into my front knee when I step off the line for the final cut.
In the end, I think this week has gone pretty good so far. I am hoping that Saturday's class goes just as well.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Where there's smoke, there's fire
Last weeks class wasn't too bad. The classes weren't as intense as they have been lately. For those of you who aren't aware, Oregon has/had several forest fires going on. Since we live in a valley, the smoke from the 2 local fires just laid in the valley. Because the smoke in the air really aggravates the lungs, class has been more relaxed. Tuesday's class was fairly easy. I walked in to find my frienemey was back on break from school. I didn't know they had a break this soon, but she was back for the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday classes. Since there was smoke in the air and it was hot from the fires, sensei decided to have us work on blending exercises. These were quite helpful and I enjoy working on them. The only throws we actually did were soto kaitenage and kokyunage.
For kaitenage, sensei used me as uke. Sensei started off easy, but soon he was using hip to get me to fly through the roll. Things were going good…. until they weren't. HAHA. One time he threw me and as I was in the air, I could feel myself out of position for the roll. I don't know how it happened; all I knew was that the landing would hurt unless I got myself back into position. I could tell that I was going to land on my shoulder if I did something, so my main goal was to get my shoulder out of harms way. Well, I successfully got my shoulder out of the way and did an awkward roll. I knew it must have looked bad because sensei looked at me with concern and said "Is your shoulder okay!?!" I got up and smiled (mainly because I was not injured at all, but also out of embarrassment for such an awful roll), stated that I was not injured and grabbed his wrist for him to throw me some more. Sensei threw me a few more times, but these were a bit slower. HAHA.
After class I told my husband that the roll must have looked pretty bad for sensei to be so concerned. (When asked if I can do something, sensei tells them "She can take care of herself." I know he means this as a compliment to me and that he thinks highly enough of my ukemi that I am capable of taking care of myself) With a smile on his face, my husband told me the roll looked really bad and that it looked more like a side roll beginners do. I could not help but laugh at that comment (as I have been doing forward rolls since 1999 in my previous style). In all seriousness though, despite the fact that my roll was horrendous looking, I am proud of myself that I was able to realize I was out of position and instead of panicking and injuring myself, I somehow managed to get out of my own way enough to do a roll that kept me safe. It may not have been a picturesque roll, but their purpose is to help you land safely and that is just what I did.
For kokyunage I worked with the previously mentioned frienemy. Well, while working on the technique this person kept elbowing me in the throat. It didn't really hurt, but it was feeling rather uncomfortable, especially when I could feel things moving around in my throat that shouldn't be. Well, I didn't think anything of it and went on to the tai chi class after. Well, on our way home I realized that my throat was beginning to hurt. At first I thought that maybe I was getting sick because it felt an awful lot like the two times I have had a major throat infection over the course of my life. I pulled out a flashlight when I got home and inspected my throat. It was all red and aggravated looking. I felt my throat and it wasn't swollen, but the right side of my throat by my trachea was quite tender to the touch. The next day it was a bit worse and my voice was a bit harsh. I took some spray and cough drops with me to help sooth my throat. I determined that it was a throat injury from class and not an infection. My next decision was to decide if I wanted to go to the doctor. I decided that I didn't need to go at this time. I could talk and swallow (though a bit painful), the redness was going away and I wasn't bleeding at all. I figure if it got any worse, then I would go to the doctor. Just a bit of an update, my throat is still a bit tender, but overall, it is doing so much better. I guess my trachea, esophagus and larynx or whatever else just got compressed and maybe grinded a bit.
Wednesday was the worst! The smoke was really heavy in the valley. There are two major fires about an 1 ½ hour away from us. The wind changed and brought the smoke into the valley and it just laid here. It isn't uncommon that things like this happen. Air gets stuck in our valley sometimes and then we have a "Stagnant Air Warning" and they tell you two try to not do anything outdoors requiring too much exertion. All you could smell was smoke and you couldn't even see the mountains surrounding the valley anymore. In fact, it was quite similar (maybe a bit worse) to a VERY foggy morning…. except this fog was brown. Uck. Our sempai decided to keep the windows closed for class that day because our throats would be raw by breathing the smoke. The only problem is we don't have air conditioning in our dojo. With the windows closed, there was no airflow and it quickly became sauna-like. To help us be a little cooler, sempai told us to think of the class more as a study session then a regular class. He kept telling us to slow things down and really analyze what you are doing. We mainly worked on ikkyo from katatedori and morotedori, but we also did a few other things like jujinage. Despite our efforts to stay cool, everyone was sweating, including me (and I don't really sweat much). Pretty soon, the heavy sweaters in class had the mat covered. It got to the point that when I was thrown, I would do my best not to let my face touch the mat because I didn't want to have my face in someone else's puddle of sweat. Gross! Haha.
Sensei showed up near the end of class and immediately noticed how hot it was in the dojo. Sempai explained to him why the windows were closed. Sensei told us to open up the windows anyway for the next class. Although the smoke quickly came into the dojo and that was all you could smell, the breeze/cooler air felt so great that none of us complained. The second hour we worked with the bokken and did partnered work. For the most part, I did alright, but I was getting quite frustrated near the end of the class. My partner (a sandan) was just making my frustration level worse. Sensei had showed us how to do our roles step by step. Eventually, we switched roles but sensei didn't show us step by step how to do the other persons role. Well, I had a hard time figuring out what I was supposed to do without doing it once step by step. At one point, I just stood there trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. He asked me "Where is the next logical place to attack me?" I replied "To your head." to which he responded "No." I then stood there for a while and he finally said in frustration "You attack shomen!" Hhhmm…. Is shomen not the head? This frustrated me a bit because he told me I was wrong and I wasn't'. I guess it is partly my fault because I didn't say shomen and I know there are more then one way to attack the head, but maybe a better question for him to ask after I said the head would have been "Where on the head?" Anywho, I was working with him the entire class since sensei wanted us to remain with the same partners for a change. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me, which just made me more frustrated.
I don't really recall the exact details of the other classes of the week, but I do know we worked on the following again outside of Tuesday's and Wednesday's class: ikkyo, shihonage, kotegaeshi, kokyuho and sumiotoshi. For these we either did them from katatedori, yokomenuchi and tsuki. All in all, this week was a good week and I feel like I did alright. I could have done better on some things, but I have only been training for almost 7 months… so I guess I can't have everything down. Having something down would be nice though. HAHA.
Things to remember/work on:
1.) Remain close to uke for jujinage
2.) Settle at the end of kokyunage
Pains/injuries:
1.) Wrist (Almost healed! I am now doing class without tape)
2.) Throat
3.) Left calf muscle (not sure if I hit it on nages knee or my own during ukemi…..)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
I just hate saying no
Well, I was again approached (by sensei's wife) and asked if I was going to the seminar. She told me that she did have a scholarship to help me and my husband go. I told her unfortunately, since we are moving in a couple weeks and the rent is higher then where we are now that I will not be able to go. I am sure the scholarship would help out with paying for the seminar, but there is still the issue of travel, food and finding a hotel that is dog friendly or boarding her. She told me I had until the end of the night if I changed my mind.
My husband told me that I should try to go without him. At first, the idea sounded grand. I was about to hop all over that and run up to sensei and tell him that I would be there like he wanted. Then reality sunk in. I could not go to a seminar without my husband. It would not be fair to him and I would feel completely guilty the entire time. Technically, I think we could afford the money to go. It really isn't that much. I have off weekends, but my husband works retail. He is convinced that if he asks off, his hours will be cut back from that point forward (they have done this to other people evidently). He will already be asking for time off to move into our new place.
Instead of being happy that we are finally moving out of the apartment (which I have been wanting to do for quite some time) and moving into a bigger (and quieter) duplex that actually accepts pets, I am left sad wishing I could go to the seminar. We discussed me going for just a day, which would make for a long day with 6 hours total of travel, 4 hours of training and then if I stayed for the potluck. That would have me on the go from 9 a.m. till about 11-11:30 p.m. Seemed like a better idea, but there was still the issue of him needing off work and then we would definitely have to board the dog.
It is funny how you get something you want, yet you can still be sad for the things you can't or don't have. I mean, why can't I just be happy that I have a new place to live that gets me away from all the problems at our current apartment? Why can't I be happy with just training for 11 1/2 hours a week at the dojo (including iaido and tai chi). I can't help but wish I had picked up that phone and told sensei that I had changed my mind and that I alone was going. Would I have felt guilty as soon as I hung up? Would I feel guilty the whole trip knowing I got to train and my husband didn't? Would he have been secretly disappointed or upset that I went? Could we alternate seminars with me going once and him another? Sure we could, but I like the thought of sharing the experience with him… not just telling him about it.
I am pretty sure he would have been fine with me going. All I know is he wouldn't go to a seminar without me. Though I would be bummed if he went and I didn't, I would probably understand as well.... but that would never happen; he would not go without me. In the end, I came to the conclusion that my husband and I are a connected unit. Just like nage and uke, we are constantly working together as partners. I realize that Chiba sensei may not always be around and that I may not have this opportunity again for quite some time (he hasn't been in this area for two years). I also have to realize that at this point in my life, we just don't have the financial freedom to do all the great seminars that are offered throughout the year. I just have to put my big girl panties on and say "Maybe next year."
Disappointment is a part of life and I have come to realize that it is how you deal with the disappointment that determines the overall quality of those moments in your life. I still have a fantastic husband, whom I absolutely love and adore (on most days… haha), I have a new place to live where my husband and I will be happier, I have a happy go lucky shih tzu who is loyal to me as long as I keep the treats coming on a daily basis and I still get to feed my ever growing addiction to aikido by training four days a week with a great sensei. So, although I am bummed that I can't go, the disappointment has become a bit more bearable and it isn't overshadowing what should be an exciting time for me and my husband.
My husband told me that I should try to go without him. At first, the idea sounded grand. I was about to hop all over that and run up to sensei and tell him that I would be there like he wanted. Then reality sunk in. I could not go to a seminar without my husband. It would not be fair to him and I would feel completely guilty the entire time. Technically, I think we could afford the money to go. It really isn't that much. I have off weekends, but my husband works retail. He is convinced that if he asks off, his hours will be cut back from that point forward (they have done this to other people evidently). He will already be asking for time off to move into our new place.
Instead of being happy that we are finally moving out of the apartment (which I have been wanting to do for quite some time) and moving into a bigger (and quieter) duplex that actually accepts pets, I am left sad wishing I could go to the seminar. We discussed me going for just a day, which would make for a long day with 6 hours total of travel, 4 hours of training and then if I stayed for the potluck. That would have me on the go from 9 a.m. till about 11-11:30 p.m. Seemed like a better idea, but there was still the issue of him needing off work and then we would definitely have to board the dog.
It is funny how you get something you want, yet you can still be sad for the things you can't or don't have. I mean, why can't I just be happy that I have a new place to live that gets me away from all the problems at our current apartment? Why can't I be happy with just training for 11 1/2 hours a week at the dojo (including iaido and tai chi). I can't help but wish I had picked up that phone and told sensei that I had changed my mind and that I alone was going. Would I have felt guilty as soon as I hung up? Would I feel guilty the whole trip knowing I got to train and my husband didn't? Would he have been secretly disappointed or upset that I went? Could we alternate seminars with me going once and him another? Sure we could, but I like the thought of sharing the experience with him… not just telling him about it.
I am pretty sure he would have been fine with me going. All I know is he wouldn't go to a seminar without me. Though I would be bummed if he went and I didn't, I would probably understand as well.... but that would never happen; he would not go without me. In the end, I came to the conclusion that my husband and I are a connected unit. Just like nage and uke, we are constantly working together as partners. I realize that Chiba sensei may not always be around and that I may not have this opportunity again for quite some time (he hasn't been in this area for two years). I also have to realize that at this point in my life, we just don't have the financial freedom to do all the great seminars that are offered throughout the year. I just have to put my big girl panties on and say "Maybe next year."
Disappointment is a part of life and I have come to realize that it is how you deal with the disappointment that determines the overall quality of those moments in your life. I still have a fantastic husband, whom I absolutely love and adore (on most days… haha), I have a new place to live where my husband and I will be happier, I have a happy go lucky shih tzu who is loyal to me as long as I keep the treats coming on a daily basis and I still get to feed my ever growing addiction to aikido by training four days a week with a great sensei. So, although I am bummed that I can't go, the disappointment has become a bit more bearable and it isn't overshadowing what should be an exciting time for me and my husband.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A lesson from nature
I take in a breath
Crisp autumn air fills my lungs,
Summer has left us
Leaves start to change
Green turns to yellow and red,
As if they're on fire
A gust of wind comes
The leaves happily give in,
Time for ukemi
Suspended on a breeze
Never fighting, always blending,
Riding the winds energy
They match the wind's speed
Lazily floating about,
Then all is quiet
The leaves flutter down
In a slow, controlled descent,
Landing silently
I watch intently
Learning from Mother Nature,
The one true uke
I realize something
Like the change of the seasons,
I too have transformed
I have a flashback
Of a time in the dojo,
It all seems so clear
Sensei smiles at me
And asks me to be uke,
What a privilege
I attack with heart
Like the leaves, I bend and flow,
Letting him lead
I'm in the moment
Letting go of everything,
Yet, still in control
My balance is gone
Both feet no longer touching,
A gentle landing
The memory fades
Leaves continue to rain down,
Enveloping me
I take in a breath
Crisp autumn air fills my lungs,
I can't help but smile
Nature's gift to me:
Be in control, yet yielding,
Always adapting
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Ukemi is a workout!
Well this week has been pretty good overall. We have been doing a lot of things I have never done before and there were several things that I did that I have absolutely no idea of what the names are. Most of the classes this week I have left feeling absolutely beat! No energy and just plain tired. Part of the reason is sensei is using me as uke more and depending on the technique it can take a lot out of me. Sometimes by the end of the technique when I turn to find a partner I am dragging. Once, when I reid to my partner, I just couldn't help it and stole a few seconds rest while I was still down in my rei. A very compromising position, but it was a necessary risk at the time. HAHA. Since I am the low one on the totem pole I am usually uke first, which just makes the problem worse. At one point I worked with a higher ranker and I apologized for being slow since I was tired. He told me it was okay if my body was tired, provided my mind was still focused. I find that statement to be true because usually if you are still mentally focused, you can somehow push your body through to keep going. It is when you mentally can't push yourself anymore that you ultimately fail.
I do take it as a huge compliment that sensei uses me.. a 6th kyu as uke more and more often. I think he uses me to allow me the opportunity to work on my ukemi more. He sometimes corrects me or tells me what I should do to make the ukemi better. The experience is both mentally and physically exhausting. I think he is also trying to get me up to par so he doesn't have to use the same people as uke all the time either. Lately, a lot of the higher rankers haven't been in class, so he ends up using the same people over and over again. So, I guess I am a welcomed addition to his frequently used uke.
Some of the techniques we covered Saturday were tenchinage and double nikyo (from ryotedori), shihonage (from gyaku hanmi katatedori), ikkyo (from shomenuchi) and ikkyo and iriminage (from ai hanmi)
For some reason I am still having problems doing the omote shomenuchi ikkyo from suwariwaza. I can do the ura variation fine and I am more comfortable doing them both from standing. I just haven't figured out the timing yet. I always want to step in (which is the only way I can seem to get it to work), but then I am told that I shouldn't step in till I get uke down. If I don't step in, then I feel like I am over extended and have a hard time bringing the elbow back down so I can go into ikkyo. I guess it will come with time. In the meantime I will just sit and ponder about it.......
Iaido class went well Saturday. We covered 13 different kata. I don't know them all by name yet though, so sometimes I have to do my best to follow, yet do it at the same time they are. For the most part I have no problem with it though. It is just something that I have gotten better with over time. Just like I am better at learning with someone across from me facing me. So, I have to do what they do, but realize that I have to do it in the opposite direction then it they are.
I do take it as a huge compliment that sensei uses me.. a 6th kyu as uke more and more often. I think he uses me to allow me the opportunity to work on my ukemi more. He sometimes corrects me or tells me what I should do to make the ukemi better. The experience is both mentally and physically exhausting. I think he is also trying to get me up to par so he doesn't have to use the same people as uke all the time either. Lately, a lot of the higher rankers haven't been in class, so he ends up using the same people over and over again. So, I guess I am a welcomed addition to his frequently used uke.
Some of the techniques we covered Saturday were tenchinage and double nikyo (from ryotedori), shihonage (from gyaku hanmi katatedori), ikkyo (from shomenuchi) and ikkyo and iriminage (from ai hanmi)
For some reason I am still having problems doing the omote shomenuchi ikkyo from suwariwaza. I can do the ura variation fine and I am more comfortable doing them both from standing. I just haven't figured out the timing yet. I always want to step in (which is the only way I can seem to get it to work), but then I am told that I shouldn't step in till I get uke down. If I don't step in, then I feel like I am over extended and have a hard time bringing the elbow back down so I can go into ikkyo. I guess it will come with time. In the meantime I will just sit and ponder about it.......
Iaido class went well Saturday. We covered 13 different kata. I don't know them all by name yet though, so sometimes I have to do my best to follow, yet do it at the same time they are. For the most part I have no problem with it though. It is just something that I have gotten better with over time. Just like I am better at learning with someone across from me facing me. So, I have to do what they do, but realize that I have to do it in the opposite direction then it they are.
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