Training Session on Saturday, 19 January 2008 - First Post of the Year!

Ah, you're still reading! In that case, I wish you a (much belated) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

After buckling to peer pressure (hahaha), I'm starting back on the session blogging track, still carrying an sizeable load of back issues. For those who are wondering why I haven't included any of the pre-19 June sessions, I was planning on updating the blog once the club officially starts. And now that it has, I guess I have no excuses, ne? Other than study and this odd wrist problem, that is...

Ahem.

Well, in that case, I welcome you to the first Waikendoka training blog entry for 2008!

First Official Training Session
Saturday, 19 January 2008

Ahh...a new year, another fresh 12 months just brimming with new opportunities and challenges.

Including updating this blog, I may add.

But I digress.

First of all, a few club updates which have been on the update waiting list.

A big and hearty 'welcome back' to Sam-sensei, Marleen-sensei, and Joyce-senpai who've just returned from Taiwan. Also, congratulations to Marleen-sensei who was chosen as a nominee for the 2007 Waikato Times Sports Coach award!

Welcome to back to Awatea, who's had to take a four month break from training due to his wrist injury. He says he's more or less properly healed, and is looking forward to getting back into good, hard training.

(Belated) Congratulations to Kevin, who's the first of the 1st term 2007 beginners to get married!

To balance returns and new happiness, we unfortunately also have several departures. Such is life.

Both Sangwon and James Nam have both returned to Korea. Here's to our next meeting, boys, whenever and wherever that may be. Ganbatte!

Benjamin's actually been gone for quite a bit now (forgot to update that one...sorry Benji!), and he'll be spending a year at the least in Japan. We're still not completely sure what you're up to there, but all the best regardless. Be on the lookout for his return sometime before he actually leaves...it won't be a complete goodbye if we don't get to have a commemorative shiai with you, Benji :D

Nicolas-senpai is returning to France on Wednesday, as his studies here completed. He's apparently also got his sights on joining the French national team, so best of luck for that. He'll be coming on Tuesday for a final session, and Marleen-sensei has promised a shiai-keiko to send him off. As sensei has said so many times before, ichigo ichie - every encounter is unique...so don't miss this chance to give him a clobbering farewell to last him till he returns!

Terry-senpai is working in Auckland, and is currently still unable to join training on a regular basis. Here's hoping he'll be able to come back and continue to keep us on the edge every keiko-time through his fiery ki!

Jeffrey-senpai will also be joining irregularly for the near future due to a number of reasons, including work. A heartfelt thanks especially from those of us who've been under your supervision in the two weeks before the official start. As Robin-senpai put it, "you've been a rock". And you really have been our 'rock' for quite some time now. Arimashita, and good luck for your new enterprises, senpai!

Alright, now that the most of the urgent matters have been dispensed with, on to the actual training session!

Training Session on Saturday, 19 January 2008

• Warm-up

• Normal routine

• Group haya suburi - 15 x 10 each + 10 + 30 = 190 suburi total <- a good start to 2008!

• Sensei's tip - in order to conserve energy during group haya suburi:

• when raising shinai and jumping back, use 30% power - can relax, but don't stop at the top.

• when striking and jumping forwards, use 70% power - move faster, do proper ten-no-uchi to ensure kensen will automatically lift after the strike, and immediately relax shoulders to raise.

• once accustomed to this method, increase power - e.g. [raise : strike] 30%:70% => 40%:80% => 50%:100%

• try not to use too little power nor make the muscles too tense - relax on upswing and (more) tense on downswing.

• Bogu keiko - pt. 1 - full armor

• Briefing from Sam-sensei - tip - when stamping, try to use gravity in addition to pushing forwards. Without it, you may damage your Achilles tendon.

• Kirikaeshi - 6x each - movements are more smoothly coordinated now, start focusing on feeling forwards and backwards momentum

• Big men cuts - 6x each

• Big kote-men cuts - 6x each

• Continuous kirikaeshi - 2x each - new

• In partners, do kirikaeshi continuously (with first men cut + taiatari) across dojo lengthwise. Repeat after reaching the other side.

• Attacker must focus on keeping proper maai and 'flowing' with forwards momentum. Motodachi should keep head down and move back quickly to keep partner focused.

• Continuous kote-men - 2x each - new

• Smaller footwork for attacker - 1 cut, 1 fumikomi - if kote ends up with arms bent in, steps are too large.

• Similar to earlier tips on haya suburi - less power when raising, but speed up on delivery - proper ten-no-uchi should allow the shinai to naturally bounce back to quickly go into next strike.

• Motodachi and attacker both must be able to judge distance - focus points sme as continuous kirikaeshi.

• Break and discussion

• Big or small cuts?

• Being able to judge distance and timing correctly more important

• Must master basic balance

• Keep in proper kamae at all times

• Everything must come together smoothly - ki-ken-tai-ichi

• Generally, master big cuts first before moving into small cuts.

• Bogu keiko pt. 2 - kote and do only

• Waza - must be mastered in order to distract opponent and win the centre

• e.g. - tsuki feint (didn't get the proper name, sorry) - aim tsuki slightly towards left eye to trigger natural reflex to swat shinai away from opponent, can open up opportunity for kote-nuki.

• For this session: kote waza

• Push away opponent's shinai, but keep own in centre - doesn't have to push opponent's shinai completely out of the way, simply pointing away from your centre

• Take centre, feel opposing pressure

• Raise shinai to almost parallel to body

• Small kote + zanshin <- note: must be able to do small kote cuts to be effective!

• Push into motodachi, taiatari, bounce back

• Additional notes:

• Use stable power -> don't use too much force when pushing opponent's shinai away

• Remember that hits always follow parallel to the side of the shinai facing the opponent - always keep shinai as far as possible from body without compromising next attack/counter

• At this stage, just raise the shinai rather than going under and performing harai - helps distance judgement, as one cannot properly see opponent's shinai when raising and must rely on instict/automatic estimation to land the cut. Also, don't lift shoulders.

• If the opponent's kamae is hard and unyielding, push hard and raise. If opponent's kamae is soft or weak, go under and whack it out of the way just enough for a men/kote cut.

• If going under, make sure to use ten-no-uchi to maintain centre. Using power alone will not cause the shinai to follow momentum and stray from centre, and possibly open possibilities for a counter.

• Above all, try to use basic techniques such as this one to attract the opponent's shinai away.

• Remember that issoku-itto-no-maai is not just about phsyical distance, but also through feeling and instict - can I get a hit in one step? And if I can, can I make sure it's a proper cut?

• Debriefing

• Sensei - plans for the future - once the club has produced enough mature members (e.g. dan senpai), there is a possibility that we can make satellite clubs throughout Hamilton. This will be beneficial to both future instructors and students, learning through teaching. Probably not in the very near future, but an interesting possibility that is worth looking forwards to in the long run.

• Tuesday - Nicolas's final session - shiai-keiko scheduled!

Phew. That took a lot longer than expected. Awa and Clement may be able to help me with the back issues, so I'm hoping (really, I am) that we'll have most up by the beginning of February. Also, I need to find those notes first. Eh-heh-heh-heh...

Well, there you have it, the very first training blog entry for 2008. Please don't miss Tuesday's session to give Nicolas a goodbye worthy of memory. Until then, ganbatte!

note - sorry if the formatting is a little dodgy, blogger isn't that good for copying slabs of text straight out of MS Word :S