tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14111686580742600432024-02-07T18:15:13.766+13:00WaiKendoFor Past, Present and Future.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-54099793862682497322008-06-15T16:45:00.005+12:002008-06-17T22:00:57.337+12:00Grading and NostalgiaEarlier today I received an email from Sensei with a link to a photo album. Not really reading the title, I absentmindedly clicked on it and went back to studying. When I came back, I was pleasantly surprised; the album contained pictures of the 2007 A Beginner's class. My class of 2007. We hadn't yet earned our right to wear hakama, and there were some familiar, though now sadly absent, faces in the group pictures. I couldn't help smiling when I thought about those earlier days, back when I had absolutely no idea what it was exactly that I got myself into. Days when, after our beginner's class, Awa, Clem, and I would go out to the cricket pitch on the sports field and do our own reviews of the basics.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/marleen.charng/Ri1v3gHtyBI/AAAAAAAAAB4/TMBZM8fiBeY/DSC00015.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/marleen.charng/Ri1v3gHtyBI/AAAAAAAAAB4/TMBZM8fiBeY/DSC00015.JPG?imgmax=512" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The 2007 A beginners, minus a few members -<br />photo courtesy of Marleen-sensei</span><br /></span></div><br />A nice little walk down memory lane, especially in the light of the 2008 A Beginner's grading.<br /><br />On Thursday, this year's batch of beginners (who are a highly impressive group, I must add) did their hakama and 10th kyu grading. Since I'm usually there to help out, I came as well to give any last minute tips or assistance. I ended up being on the judging panel to replace Robin-senpai, who left his reading glasses somewhere. I sat alongside Clem, Awa, Henry-senpai, and Richard-senpai (who was our chief judge)<br /><br />For the first time, I'd be sitting in front of my kohai and observing them. Not a position I'm most comfortable in, I admit, given that I'm either usually a standing little bit to the side or observing from behind, sneaking up on people to give them pointers :D. Also, I'd have to write down constructive comments for most of them, again something I haven't done much of. Hahaha.<br /><br />It was a bit surreal sitting there, watching the beginners perform and writing down comments that would hopefully be useful for them. I mean, it wasn't that long ago when <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> did my hakama grading, along with Clem and Awa. Sensei, Jeffrey-senpai, and Terry-senpai sat in front of us, watching our moves. I could picture myself as one of them, tense, nervous, and more than a little bit stiff. Their footwork, their swings, their kiai really brought me back to that first grading.<br /><br />The beginners performed quite well given the length of their training, at least better than what I remember from my own experience. Some were real good, some could use a little bit more training or confidence, but everyone impressed the heck out of me. Seriously. Kudos to them.<br /><br />The grading itself went pretty smoothly, don't recall any delays. Starting with kamae, they went into footwork, the basic suburi, and jumping suburi, before finishing off with the first two bokuto keiko and a short written exam. It's a pity that we were on a pretty tight time constraint, as a little comment session would have been good, while the memory of their grading was still fresh.<br /><br />In the end, all 14 of the attendees (there was supposed to be 17, but three didn't show up) passed the grading, and will hopefully continue learn with the rest of us now that they've earned the right to wear hakama. Well, I certainly hope so. Sparring with some of them will definitely be exciting.<br /><br />Also, looks like I won't be going to the Winter Camp this year. Oh well.<br /><br />Cheers, all.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-59772724326133504722008-06-06T10:52:00.001+12:002008-06-06T10:54:16.818+12:00Return<div style="text-align: justify;">Ah, it's good to be back. And out of the storm. Well, for the most part, at least.<br /><br />So, where have I been? Study, mostly. To be honest, I wasn't doing all that great in my other (admittedly less stirring :D ) life, the one where I'm a university student. So, due to a whole bunch of bad choices I made in the beginning of the semester, I had to forfeit an entire month and a bit to get everything I should've been able to finish by the term break rushed in. So, yes, not the best way to go. But, I managed to get most things out of the way, and despite some even worse choices made (haha), I'm still on my feet, if a little shakier than before.<br /><br />By the way, that was my reason for not posting anything up in a <span style="font-style: italic;">long</span> while. Heheh.<br /><br />Actually, I still owe a post on the outcome of the National Champs which happened, erm, a month ago, actually. Still need to write up that one.<br /><br />Anyway, since I hadn't been doing much training in that time, I thought it would be best to ease myself in by joining this week's beginner class. Plus, it would do me a lot of good to see my good friends again. So I went.<br /><br />Boy, was I surprised. Not having seen the beginners for at least four sessions, I was really impressed at how much they've improved since then. Take their kiai, for example. Some of them are developing strong, forceful kiai real fast, even little Eric, the youngest and smallest of the kohai. To be honest, I actually felt threatened by some of them. Hahaha. Facing them in the future would definitely be something to look forward to.<br /><br />Beginner Class on Thursday, June 5, 2008<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Kiai</li><li>Joints, Achilles tendon, etc.</li><li>Run (x2 laps)</li></ul><ul><li>Suburi (x10 each)<br /> </li><ul><li>Jogeburi</li><li>Men</li><li>Kote</li><li>Do</li></ul><li>Jumping suburi</li><ul><li>3x sets of 10</li></ul><li>Fumikomi</li><ul><li>Single stamps with men</li><li>Men cut, zanshin to the end of the hall.</li></ul></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"> That's pretty much it, unless I forgot to put in an exercise or two (oops).<br /><br />On a personal note, training started out a little bit awkwardly for me. Probably more due to self-consciousness than anything else, come to think of it. As Marleen-sensei said, I might have put it in my mind that I'm not going to do well because I haven't practiced in a while. That, and I forgot to stretch properly. Very nearly injured myself several times as a result...my right shoulder is still aching from shoddy jumping suburi, nearly twisted my hamstring running, and bruised my ankles stamping incorrectly. Oh, yeah. I'm going to need more training. Hahaha. Overall, good stuff, as always. Looking forward to more hijinks on Saturday.<br /><br />Cheers.<br /></div>Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-56358413283853287912008-03-02T21:57:00.002+13:002008-03-05T22:32:59.082+13:00An Apology, a Reflection, and Other ThingsMy sincerest apologies for not having put up any new updates since...well...last month, really. The increased pace and length of bogu training (and also an increasing preoccupation with studies) has been a bit of a hamper to my *ahem* creative flow. So, to make up for the missing session updates, some of which have been posted up by Sensei on the club's blog, I offer a rather personal insight. Something that's been brewing in my mind, culminating in a late-night ramble that will probably say too much about myself than I'd want.<br /><br />Oh, to heck with it. On with the show.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">“I’d like to smack you over the head right now.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">That sentence, at least in my recollection, was the first thing Awa said to me when I told him I’d been training with a sore left wrist last week. And why wouldn’t he? He’s got a history of injuries that I’d probably never be able to accumulate in my lifespan. The boy’s two years younger than me and he’s built like a brick wall...possibly the last brick wall left after a bombing raid. In that sense, he’s a lot older, and probably wiser, than me. Well, among many other things. The point is, he’s been having the same injuries, at a worse scale. So it’s just fair that he’d wish to give me a friendly reminder before I do something stupid.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The thing is, I can’t learn from his mistakes alone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Awa has had experience in this. His life’s history has given him that. He can take in a lot more pain and stress than I can, that’s for sure. From what I learned, he grew up tough and hardy, especially with recent rugby experience. Truth be told, I got off easy growing up. Very easy. And definitely a lot less physically oriented. <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>So when he says he needs to stop training because his wrist is sore, that’s because he <i style="">knows</i> it’s sore and will be a lot more troublesome in the future.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I, on the other hand, don’t know my own body as well as he does. I can’t tell whether it’s my fears, doubts and laziness speaking when my body seems to run out of energy or start hurting in the middle of training. I’ve avoided physical strain too many times in the past, telling myself that I’m tired and hurt, that I’ve really no clue as to what exhausted really means. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ll be honest. The only other time I feel exhausted out of the club is when I stay up three nights in a row to beat an essay deadline. And it’s not a good feeling, no endorphins running through my bloodstream; just a dull, zombified state where all I can do after handing in the darn thing is collapse in heap on the bed and sleep for a day and a half. In other words, I never really knew true physical exhaustion. Well, apart from film club, but that’s a completely different case.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Thus, when it comes to kendo sessions, I always have to ask myself; is it really my body telling me that it’s hurt, or am I just trying to justify copping out? One thing I’ve learned from my short experience of kendo; if everyone’s doing the same thing and getting equally tired, I don’t feel as tired as when I’m doing it alone. On the other hand, if I jump out and sit on the sidelines for the rest of the session, I do feel a lot less tired...but somehow it feels <i style="">wrong</i>. The joy of getting a respite (for me, at least) is often overpowered by the feeling of regret in not trying harder (and really collapse :D) as well as getting left behind by the rest of my friends.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If Awa is reading this, he might say that I could catch up training later on, and breaking my wrist now would be plain stupid. Also, he'd whack me over the head if I did it. Fair enough. But I’m not him. He <i style="">can</i> do that through experience. I prided myself for being known as a patient person back home; in front of someone who’s sat on the sidelines for four months just watching the rest of us train and still won the Beginner’s Cup <i style="">two weeks</i> after he recovered, I realised that I've got so much more to learn. In his shoes, I’d probably get frustrated <i style="">a lot</i>, impatient as I really am. Maybe even get depressed or something equally meaningless (although it would be a good exercise <i style="">in</i> patience, for me). Needing a tough pill, no less.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Robin-senpai mentioned to Awa, after hearing our little chat, that he can only give me so much advice; the choice is mine and mine alone to make. Thanks, senpai. That’s exactly what I needed to hear. In the end, I can choose to listen to Awa’s sound advice...or follow my own intuition, wherever that may take me. Sure, I could end up injuring myself so badly I’d have to take some time off training. Unless I take that risk, I’ll never know for sure what my limit is. Just like I need to take a chance and do a level 100 pre-requisite paper to get to a level 200, with a 50-50 chance of passing, I need to find just how much my body can truly take before I can say, “ I need to stop training” without regret. If I don’t, I may as well be stuck in fear of hurting myself and shirk before every bit of ‘pain’ that registers in my mind. I've come to this still-in-the-works conclusion:<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">When I am finally aware of the real limitations of my body, then I can understand when the pain means ‘stop’ and when it means “you can go just a little bit more, boyo”.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Now, more than ever, I’m truly learning that my actions have consequences. I took this for granted in the past. If I made a stupid mistake, I had a safety net that consisted of family and friends. Here, if I make a stupid mistake, chances are I’m the only one who can amend it. For what it’s worth, I know Awa’s advice is gold. I trust it, I really do, but some things I just <b style="">have</b> to do in order to grow up. Even it makes me a “fool” for doing so, in Robin-senpai’s words.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Cheers.</span></p><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br />Right. Probably unnecessarily personal.<br /><br />On more club-related news...<br /><br />During yesterday's (Tuesday, 4 March 2008) session, Marleen-sensei informed us that she had considered Darrin-senpai's idea of incorporating kata training into all sessions. Due to focusing on entering this year's Open Champ, we will have to maximize time spent on kihon and shiai training. However, we <span style="font-style: italic;">may</span> start later from now on, as people have often been unable to come in for the 6.10 (Tuesday and Thursday) or 3.10 (Saturday) formal start. That means whoever comes in early can practice kata. Like an extended warm-up, perhaps. More details to come.<br /><br />I learned that my jumping suburi technique is incorrect; I interpreted Sam-sensei's instruction on "speed up when striking" as being a sudden, whip-like cut at the end of the down-swing. Marleen-sensei informed me that the <span style="font-style: italic;">whole down-swing</span> was supposed to gradually speed up. Not an abrupt snap, but a gradual acceleration. Or maybe I'm getting even more mixed up right now. Not good.<br /><br />Also, does anyone else feel really easily drained during the sessions lately? Because if it's just me, then I probably need to eat more :D<br /><br />Night, all.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-11437600623278834342008-02-07T14:18:00.000+13:002008-02-11T03:17:33.380+13:00Reflections on the 2008 Beginner's Cup<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: This is a <strong>personal </strong>reflection, based on my <strong>personal </strong>recollection of what happened...so please don't be cross if I've overlooked or understated or misquoted something. Arimashita!</span></em><br /><br />Well, I have a good reason for not putting the previous two sessions. Actually, several good reasons. Mainly study (no, I’m serious!), but also because my mind had been preoccupied with the Beginner’s Cup (and the fact that I didn’t record Saturday’s session “-_- ). And now that that’s over with, I can concentrate a bit more on writing.<br /><br />I’m not going to go into too many technical details – this is going to be mainly a reflection.<br />It began with warm-up. Or, for those who came a little earlier, mopping the floors (we finally found where they stash the cleaning supplies...mwahahah). Short briefing, during which Sam-sensei taught us about the way real shiai competitors warmed up.<br /><ul><li>Do it together, with team captain leading</li><li>Do it full of vigour, so that you’re actually tired but not exhausted.</li><li>The warm-up should be hard enough that your heart reaches up to around 180-200 beats per minutes. Alternatively, you should feel pretty worn-down by that time. I doubt anyone’s really going to care exactly how many beats per minute your heart is...er, beating, unless it’s the medic.</li><li>Do it wisely – conserve just enough energy for the upcoming battles.</li></ul>With that, we warmed-up...again. Normal routine, then straight into bogu:<br /><ul><li>Kirikaeshi (2x)</li><li>Big men, 3 each (2x)</li><li>Big kote-men, 3 each (2x)</li><li>Ai-men, 3 sets (2x)</li></ul>After that came the big moment; it was time to draw lots to see who’s fighting who. It would start with a preliminary round, followed by a ladder format, i.e. two people fight, winner moves up one stage. There was a bit of a problem with only nine people registered, especially with the ladder format, but was cleared up. The preliminaries would be in groups of three, each person fighting twice. The two fighters with the most wins would move up to the quarter-finals, duke it out with another contestant, then advance up till the finals. The person who lost twice...well, sits out.<br /><br />A little nerve-wracking, I have to say. Of the nine, only six would move up. Of the six, only four. Of the four, only two. And from the two, to quote those Highlander films, “there can only be one”. If this was a simulation of life-and-death clashes, eight of us would be dead outright, only one person surviving (and possibly just surviving).<br /><br />So we drew straws. And here are the results<br /><br />Group 1 – Kevin – Dabao – Clark<br />Group 2 – Clement – Omar – Awatea<br />Group 3 – Ann – Amy – Annie<br /><br />Just my luck. The two people I’ve always been preparing myself for the inevitable crash – my kendo siblings Clem and Awa. It’s quite ironic; the three of us always imagined we’d be pit against each other sooner or later. Now we had the chance to play that out. In our very first shiai, no less. Despite feeling a little anxious, knowing the guys were already dangerous in keiko, I felt quite happy with this coincidence. We would be able to show each other our outmost respect through fighting with all we’ve got, test our strengths and weaknesses, and simply see which one of us will have the drive to go all the way. Plus, we already said we'd fight each other one way or another, so it's already good.<br /><br />To cut the story short, I wasn’t the one who had the drive. Well, maybe I did, but not as much as Clem or Awa. I did, however, give them both everything I had. For the first time since the jigeiko with that inhumanely fast Japanese sensei during the Winter Camp (see that previous entry), I got that same “it’s a good day to go down fighting” feeling. A few butterflies in the stomach, but the moment we entered the arena, there was no time to feel sick or scared. I promised myself that I wouldn’t hold back. I kept that promise, somehow.<br /><br />Against Clem, I actually managed to get my first ippon in a shiai. Ever. Funny thing was that I didn’t realise it until I nearly stepped out of bounds. Didn’t even think, just automatically did something and managed to convince the shimpan that I scored a hit. No pride in that immediately after - our scores were tied and I already had a hansoku from stepping out of the arena. About a minute later, I’d lose the match from going one step too far. That’s my big regret. Who knows what the outcome would’ve been had I not hansoku-ed myself out?<br /><br />Fighting Clem was almost like fighting a mirror image...only one that’s faster and has better reflexes than myself :D I learned from the last few jigeiko that it’s no use to jump around and be too tense (thanks Ruby-senpai and Do-Hun-senpai!), so this is the first time I’ve managed to try to stay calm and maintain my centreline . My timing was a little off, but no worse than usual. The one thing I can clearly remember from this match was that the movements we were both doing now have changed significantly from the ones we did during our shiai at our last session in 2007. We only attacked when we thought we saw openings, and even then we had some vague idea at least of what were aiming to do. That’s also probably why our match didn’t last for long, bar getting penalized for stepping out one too many times. Short, and intense. No nervousness here, come to think of it. Almost too calm, if it weren’t for our kiai every now and then.<br /><br />Against Awa...well, that’s a completely different. No ippon at all – I think we had the shortest match in the whole tournament. Haha. Two shomen-ari before the first round was even up. One before the first ten seconds were up, actually, if my perception of time isn’t distorted. What surprised me the most, however, was how quickly he could get me. Not just his attack speed, but also the way he could move into his issoku-itto-no-maai without me noticing. All of a sudden I see him lift for an attack, and by then it’s too late for me to counter. Just attack after attack after attack from him. And when I finally attacked, I realised that I projected my attack too early.<br /><br />Also, I felt a different kind of atmosphere from Awa as we fought. It wasn’t intimidating, but solid. I don’t think I was so much afraid; it was more like being blocked by a brick wall. For that short time, I could see some openings, but was always a second too late before he covered it and went forth. In the end, I simply couldn’t beat him. I don’t recall ever facing that in jigeiko. I mean, I can’t really beat in jigeiko yet either, but this was a completely different feeling. Perhaps that was the psychological manifestation of his will to win? How very anime...my mind blanketed by his overwhelming ki.<br /><br />What I noticed afterwards from Awa surprised me even more. From the beginning till the end, all his ippon were men cuts. Just simple, small men cuts. Whereas Clem and I (or maybe just myself) tried out kote and men cuts, Awa seemed to focus on making his men cuts more accurate and well-timed. Perhaps that says something about training...is it better to use the one move you know you’re good at all the time, or try to surprise the opponent by using the entire arsenal?<br /><br />It couldn’t be any more ironic that Clem and Awa would face each other first thing in the quarter-finals. The look on Clem’s face was priceless when he found out, and we had a good laugh. It was as if the three of us are destined to be always facing one another during our kendo lives. And it was an impressive match. Neither of them would back down, but only one would move on. They really went all out for this one, both relentlessly attacking and countering. A truly intense battle. It took almost the whole two rounds before Awa got the winning score – a clean shomen-ari. I had a hunch early on that Awa would be the one who’d win, but the way they both fought made it clear that anything could happen. Clem also had a good chance of winning – he also made many good hits with good timing. It was mostly due to his incomplete zanshin that he didn’t score as well; still, he could have won, if Awa made a mistake somewhere. It’s a pity that they had to fight so early, as it would’ve made a great final match. Epic, in beginner terms. Heheh. I wasn't surprised that Awa would win the whole tournament, and Clem awarded both Smartest Fighter and Most Promising Fighter, the latter award along with Kevin and Ann. Epic, I tell you.<br /><br />In retrospect, I had gained so much from something that I had almost nothing to lose from. I gained a better understanding of how a shiai works, and how it feels to be in one, if only among my kendo family. I learned more about my 2007 beginner friends through challenging and observing them. I understood a bit more about my own fears and will to win. I was able to show my best friends that I too would take them seriously, even if I couldn’t win against them. And what had I to lose, except the money I paid to register and a good bit of my ego?<br /><br />There had been a moment, right after my second and final defeat, that I suddenly felt numb. For the first time, possibly in my life, I lost even after trying my best. And I really mean my best – I had no intentions to lose against Awa or Clem, and really wanted to give them a real fight. As I went into seiza and took of my men, I stared into it for a moment. I felt a little sad, with a twinge of regret. Why didn’t I win? Why didn’t I move faster? I certainly didn’t expect to be put out of the fight so soon, yet I’m holding my men in my hands, knowing that I won’t be putting it back on for the rest of the evening. But the shock of defeat was soon washed away, replaced by a content acceptance. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I fought the two people I’ve always seen myself fighting, even got a good hit in once. Better yet, one of them had the chance to go all the way to the finals. I could make up for this defeat next time, even it may take years. In the end, those were both matches I walk away from without any regrets. Well, except for the regret that I won’t be able to join a Beginner’s Cup anymore. To regret and despair now would only hold me back from going up that next stage. Next time, boys, next tournament I’ll try even harder to meet you somewhere further up than just the preliminaries. And perhaps next time, I’ll be a little wiser and be able to give you both a better challenge. Yar.<br /><br />Overall, everyone did very well, even if there was only one winner/survivor at the end of the day. We all fought to the best of our abilities, some of us to the brink of complete exhaustion. I was surprised at how fiercely Ann, Amy, and Annie fought...looked far more brutal than any of the guys :D Though some matches seemed to favour one fighter, the one who was perceived to be at a disadvantage would still give a serious effort to win. Like Amy going against Awa, but still fighting her hardest. Several senpai commented how our fighting spirit was impressively high for our level, and Sensei was pleased by our performance. That’s already something we can take with pride, regardless of outcome.<br /><br />From now on, it’s only logical to fight even harder. We’re no longer beginners – the Cup was our rite-of-passing into a wider world of kendo. From here onwards, though we’re still beginners in terms of kendo experience, we’re a bit wiser and more mature than when we first started. Soon we’ll have to look beyond our own club and start meeting our peers from other clubs who will challenge us, sometimes winning and sometimes losing. The first hill has been climbed – the next mountain in a long range of mountains is waiting over just over the plateau.<br /><br />We have all won, in our own ways. And maybe by losing enough, we’ll start winning more. Until then, though, it's time to train. I'll have the session review as well as the missing session up, hopefully before Monday next week.<br /><br />Fighto!<br /><br />------------------<br /><br />Update: After watching our shiai DVD, I realized a few things. First, I need to be more aggressive. A <span style="font-weight: bold;">lot</span> more aggressive. Second, I need to train my eyes and senses so that I'm not solely dependent on sight to measure maai (which is <span style="font-style: italic;">extremely</span> dangerous if I'm not fully aware). Third, I need to master the basics. Awa got through solely on his men cuts - perhaps if I focused more on that the rest would start to flow naturally. Fourth, I need to 'let go' of myself like Awa did...focusing to the battle ahead and be reasonably detached from everything else. Now that I think about it, it was a bit unnerving to face someone who was composed. Lastly, I need to learn how to look less comical when I hansoku myself out. That was rather...silly, to say the least. Haha.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-66297679868553906332008-01-30T11:37:00.000+13:002008-01-30T17:02:30.921+13:00Training Session on Tuesday, 29 January 2008Well, I'm back in training. Carefully, of course. My wrist was acting up a bit after the session, but otherwise it's all good. The bad news is that I wasn't able to completely note down what was taught today. So it'll be mostly from memory...and please tell me if I missed anything important. Haha.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Training Schedule on Tuesday, 29 January 2008</span><br /><br /><ul><li>Briefing</li><ul><li>Benji visited! With his girlfriend too *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*.</li></ul><ul><li>Certificates and DVDs from Saturday's grading are ready</li></ul><ul><ul><li>If you attended the grading and haven't sent the required reflection email, please do so to get your certificate.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Warm up</li><ul><li>Normal<br /></li></ul></ul><ul><li>-Break-</li></ul><ul><li>Discussion</li><ul><li>Received certificates</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Anyone who graded and sent in the email but hasn't gotten their DVD can contact Omar to get theirs. Note: He doesn't actually have them...but you can ask anyway :D<br /></li></ul></ul><ul><li>Beginner's Cup</li></ul><ul><ul><li>5th of February...that's next week, folks! (and right between my essay and assignment due-dates! Gah!)</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Anyone from any of the three 2007 beginner classes is eligible</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Register to Clement, and don't forget the $20 registration fee.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Goodwill Cup</li></ul><ul><ul><li>12th of February - exactly one week after the Beginner's Cup!</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Will have four categories - dan grades, kyu grades, youth/under 16, female-only - if you're eligible for more than one (e.g. female, kyu-grade, and under 16) you can enter all of them if you want.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Register to Omar, registration fee's also $20.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Suburi exercises</li><ul><li>100x shomen uchi to relax shoulder muscles</li></ul><ul><li>Jumping suburi (not haya suburi) - similar to what we did during the Winter Camp last year.</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Type 1: Start with raised shinai and feet closed -> jump and hit men, land in normal kamae (right foot in front) -> jump, raise shinai, land with feet closed -> jump, hit men, land in reverse kamae -> jump and repeat the first step.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Did this 4 times - hard at first, but becomes more natural after doing it for a while. Surprisingly, I could feel that having tennouchi made it easier to pull up the shinai for the next cut.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Type 2: Same as Type 1, but add - jump, hit men, land with legs apart -> jump and repeat - after the second land-and-raise phase.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Did this 4 times - also odd at first, but gradually became easier. - kendo calisthenics?</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Type 3: Jump as high as possible, hitting men at the highest point of the jump</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>A lot harder than it looks<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Stamping exercises</li><ul><li>Stamp, follow up with jump and a few steps forwards - 6x</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Use the natural momentum from stamping to propel self forwards, landing with the left foot roughly where the right foot was when stamping.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Don't 'add' the jump - it's more of taking a long step rather than pushing vertically off the floor.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Fast kirikaeshi practice - 4x each, no motodachi</li></ul><ul><ul><li>No big men cut at the beginning</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Rather than taking steps, 'hop' forwards and backwards to increase speed</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't sacrifice correct cutting and posture for speed, though.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>When going forwards, push from left foot; when going backwards, push from right foot.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Quite difficult to raise the shinai any higher than eye-level in order to deliver the cut fast enough, while maintaining footwork and correct posture.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>During bogu keiko, motodachi should encourage partner to be faster by moving backwards and forwards faster.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>- Break -</li></ul><ul><li>Bogu keiko</li><ul><li>Small men (static) - sets of 5x each, partnered.</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Don't pull arms back or extend them too far, as it exposes kote.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Raise shinai slightly forwards and push left hand forwards, then cut by pulling it back and letting the cut 'fall' into opponent's men.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Small men with stamping (static) - sets 5x each, partnered</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Same points as previous small men exercise</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Raise and cut simultaneously with the stamping motion - raise shinai when going into stamp, cut as you make the stamp.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Has to be fast and precise.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Small kote (static) - sets of 20x each, partnered</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Same as points as first small men exercise</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Use small footwork to coordinate - when raising slightly lift right foot, when cutting raise left foot - almost stamping</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Start slowly, then gradually pick up speed</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kind of like tapping to a metronome which is continually speeding up</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>For kote cuts in general, height that shinai should be raised depends on the target - e.g. if the opponent's kote is high after blocking, shinai can start cut from the same height</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Kirikaeshi - sets of 1x each, with motodachi</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Using the same principles as earlier 'fast kirikaeshi' - hop rather than step</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Full kirikaeshi, with big men cuts.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Sensei: Kirikaeshi should be seen as warming up - if not feeling warmed up after doing kirikaeshi, better run 100 times around dojo.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>- Break -</li></ul><ul><li>Discussion</li><ul><li>On competition</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Practice so that we can win with good kendo</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Victory is only temporary and within that one moment; fortunes can change in an instant</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Remembered something Sam-sensei said last year: You can train up to become the best, but you will inevitably lose to an unknown challenger.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>The amount of real practice done is often reflected in performance during shiai</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Strengthen both mind and body</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>When facing someone of equal skill and at a stalemate, having the strongest will to win could shift the balance and cost you the match.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Especially true if moving into overtime matches - if a 4-minute jigeiko already feels like an eternity, how would a 15-minute extension to a 5-minute match feel?</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The upcoming cups will be a good place to test skills and resolve</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Tip: time in a shiai should be used to the fullest. Use the first two minutes or so to study the opponent for strengths and weaknesses, then use the remaining time to experiment whatever waza may work against him/her. Scoring ippon early in the match may not be the best thing; you may have already shown your strength and weakness in that one cut, which the opponent has had time to study.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>- Bow off -</li></ul><br />Well, that's all I can remember. Thanks to Clem for reminding on some of the points. Fun session, though not as hard as we usually do. Definitely getting a bit nervous with the prospect of two shiai practically back-to-back, but looking forward to testing my own limits (at the same time realistically keeping in mind that it may take up to five years to actually start win :D). Until Thursday, then!<br /><br />Almost forgot, here are some pictures of Benji (why so dark lah?)...<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5O4BoS1nPwpRH_ZZui1k_Q3EctdtuRetMr4eDPqfBk_f71zylTSLXnBbmPqTaANIh-pDziDG-q3Lav44if7uyVYAX-H7J7_tKEwNVe4nU0sxvUMvUZBaXChS2QPkY2DBJQz-eKG9Mi4/s1600-h/100_6809.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161035038867966082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5O4BoS1nPwpRH_ZZui1k_Q3EctdtuRetMr4eDPqfBk_f71zylTSLXnBbmPqTaANIh-pDziDG-q3Lav44if7uyVYAX-H7J7_tKEwNVe4nU0sxvUMvUZBaXChS2QPkY2DBJQz-eKG9Mi4/s320/100_6809.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHdLrT_HN2ZyOFAUrXnMA0i5psdPrzGr_Hrtd9uGvWgNSvb13gz9H13HabGZvuOSWTkzgjrCS8IV6M5N2v2YFElzJ5OrYzRVy-VLSPUhphc8Fsl-ulmO12tsND9fI4BwVk1OUj8ojT88/s1600-h/100_6811.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161035047457900690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHdLrT_HN2ZyOFAUrXnMA0i5psdPrzGr_Hrtd9uGvWgNSvb13gz9H13HabGZvuOSWTkzgjrCS8IV6M5N2v2YFElzJ5OrYzRVy-VLSPUhphc8Fsl-ulmO12tsND9fI4BwVk1OUj8ojT88/s320/100_6811.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">That's how much we love you, ya big lug.</span> <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span><br /></span><br /></div>So, best of luck in Japan, have fun, and train hard so that we can beat each other up seriously when you get back! Ganbatteyo, Benji-kun!<br /><br />p.s. For some reason, my men always feels like it's somehow connected to my jaw. So when I kiai, my men slightly tips forwards, and when I finish the men moves back up. Almost mask-like. Weird.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-23081098851286330772008-01-28T23:59:00.000+13:002008-01-29T00:11:42.117+13:00Training Session on Saturday, 26 January 2008 - First Grading 2008Shaving dangerously close to the deadline, here's a look back on the first grading of 2008.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Training Schedule on Saturday, 26 January 2008 - Grading</span><br /><ul><li>No warm-up</li></ul><ul><li>Grading</li><ul><li>2 groups</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Below 6th kyu</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Ashi (Footwork)</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Forward and backward, 2 steps each until stopped</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Left and right, 2 steps each until stopped</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li> Suburi</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Jogeburi</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Men</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kote</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Do</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Suburi with motodachi</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big men, 8x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big kote, 8x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big kote-men, 8x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>6th to 3rd kyu</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Bogu keiko - in pairs</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big men cuts, 4x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big kote cuts, 4x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big do cuts, 4x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li> Big kote-men, 4x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Big kote-do, 4x</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Go-hon waza - only for 4th and 3rd kyu</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>continuous: men - kote - do - kote-men - kote-do</li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kata</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>6th - 5th kyu: ipponme and nihonme kendo kata</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>4th - 3rd kyu: ipponme, nihonmen, and sanbonme kendo kata<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Jigeiko session</li><ul><li>from 5 to 6 pm</li></ul><ul><li>Terry-senpai joined up!<br /></li></ul></ul><ul><li>Debriefing</li><ul><li>Grading</li></ul><ul><ul><li>It's like growing up; you have to do it anyway. It means more challenges and responsibilities, as well (I assume it also means we'll be more experienced...).</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Jigeiko</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Always try to reserve some energy for sensei or senpai - don't make them wait (or give them a chance to rest :D)<br /></li></ul></ul><ul><li>Homework</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Write an email to Sam-sensei regarding what we've learned since he left us in 2007.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><br />Ah, and before I forget:<br /><br />Results<br /><ul><li>William: 8th kyu</li><li>Amy, Ann, Annie, Clark, Dabao: 6th kyu</li><li>Awa, Clem, Douglas, Kevin, Min Seong, Omar: 4th kyu</li><li>Andrew, Ari, Darrin, Min Gi: 2nd kyu<br /></li></ul>Congratulations to all of us for passing! Hurrah! Now, on to the next stage!<br /><br />On a personal note,<br /><ul><li>My wrist is strong enough to do suburi, so hurrah for that.</li><li>Do cuts still a complete mess! Argh. Might also be because I was pretty nervous.</li><li>Note to self: try not to get over-anxious during grading. Forgot to drink before and that kind of messed me up. So don't do it. Mm'kay?</li><li>Train some more on kote cuts. Kept missing distance (and hit my partner on the arm several times - gomen)<br /></li></ul>Hang on, doesn't putting this on a blog mean I'm letting people know my weak points? Hmm...Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-89998885737436781372008-01-25T00:32:00.000+13:002008-01-25T00:48:29.505+13:00Training Session on Thursday, 24 January 2008So, it's two days before the first kyu grading of the year, and everybody (well, mostly everybody) who's planning on doing it seems a bit on the edge. Myself included, although that may also be because I haven't been training for the last three sessions :D Just to see how far I've progressed of course, as there will (hopefully) be other gradings in the near future. Therefore, it's a good time for a review session!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Training Schedule on Thursday, 24 January 2008</span><br /><br />Today's main course: Grading Review.<br /><ul><li>Pre-Training Briefing</li><ul><li>The most important part of grading - wearing hakama and bogu correctly</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Kendogi</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Back must be flat and without creases.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>One fold only on each side to tidy up loose sections.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Knot (for the outer tie) should be horizontal.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't look sloppy.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Hakama</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't wear ittoo short or too long - just enough to cover the top of the feet (maybe a little less, even).</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Tare</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Make sure it's properly secured (i.e. not shifting all the way to the side when doing suburi) on the right place.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Make sure the name bag has been pulled up completely over the tare (also, it might help to wear it right-side up).</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Do</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Like hakama, not too high and not too low - approximately halfway up the top half of the tare.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Normal</li></ul><ul><ul><li>- <span style="font-weight: bold;">new</span> - 20x men cuts every session</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>- 50x haya suburi, same focus as last two sessions</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>For Beginners - focus on 'throwing' the shinai and catching it at the last minute, it should bounce naturally back and help maintain the flow of cuts</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Developing left arm muscles through suburi will be useful for these exercises in the future</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Personal note - I find imagining the shinai to be a whip to help sometimes; you raise, throw it forward, and pull it back with a snap. Just my two cents.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Members who are over 5th kyu and over 16 years of age are encouraged start using two shinai for warmup again.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Review</li><ul><li>For kyu grading</li></ul><ul><ul><li>Objectives</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>accurate, correct cuts and ki-ken-tai-ichi</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Ikkyu should reflect the ability to do all basic cuts correctly</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Make 100% effort second nature</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kiai - make most out of training by doing 100% kiai whenever training</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Hakama - always try to look proper when in dojo<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Technical matters<br /><br /></li></ul><ul><ul><li>Men cuts</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>If opponent is smaller</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>keep correct angle, but make the cut lower; right arm doesn't always need to be perfectly horizontal.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>If opponent is taller</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>keep correct angle, focus more on using left hand so that the cut hits the top of the men rather than the faceguard.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>There is no power to the cut if the shinai is completely horizontal.<br /><br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li> Cuts in general</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Speed is not as important as timing and reading opponents correctly.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>If you can master the cut, you can be fast through more efficient movement. However, you won't necessarily get the timing right.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li> For timing, do plenty of keiko, especially kakari-keiko</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Sometimes being slower can be good - the opponent can react to a feint, giving the opportunity for a surprise attack.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Bear in mind that one naturally always has limitations.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Bogu keiko</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Power should come from left foot and ground, not solely from the hands and arms.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Use issoku-itto-no-maai (IINM hereafter)for natural striking distance</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>No jumping.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't step in so far that the opponent's nakayui has been passed.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>In kamae, be focused with a point in your feet that is (apparently) the base of your big toe. This is supposed to be where the earth's energy goes up into your body, the "bubbling spring". Couldn't get the proper Chinese acupuncture term for it, my apologies.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Always be aware of maai, as everyone is different and will need adjusting to in order to keep IINM.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>For semei, stop at appropriate distance (IINM) before going for a cut - not distinguishing between movements may detract points.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't change breaths when in IINM, keep breathing out</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Inhaling will delay reaction - when in striking distance whoever runs out of breath first will lose the initiative.</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>The "yaaaa" done during training is to train breath control</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>In shiai, doing a "yaaa" may warn the opponent you're coming, so silent exhalation replaces it.<br /><br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ancient strategy - deceiving opponents</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>When weak within, present a strong appearance</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>When strong within, it may be beneficial to present a weak appearance - can trick opponent into false security</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>When weak within and weak on the outside, <span style="font-style: italic;">you're doing it wrong</span>.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kirikaeshi</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Rather than doing a drawn out succession of "mennnn, mennn, mennn", try to make the 'men' part shorter and more emphasized ("menmm, menmm, menmm") to keep ki steady <= probably not a very informative use of onomatopoeia.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Maintain high kiai throughout kihon, breaking off when strongest rather than letting it drop.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kata</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>All three will be tested.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Do cuts</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Cut the motodachi, not his side - don't zanshin before you actually make the hit<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Tsuba-zeria</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Keep tsuba low</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Don't be too close, just enough so that you can jump back immediately into IINM</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Know where the right foot should be in advance (i.e. approximate distance from which you can make a proper hit)<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Zanshin</li><ul><li>For backwards zanshin, use the "pulled back" one to give better backwards momentum and make it harder for the opponent to cancel out an ippon.</li><li>Don't draw back shinai with force; let it bounce back naturally then keep it in its proper position.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Misc.</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Kyu gradings are mostly for encouragement, and to show kyu grades how far they've progressed.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul>Well, that's about all I got written down for the whole session. It's a pity that we only had one and half hours for this session and we couldn't practice kata. Tried to practice with Clem after, but managed to slightly (honest!) injure both him and myself doing so. Hahaha. Not a good sign, indeed. Hopefully the gym should be available before 3 pm on Saturday if anyone wants to get in some extra practice or warm-up before the grading takes place.<br /><br />Oh, and please read Marleen-sensei's latest email. It's supposed to be a newsletter or manual of some sort from the BKF.<br /><br />Tune in this weekend to find out what happens when the kyu grades take their grading!<br /><br />Good night, and good luck.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-67741050063746250502008-01-25T00:14:00.000+13:002008-01-25T00:51:32.477+13:00Training Session on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - Au Revoir, NicolasAnd so it comes that we must bid a fond farewell to Nicolas, who's been my generation's senpai for a year now. But let us not dwell on the parting, but rather on the probability of reunion, once we're all stronger and more experienced so that those of us who didn't prevail that night may try to avenge history! Nah, I'm just kidding. No such thing as score-settling between old teammates, eh? Anyway, safe trip and good luck for the future, Nicolas, and hope to meet you again some sunny day out there. Maybe at a championship, representing respective nationalities? Heheh. Cheers.<br /><br />Hope that didn't sound too much like an obituary. Ahem.<br /><br />Well, here's a recap of what happened.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Training Schedule on Tuesday, 22 January 2008</span><br /><ul><li>Briefing</li><ul><li>Grading on Saturday</li><li>Today - Nicolas' club farewell party</li><li>Reviewed important points of Saturday's training.</li><li>No group haya suburi for the next few session, going to focus on other fitness exercises.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Normal</li><ul><li>Sensei's tip - the kendoka leading the warm-up should be confident and have the order of exercises memorised. Otherwise everyone else's concentration will be disrupted and the warm-up not as effective.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Fitness</li><ul><li>Haya suburi</li><ul><li>Focusing on the points from Saturday</li><li>Haya with motodachi - 30x each, 3 sets</li><ul><li>Motodachi should relax grip when partner is raising his/her shinai, and tighten when partner cuts</li><ul><li>1st set - focus on differentiating speed between raising and cutting</li><li>2nd set - focus on speed and ten-no-uchi3rd set - focus on both previous points and footwork; also pay attention to eye contact and feeling natural bounce from ten-no-uchi assist in raising shinai.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Note: from now on, less emphasis on quantity of haya suburi done and focusing more on unity</li><ul><li> i.e. everybody has the same frequency, speed, and movements - doing so will distinguish us from all other clubs.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Discussion</li><ul><li>On effort</li></ul><ul><ul><li>as a beginner, one should always concentrate fully on kihon. Once basic kihon has been understood and somewhat mastered, the kendoka must then learn how to do it smart. Destroying body and mind through working too hard is counterproductive and should be avoided. However, this does not mean that the kendoka can be lax and lazy when training. Simply put, kendo is for survival. You still have to give it 100% effort but at the same don't kill yourself doing so. Balance.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>On reflexes </li></ul><ul><ul><li>If you see a cut coming your way, it's too late - you're getting hit. In the short time the reflex order is sent from the eyes to the brain, there's still a 'loading' time where you're vulnerable and unable to react quickly.Better to analyze your opponent to anticipate the next move.</li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>On bowing</li></ul><ul><ul><li>stop bowing directly after finishing a kihon (e.g. slightly bowing when still in kamae after kirikaeshi). This is considered as being disrespectful of your partner, so better to do it once at a safe distance.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>High-speed haya suburi, 20x each, 4 sets.</li><ul><li>looks insane</li><li>don't focus on anything other than doing the fastest haya suburi you can manage (or more)</li><li>Sensei's tip - pull down and cut immediately once you can see your left hand has cleared eye level. Also, don't worry about kamae, footwork, or even proper cutting for this exercise<br /></li></ul></ul>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Break</span>-<br /><ul><li>Bogu keiko</li><ul><li>Kirikaeshi - 3x</li><li>Big men cuts, 3 each - 3x</li><ul><li>Don't hit before motodachi opens; also, keep in semei a bit longer before striking.</li></ul><li>Big kote-men - 3x</li><li>Big kote-do - 3x</li><ul><li>The do strike should come before the zanshin, don't end up striking completely parallel to the do.- - note: always move from the right foot (?)</li></ul><li>Kakari-keiko - 15 each - 1 set per person</li><ul><li>remember that it always starts and ends with a big men cut.</li></ul><ul><li>focus on:</li></ul><ul><ul><li>proper, correct, accurate, and fast cuts</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>finding personal issoku-itto-no-maai<br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Break</span>-<br /><ul><li>Shiai keiko</li><ul><li>Nicolas' farewell party - 2 minutes each or 1 ippon.</li></ul><li>Results</li><ul><li>- 8 wins for Team Nicolas</li></ul><ul><li>- 10 wins for Team Waikato (everyone else)</li></ul><li>Notes</li><ul><li>Sam-sensei: kendo is like drama; it's not only about waza but also about spirit and making a good show. "Pretending" may persuade the judges to pick one side over the other, even when all other things are considered equal.</li></ul><ul><li>Saw (or I think I saw) a nuki waza happening in a shiai setting - wow.<br /></li></ul></ul>And to wrap up this one, here are some pictures from that night.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANfqOefPrdU9o9QNutxQ-vJpOyK5RjTB9NiT_-nv8rl_4kSGKy8kbHDHuLvM5-KxygZpBoJwWWD3JctStpMXpXdYhJCCPbvF2JBnYwejBXSoztkpCRQBp0WJQ0D7o-SpRHjVVrkjdg_g/s1600-h/100_6788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANfqOefPrdU9o9QNutxQ-vJpOyK5RjTB9NiT_-nv8rl_4kSGKy8kbHDHuLvM5-KxygZpBoJwWWD3JctStpMXpXdYhJCCPbvF2JBnYwejBXSoztkpCRQBp0WJQ0D7o-SpRHjVVrkjdg_g/s320/100_6788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159003283113756658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUpGQCEVf73xFns8QkKhwyeHcgnWDBEUSJRsNiG5hh-yptaj7WqVXHGqSDLQ0IA6OTcNfWBQk_r6q0nAmmcqrRH-va6qZI2mBYfHFm8aXNzigX1xA-Ja4NIrcCF0mstQE0VwoO2hzzi0/s1600-h/100_6785.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUpGQCEVf73xFns8QkKhwyeHcgnWDBEUSJRsNiG5hh-yptaj7WqVXHGqSDLQ0IA6OTcNfWBQk_r6q0nAmmcqrRH-va6qZI2mBYfHFm8aXNzigX1xA-Ja4NIrcCF0mstQE0VwoO2hzzi0/s320/100_6785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159003291703691266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJmazHVYxulrJCxsIka8HkQFOlM06Y7JjM8mvALjk_qqEBE_NPHgf2hZypfi5EShUlMM4pb_ftvNi_xNdZnoPRwvJM5KZNBtxw8MukDlDIiBBcAKbrp1zCgh2zMvoEXKTEY10JfVf7xY/s1600-h/100_6781.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJmazHVYxulrJCxsIka8HkQFOlM06Y7JjM8mvALjk_qqEBE_NPHgf2hZypfi5EShUlMM4pb_ftvNi_xNdZnoPRwvJM5KZNBtxw8MukDlDIiBBcAKbrp1zCgh2zMvoEXKTEY10JfVf7xY/s320/100_6781.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159003295998658578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6brRiVg1VCL9UXN-X8ND4fUBv9NhoG2DA7e7Z2yxjG_w3UtijG3ly4tfF-FqAy5dsHG3aNN5bxPoxjVZb-GKRJa_heFxMYvWPnoKT7AeuYc_r_0A4QMX1dIzzlefTOsU-ygAjCi2W_o/s1600-h/100_6779.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6brRiVg1VCL9UXN-X8ND4fUBv9NhoG2DA7e7Z2yxjG_w3UtijG3ly4tfF-FqAy5dsHG3aNN5bxPoxjVZb-GKRJa_heFxMYvWPnoKT7AeuYc_r_0A4QMX1dIzzlefTOsU-ygAjCi2W_o/s320/100_6779.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159003308883560498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRWtPGnl89KGVn8ESvfrGwxC2vM9wblv7Yg-5gzs4wh6oYxm-QrT2U_w8fGCfeacrZq15JsDnwd21FYbPaJ5U0BmdBvJ9kTozklziklpwrBKoJ6xcdmTkd9qCHztTb_adtimJKrj2IUg/s1600-h/100_6783.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRWtPGnl89KGVn8ESvfrGwxC2vM9wblv7Yg-5gzs4wh6oYxm-QrT2U_w8fGCfeacrZq15JsDnwd21FYbPaJ5U0BmdBvJ9kTozklziklpwrBKoJ6xcdmTkd9qCHztTb_adtimJKrj2IUg/s320/100_6783.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159009150039083106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8W49TZcQCS79uZpvZlQeHS3lMNliA0k7pBpp6qM4rRsAC1duam4NNNNayOE6Zwe5oKUyoflUwszYr_o_YySZXhtZ7YzGb3QfyxyyyNrjINQYlX6aoT-eO4EKGh6QRp_ptcVCAoV2GiQ/s1600-h/100_6782.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8W49TZcQCS79uZpvZlQeHS3lMNliA0k7pBpp6qM4rRsAC1duam4NNNNayOE6Zwe5oKUyoflUwszYr_o_YySZXhtZ7YzGb3QfyxyyyNrjINQYlX6aoT-eO4EKGh6QRp_ptcVCAoV2GiQ/s320/100_6782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159009158629017714" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Ah, sorry about some of the pictures not coming out quite well...messed up the settings on my camera :S And I should probably get the lenses cleaned up...<br /><br />p.s. does anyone know whether it's better to link up the photos to another site, e.g. Flickr, compared to directly uploading them to blogger? Just wondering.<br /></div></div>Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-59593585491963784072008-01-22T02:39:00.000+13:002008-01-22T03:07:31.963+13:00Training Session on Saturday, 19 January 2008 - First Post of the Year!<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Ah, you're still reading! In that case, I wish you a (much belated) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">After buckling to peer pressure (hahaha), I'm starting back on the session blogging track, <i>still</i> 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...<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Ahem.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Well, in that case, I welcome you to the first Waikendoka training blog entry for 2008!<o:p></o:p></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-GB">First Official Training Session<br />Saturday, 19 January 2008<o:p></o:p></span></b><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Ahh...a new year, another fresh 12 months just brimming with new opportunities and challenges.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"> Including updating this blog, I may add. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">But I digress.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">First of all, a few club updates which have been on the update waiting list.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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!<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">(Belated) Congratulations to Kevin, who's the first of the 1st term 2007 beginners to get married!<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">To balance returns and new happiness, we unfortunately also have several departures. Such is life.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Both Sangwon and James Nam have both returned to Korea. Here's to our next meeting, boys, whenever and wherever that may be. Ganbatte!<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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, <i>ichigo ichie</i> - every encounter is unique...so don't miss this chance to give him a clobbering farewell to last him till he returns!<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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 <i>ki</i>!<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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!<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Alright, now that the most of the urgent matters have been dispensed with, on to the actual training session!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Training Session on Saturday, 19 January 2008</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Warm-up<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Normal routine<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Group haya suburi - 15 x 10 each + 10 + 30 = 190 suburi total <- a good start to 2008!<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Sensei's tip - in order to conserve energy during group haya suburi:<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">when raising shinai and jumping back, use 30% power - can relax, but don't stop at the top.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">once accustomed to this method, increase power - e.g. [<u>raise</u> : <u>strike</u>]<span style=""> </span>30%:70% => 40%:80% => 50%:100% <o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">try not to use too little power nor make the muscles too tense - relax on upswing and (more) tense on downswing.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul></ul> <ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Bogu keiko - pt. 1 - full armor<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Briefing from Sam-sensei - tip - when stamping, try to use gravity in addition to pushing forwards. Without it, you may damage your Achilles tendon.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Kirikaeshi - 6x each - movements are more smoothly coordinated now, start focusing on feeling forwards and backwards momentum<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Big men cuts - 6x each<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Big kote-men cuts - 6x each<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Continuous kirikaeshi - 2x each - <b>new</b><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">In partners, do kirikaeshi continuously (with first men cut + taiatari) across dojo lengthwise. Repeat after reaching the other side.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Continuous kote-men - 2x each - <b>new</b><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Smaller footwork for attacker - 1 cut, 1 fumikomi - if kote ends up with arms bent in, steps are too large.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Motodachi and attacker both must be able to judge distance - focus points sme as continuous kirikaeshi.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Break and discussion<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Big or small cuts?<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-left: 80px;"><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Being able to judge distance and timing correctly more important<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Must master basic balance<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Keep in proper kamae at all times<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Everything must come together smoothly - ki-ken-tai-ichi<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Generally, master big cuts first before moving into small cuts.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Bogu keiko pt. 2 - kote and do only<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Waza - must be mastered in order to distract opponent and win the centre<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">For this session: kote waza<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Take centre, feel opposing pressure<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Raise shinai to almost parallel to body<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Small kote + zanshin <- note: <b>must be able to do small kote cuts to be effective!</b><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Push into motodachi, taiatari, bounce back<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Additional notes:<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Use stable power -> don't use too much force when pushing opponent's shinai away<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><b><span style="" lang="EN-US">If the opponent's kamae is hard and unyielding, push hard and raise</span></b><span style="" lang="EN-US">. <b>If opponent's kamae is soft or weak, go under and whack it out of the way just enough for a men/kote cut</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Above all, try to use basic techniques such as this one to attract the opponent's shinai away.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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?<o:p></o:p></span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Debriefing<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="" lang="EN-US">Tuesday - Nicolas's final session - shiai-keiko scheduled!</span></li></ul></ul><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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 <i>am</i>) that we'll have most up by the beginning of February. Also, I need to find those notes first. Eh-heh-heh-heh...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">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!<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">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<br /></p>Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-21852968181284808012007-11-01T03:32:00.000+13:002007-11-01T04:24:43.609+13:00Special Double Issue (part 2)Yes, I understand the irony of an updated post on belated posts would turn up as a late post itself. Moushiwake gozaimasen, all.<br /><br />Without further ado, here is the second part.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Training on Saturday, 6 October 2007<br /><br />Sensei called in sick, so Jeffrey took over the session.<br /><br />- Training Schedule on Saturday, 6 October 2007<br /><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Normal exercise<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Group jumping suburi - 20 each = 380 total</li></ul><li>Fitness training</li><ul><li>Long step walking - 6 laps</li><ul><li>Focus points: back straight, step forwards as much as possible without ruining posture, keep back leg straight.<br /></li></ul><li>Hopping on one foot - 8 laps - begin on left foot, reach end of gym, go back on right foot<br /></li><ul><li>Focus points: don't land with heel, keep proper posture.</li></ul><li>One-hand men suburi</li><ul><li>Focus points: kiai, tennouchi</li></ul><li>Fumikomi with men cuts - 8x in successive rows, 1x round trip</li></ul><li>Bogu Keiko</li><ul><li>Kirikaeshi</li><ul><li>With block - 2x</li><li>Do-kaeshi - 3 x<br /></li><li>No block - 2x</li><li>With block - 1x</li></ul><li>Big men cuts</li><ul><li>3x 4 cuts each</li><li>3x 10 continuous</li></ul><li>Ai-men - 6x</li><li>Kirikaeshi - finish</li></ul></ul>A pretty straight-forward and to-the-point session. Need I say more?<br /><br />On personal development, still need to work on:<br /><ul><li>Maai - James-senpai and Robin-senpai pointed out I'm still stealing distance when I do the cuts. Still can't figure out how to stop it.</li><li>Cuts - old habits really do die hard. I'm still doing the old raise - draw down- extend routine, rather than doing cuts. Need to work on that. <span style="font-style: italic;">A lot</span>.</li></ul>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Training on Tuesday, 9 October 2007<br /><br />[Note: This session was recorded by Clement, so kudos and thanks go to him for helping out.]<br /><br />- Training Schedule on Tuesday, 9 October 2007<br /><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Normal exercises</li><li>Jumping suburi - 20 each</li></ul><li>Footwork review</li><ul><li>Stamping, alternate steps - 4 laps</li><ul><li>Focus points</li><ul><li>Use body and waist to move forwards</li><li>Don't look at the floor</li><li>Tummy tight, upper body straight</li></ul></ul><li>Fumikomi with men cuts</li><ul><li>2x men</li><li>3x men</li><li>4x men</li><li>5x men<br /></li></ul><ul><ul><li>Focus points: turn fast, ki-ken-tai, don't let kiai drop</li></ul></ul><li>One-handed suburi - 3x 30 cuts</li></ul><li>Bogu Keiko</li><ul><li>Kirikaeshi</li><li>Big men</li><ul><li>3x 4 cuts each</li><li>3x 10 continuous</li></ul><li>Ai-men</li><li>Kirikaeshi-finish</li></ul></ul>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Right, now that that's properly dealt with, it's time to catch up on the next four sessions...unless I manage to postpone that further, which I don't intend to do. Now that exams are over and I'm free...well, there really aren't that many excuses left. Fighto!<br /><br />Also, would anyone like to contribute to this blog? Doesn't have to be session reports, it can also be little editorial-type/insight/thoughts posts. Just a thought, but if anyone's interested, please let me know. Cheers.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-31430214737347023612007-10-31T16:46:00.000+13:002007-10-31T16:52:24.101+13:00Quick UpdateYes, yes, I know I said I'd put up the second half of the special post. Sorry about that, I had to concentrate completely on the exams. But fear not! They are coming, along with the two other belated posts from last week. More on this tonight, as this one is going to be a quick update.<br /><br />This Saturday's session will be on kata, but Marleen-sensei is going to try something different. We're going to do the kata with bokuto as usual, but bring the shinai as we'll be doing waza which correspond with the kata. Confused? Just remember to bring both shinai and bokuto, and expect the unexpected.<br /><br />[end]Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-48956444455190638962007-10-16T02:19:00.000+13:002007-10-16T04:23:52.047+13:00Special Double Issue (part 1)Whoa. Talk about belated entries. Up and coming - a special, two-part issue worth four session reports!<br /><br />Well, this week I'll put up the blogs I didn't have the chance to write up (due to a plethora of feasible reasons, I assure you). And I do realize how it shows my zanshin is still pretty sloppy. Hai. Rest assured, I'm not going to bombard the site with a massive block of text, so it'll be the last four sessions (minus Saturday, 14 October) divided into two sections to give anyone reading it a fair chance. Alright, here goes.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Training on Tuesday, 29 September 2007<br /><br />Hurrah! I'm well enough to start practicing seriously again! A few problems here and there, but otherwise a good re-start.<br /><br />- Training Schedule on Tuesday, 29 September 2007<br /><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Normal exercise</li><li>Group jumping suburi - 20 each = 280 in total</li></ul><li>Basics Review</li><ul><li>Fumikomi - focusing mainly on ki-ken-tai ichi</li><ul><li>1 men cut, with zanshin (2x)</li><ul><li>Focus points - keep proper posture and cuts at all times<br /></li></ul><li>2 men cuts, with zanshin (2x)</li><ul><li>Focus point - breath control - must change breath after first strike fast enough to launch the seond.<br /></li></ul><li>3 men cuts, 1 breath, with zanshin (2x)</li><li>4 men cuts, 1 breath, with zanshin (2x)</li><li>5 men cuts, 1 breath, with zanshin (4x)</li></ul></ul><li>Keiko</li><ul><li>Kirikaeshi - 6x</li><ul><li>Focus on large swings<br /></li></ul><li>Big men cuts, no seme - 3x</li><ul><li>For motodachi:<br /></li></ul><ul><ul><li>Only let down guard once partner is fully prepared</li></ul><ul><li>Kiai to maintain tension and spirit</li><li>Keep appropriate distance, especially after partner has followed through.</li></ul></ul><li>Continuous men cuts, 10 each - 3x</li><ul><li>Motodachi must maintain distance to allow partner to immediately resume after zanshin.</li><li>Both big and small men.</li></ul><li>Ai men - 3x<br /></li><li>Finish off with kirikaeshi - 1x</li></ul></ul>A few announcements were made, mainly<br /><ul><li>A reminder from Robin-senpai on dojo (or equipment?) etiquette, most of which he spoke about during the Tuesday session. To recap his main points,<br /></li><ul><li>Don't make senpai/sensei wait - be prompt when told to line up and put on men.</li><li>Arrange the men-himo so that the men can be put on as quickly as possible once the order is called out.</li><li>Line up -</li><ul><li>Knees against the blue line during seiza,</li><li>Kote and men parallel to and in front of the blue line,</li><li>Tsuba on the inside of the blue line (the side facing us).</li></ul></ul><li>A reminder from Marleen-sensei on dress etiquette,</li><ul><li>Keeping a high standard when dressing (eg. making sure everything is tidy and properly tied) will improve performance in kendo.<br /></li><li>Didn't quite get how she explained the way it works, but I assume that not having to worry about your hakama slipping off in the middle of a keiko session would help you concentrate better and therefore improve more quickly.</li></ul></ul>Well, now for a short personal rant (skip this part if you wish). It was pretty frustrating to see just how much I got weaker after two weeks being sick. I wasn't able to finish the group jumping suburi warm-up completely, and spent the next half hour completely drained. Hahaha. Robin-senpai and Fumiko-senpai commented on me looking like a doll with its strings cut. I've got a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot</span> to learn about perseverance, in that matter. Oh, well, more points to concentrate on next session.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Training on Tuesday, 2 October 2007<br /><br />Not much to say to start this session report, other than it's a kata-oriented one. More after the schedule.<br /><br />Kata Session, 2 October 2007<br /><ul><li>Warm-up</li><ul><li>Usual warm-up routine</li><li>Group jumping suburi<br /></li></ul><li>Cut review</li><ul><li>Men cuts</li><li>Kote cuts<br /></li><li>Ippon-me kendo kata uchidachi cut</li></ul><li>Kata session</li><ul><li>Three groups were set up, which were</li><ul><li> Those who have not yet learned or are unsure of ipponme and nihonme kendo kata,</li><li> Those who have learned ipponme and nihonme kendo kata, but have not yet learned sanbonme kendo kata, and</li><li> Those who have learned/are comfortable doing ipponme, nihonme, and sanbonme kendo kata, but have not learned/are uncomfortable with yonhonme kendo kata.</li></ul><li>Most of the session was used to go through the technical aspects of each kata (with the third group reviewing all three as well), and ended with a demonstration from each set of partners.</li></ul></ul>Some feedback from the senpai (Jeffrey-senpai, Leo-senpai, Robin-senpai, and Terry-senpai) that I wrote down during the demonstrations:<br /><ul><li>Don't smile - it ruins the sense of tension that the kata is supposed to generate.</li><li>React, rather than predict the partner's actions - if both sides simply go through the kata by rote, it's pointless.</li><li>Beginners - will eventually gain confidence through more training.</li><li>Don't let the sword come up when bowing.</li><li>Sword in Jodan position should only be a fist away from forehead.</li><li>Pay attention to every detail - eg. after rei, go immediately into taito.</li><li>Do not correct the mistakes of a partner during a demonstration.</li><li>Keep gedan lower than own kneww.</li><li>Keep eye contact at all times to maintain tension</li></ul>And something I didn't know we could do,<br /><ul><li>If you make a mistake during a grading, it is better to stop and ask the shimpai (judges) to start over rather than ignoring it and continuing. Acknowledging you made a mistake and (more importantly) know how you made might show the shimpai that you are *ahem* worthy of a second chance.</li></ul>Ah, well, that's pretty much all I got for this session. Not much to talk about, unfortunately. For some reason, it's still lacking the intensity and the tension I felt during the Winter Camp (though I'd probably have to be nanadan or so to really understand their deeper meanings :D). Perhaps because we're doing it with people we (to a certain degree) trust with our lives, and thus we unconsciously relax? I'd like to hear what people think about this; it would be a nice little topic to comment on, if a little abstract.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Alright, part one down, one more to go! (note: this means tomorrow's session's record will come up probably on Friday)Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-39200946721796168002007-09-27T20:57:00.000+12:002007-09-27T21:56:12.930+12:00Training Session on Tuesday, 23 September 2007Argh. Can't believe I got sick just when things were getting good (and tough, quite apparently). And that also means I've missed two sessions already. Ah, well. I'll just have to make up for it in the holidays, then. And on the plus side, sitting and watching from the sidelines really puts things in a different perspective. So, without further ado, I give you Tuesday's training, as seen by this distant observer.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Training Schedule on Tuesday, 23 September 2007<br /><br />Beginner's Class<br /><ul><li>Footwork review</li><li>Fumikomi</li><ul><li>Fumikomi with men cuts</li></ul><li>Jogeburi review</li><ul><li>Note - more focus on keeping shinai in the centre for this session</li></ul><li>Men-suburi review<br /></li><ul><li>Normal men cuts</li><li>Men cuts with fumikomi</li></ul><li>Naname-buri</li><ul><li>Maintaining proper kamae when doing naname-buri</li><li>Doing naname-buri correctly</li></ul></ul>This is the last beginner class for this term's beginners, which means that everyone will now be practicing on the same timetable (although, technically speaking, they do that already when joining in the senior sessions most of the time).<br /><br />In between the beginner session and the seniors', a few announcements were made by Marleen-sensei. Of particular note:<br /><ul><li>As the beginner's class has officially ended, a new schedule is in effect. Tuesday sessions will be from 6 to 9 PM, and Saturdays will go from 3 to 6 PM. Everyone's welcome to stay and train or jigeiko afterwards if nobody else comes to use the gym.</li></ul><ul><li>The next 2-3 weeks sessions will be focusing on men keiko.</li></ul><ul><li>From this session onwards, the group jumping suburi will be part of the warm-up routine. Whoa. She mentioned that the key to getting through it was maintaining tempo, as changing speed and strength midway only adds fatigue. Hai.<br /></li></ul>Also, a few words from Robin-senpai concerning equipment. Apparently, seeing people fiddle around with their men-himo when the suit-up order comes is both annoying and frustrating. Therefore, he suggested that the first thing everyone should do after entering the dojo is to <span style="font-weight: bold;">arrange their men so that they can put it on quickly and efficiently</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>. After all, nobody wants to keep their motodachi waiting, ne?<br /><br />Seniors' Session<br /><ul><li>Warm-up</li><li>Keiko</li><ul><li>Kirikaeshi (3x)</li><li>Big men cuts (3x)</li><ul><li>Focus on keeping proper distance, being ready before making the cut, and maintaining proper kamae all the time.</li><li>Improve zanshin - turn around faster and draw in breath <span style="font-style: italic;">during</span> the turn so that the next cut can be made as soon as you're ready.<br /></li><li>Motodachi must actively adjust distance with their partner, and always be ready to receive the cut.<br /></li></ul><li>10 continuous big men cuts (3x)</li><ul><li>Same points as above, only that both partners must act and react faster.</li></ul><li>Ai-men, three hits (6x)</li><ul><li>Use small men to ensure both cuts arrive at the same time and at proper maai.</li><ul><li>For small men, the movement of the shinai should be [forward - cut] rather than [forward - draw back - cut]. Use only 1/6th of the movement made during big men cuts.</li></ul></ul><li>Challenge - Ai Men (3x)</li><ul><li>(Not sure how this is a challenge...looked pretty much the same like the one before)</li></ul><li>Kirikaeshi to finish off.</li></ul></ul>One last announcement - a big, hearty <span style="font-weight: bold;">ganbatte</span> to Terry-senpai, who'll be going off soon to Wellington soon to compete in the competition there. Yeah!<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />*Sigh*. And it looked like such fun. Oh well. As I said, the upside was that I got to watch, and watch I did. And take notes. It feels different...and a little wrong not to be with everyone else even though I'm in the dojo. Ah well, nothing to be done save recover as soon as possible and probably wait for the fasting month to be over so I can go back to training hard and proper.<br /><br />Night, all.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-47902861649903795112007-09-17T20:03:00.000+12:002007-09-17T21:16:36.203+12:00Training Session Saturday 15 September, 2007Disclaimer: This was supposed to go online on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span>, hence everything in present tense. Things got a little messy, and apparently it didn't quite get posted before the wifi died over the weekend. Enjoy.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span lang="EN-GB">Training Session Saturday 15 September 2007</span></u><span lang="EN-GB"><br /><br />Before I even start anything...<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Gomen nasai *bows profusely* to anyone who’s actually waiting for me to post something up. I know I promised back issues...which still haven’t come up, unfortunately. To be completely honest, it’s a rather busy time for me at the moment, both in study and personal life, so I haven’t quite managed to put something on the blog. Yet. But that changes today! Well, probably only today, since next week’s going to be just as hectic. Ahem. I digress. On to today’s session...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Training Session, Saturday 15 September 2007<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Footwork Review<br />- Kamae<br />- Footwork (single and continuous steps)<br />- Fumikomi (one-at-a-time and with zanshin)-</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>Suburi Review<br />- Jogeburi<br />- Men cuts<br />- Kote cuts<br />- Do cuts</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Today’s session was a little...mixed, hence the less-than-routine layout. I’m not sure whether the beginner and senior classes were separate, since the seniors started joining in as they came. Also, I had to leave midway, so I didn’t get to see if we had a senior’s session (and thus I shall surely lament tonight as to why I didn’t finish my assignment weeks ago). Before I left, I think Marleen-sensei mentioned something about Terry-senpai going for a competition. <span style="font-weight: bold;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">update - Benji informed me that Terry-senpai will be competing in the Rembuden Taikai, so here's a hearty ganbatte to cheer him on!</span>]</span> Because of that, there would be a team shiai practice after the review sessions were over. Not sure if that’s what happened, so would someone help me clear up what that was all about? Regardless, I’ve definitely missed some valuable training time. If it were a real life-and-death situation, the guys in my grade (“senior’s-junior-juniors”?) are half a lesson more prepared to snuff the life out of me. Yar. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up by Tuesday...but that’s two days away...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">On the lighter side, my cuts are getting slightly better. I’m trying to focus more on keeping the left hand strong and close to the forehead when lifting, as well as landing the cuts with ki-ken-tai-no-ichi. Thanks to Jeffrey-senpai for helping me focus on those points. Thanks also to Benji, who’s been reminding me about how I don’t focus on those points for about three months now. Hahah. It still feels a little unnatural at the moment, as my less accurate way has become something of a habit. And it’s making me rely a bit too much on my right hand, so that needs to be remedied before it goes out of control. Still, I’m confident that if I keep focusing on these points for the next few months or so, I might be able to pull off better cuts at a faster speed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Other news...there’s a Waikato sports award nomination going on. I’m personally not sure what that’s about, but Marleen-sensei and Robin-senpai <span style=""> </span>(Parrington) told me they want to nominate Ruby-senpai for it. I’ll post up what’s going on as soon as I get more information on the matter. Or perhaps by the time this post comes out, the club’s blog will have it. Either way, expect more to come.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Finally, last term’s beginner class (‘junior-senior-juniors’?) have all started wearing their bogu. Here’s to our new keiko partners! Kanpai!</span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in;"><span lang="EN-GB">As an added bonus to this post, I’m adding up last Tuesday’s to make up for some lost entries. So, here goes...</span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Training Session, 11 September 2007<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">First off, a moment of <i style="">mokuso</i> to commemorate this now-infamous date and those affected...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Right, on to the training. Today’s session was relatively quick, in retrospect. A lot less keiko than the last session, a lot more suburi.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>Beginner’s Class</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">- Footwork review<br />- Suburi review (jogeburi, men, kote, do)<br />- Fumikomi review<br /><span style=""> </span>- Stamping<span style=""> </span>basics<br /><span style=""> </span>- Stamping with zanshin<br /><span style=""> </span>- Stamping with men strikes<br /><br />Senior’s Class</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">- Warmup<br />- Suburi review<br /><span style=""> </span>- Jogeburi<br /><span style=""> </span>- Men cuts<br /><span style=""> </span>- Kote cuts<br /><span style=""> </span>- Do cuts<br /><span style=""> </span>- Jumping suburi<br />- Fumikomi review<br /><span style=""> </span>- With men cuts – increasing difficulty (1 cut, 2 cuts, and so forth)<br />- Keiko (20 minutes)<br /><span style=""> </span>- Kirikaeshi<br /><span style=""> </span>- Continuous men<br /><span style=""> </span>- 3 men cuts each, repeat<br /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /> <!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Marleen-sensei was sick and had to tend to Joyce, who was also sick, so she was unable to give us instructions today. Jeffrey-senpai was also sick today, but showed up to lead both the beginner and senior classes. Otherwise, everything went smoothly. And with less keiko, it’s starting to feel just like back in the beginner days, when Jeffrey-senpai would drill us with suburi every so often.</span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Note to self: focus more keeping left hand close to head when raising shinai. Also, focus on synchronizing each cut so that the left hand doesn’t stop before the right one. So far, it feels weird. Very weird.<br /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /> <!--[endif]--></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Oh, and thank you for considering this knave as a wordsmith, Robin-senpai. I’ll do my best to update more...regularly. *bows*</span></p> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-61607406403997436292007-09-09T23:51:00.000+12:002007-09-10T23:23:54.689+12:00Sayonara, SenseiOh, well. All good things must come to an end...at least for a while. Sam-sensei leaves for home on Monday to resume his career. Hopefully, he'll be back in January to teach us again. And hopefully, I hope I'll still be doing kendo for that long (which isn't very long, come to think of it). It's been a great two months, Sensei, thanks for all the advice (both in and out of kendo) and the training. Have a safe trip, and see you in a few months' time!<br /><br />[Note: I realise this post has come far too late to be of any consequence. T_T Gommennasai, Sensei *bows*]<br /><br />[Gah! And I forgot to write about the Saturday session! Gommennasai, everyone *bows again*]Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-21106738806860309132007-09-07T21:38:00.000+12:002007-09-07T21:56:01.031+12:00September 2007 Kyu GradingsKonbanwa. I meant to put this on last night, but fell asleep before I could post it. Oh well. Bad zanshin! Right. Here's this week's rambling in review...<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span lang="EN-GB">September 2007 Kyu Grading<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Ah, I’m back again with yet another belated post. Trust me, I’ve got the three previous sessions in the draft section, but none of them are really fit for posting (curse my fickle obsession with blog perfection!). I’ll definitely post those up...eventually :S </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Anyway, on to the main topic. Last Tuesday, 4 September 2007, the Club held a kyu-rank grading. Read below to see what we did...</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Beginner Grading</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">So the night started off with the recent beginners class doing their (hakama?) grading, with Benjamin, Jeffrey-senpai, and Leo-senpai as the panel.<span style=""> </span>Here’s a recap of what was tested:</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB">Footwork</span></p> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Forwards and backwards (2x each until stopped by panel)</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Sideways (2x each until stopped by panel)</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Forwards and backwards at a 45 degree angle to the right (2x each until stopped by panel)</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB">Suburi</span></p> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Jogeburi – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Men cuts – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kote cuts – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Do cuts – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Jumping suburi – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kote-men cuts – Until stopped.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kote-do cuts – Until stopped.</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Pretty much everyone did well, and I think everyone passed. Kudos to you guys for making it through your first grading!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">With that done, we move on to...</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Senior Grading</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Oh, before I forget, credit for this summary goes to Tatsuaki, who wrote it down for me. Thanks, Tatsu! </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB">Suburi</span></p> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Jogeburi – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Men cuts – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kote-men (with ichi-ni backwards footwork) – 20x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Jumping suburi – 30x</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Waza (in pairs assigned from group)</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Big men strikes with zanshin – 2x each</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kote strikes with zanshin – 2x each</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Do strikes with zanshin – 2x each</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Kiri-kaeshi -1x each</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB">Kata</span></p> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Ippon-me kendo kata</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Nihon-me kendo kata</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For some reason, almost everybody was quite tense during this grading, and as a result we didn’t do as well as expected. Afterwards, we had jigeiko for about 15 minutes while the panel disappeared to reach the verdict. Here are the general inputs Marleen-sensei, Sam-sensei, and Jeffrey-senpai (as the panel) gave when they reappeared.</span></p> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">The most important thing to focus on at the moment as a kyu-grade kendoka is <b style="">ki-ken-tai-no-ichi. </b><span style=""> </span>Get that right, and good kendo should follow.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">The motodachi (because the people doing the grading had to do the waza section in pairs) weren’t very good in receiving the cuts. The reasoning is one of the obligations of a senpai is to teach the kohai, and must therefore be able to receive the cuts properly to allow the kohai to understand how to do it right. Also, being a senpai means getting hit a lot more often.<span style=""> </span>And so forth.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Generally speaking, most of the do cuts were pretty off. Apart from that, Sam-sensei also mentioned that the zanshin would have to be done much faster and with more readiness.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">The kirikaeshi was okay, motodachi need more practice (as in point 2).</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">The footwork for the kote waza needed improvement. People were taking large steps, which meant that they had to pull the shinai lower than the navel (because they reach the target before the cut is made). Focus more on small steps and extending the arms.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Tennauchi needs improvement.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Good kiai for the most part.</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">On a more personal basis (oh noes, rambling!), <span style=""> </span>I didn’t do as well as did during training. Despite having reassured myself that it was only a grading (“a grade’s only a number, not a factor” and whatnot), I still managed to get pretty nervous. I think I still used too much right arm power for the suburi, but otherwise it was manageable. By the time we were in bogu, my arms felt like lead. Not good. Extremely sloppy,wooden waza and kirikaeshi (and I still haven’t gotten over that completely :D). Breathing also a mess – must stop using kiai excessively. And tense! Argh. So much to improve...oh well. At least I know where I stand at the moment.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Well, to make a long ramble short, everybody passed. I’m not going to put in the full list of who got what grade, it’s already on the <a href="wkc-news.blogspot.com">club’s blog</a>. Congratulations all around to us all! Yay!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Righty-o, that should sum up tonight’s business.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">By the way, I’ve still got a pile of draft handouts from Marleen-sensei on NZ kendo events from August 2007 to 2008. If you haven’t gotten one of these, ask me on Saturdayso I can give you a copy. M’kay?</span></p> <br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />p.s. Thanks for commenting on my blog, Ruby! Sorry about not getting back...I wanted to post a reply on your blog, but for some reason my laptop won't allow it. Meh. Bad zanshin! Bad follow-through! Ahem. Yes. Thanks all the same, senpai :DGrasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-91335715083592154642007-08-25T00:15:00.000+12:002007-08-28T03:04:23.523+12:00Training Session on Tuesday, 21 August, 2007Yet another session I fail to follow up with (so much for <span style="font-style: italic;">zanshin</span>...), but I should post it anyway.<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">----------------------------------------------------------<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Schedule for session on Tuesday, 21 August 2007</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Ah, quite a bit happened today. It turned out to be one of my better sessions (as in, I’m somewhat satisfied in my performance today), and was quite fun. In addition, we had the company of the youngest ikkyu rank holder that I've seen so far, a 13-year old boy from Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. But before that, on to the training schedule!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Beginner’s Class<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Learned formal position for standing</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB"><span style="">o</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Feet planted firmly, with heels touching together, pointing out at a 45 degree angle.</span></p> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed footwork</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed big swing in suburi</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed men suburi</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed jumping suburi</span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Note to self, I noticed that I’m starting to use a bit less power when doing suburi...but struggling to use only the left hand’s power when doing big swings. It’s definitely true that the higher you go, the more you need to go over the basics (and considering that I haven’t gotten very high, it’s all the more important :D). Otherwise, I’m a bit more able to relax, although keeping my stomach tight seems a bit harder these days.</span></span></li></ul></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Senior’s Class<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <!--[if !supportLists]--><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Normal warm-up exercise</span></li></ul><!--[endif]--> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" >Korean-style jumping suburi</span></span></li></ul><ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">A new exercise, courtesy of Do-Hun-senpai and done directly after warm-up when everybody’s still in a big circle. One person starts jumping suburi with kiai, while everybody else does it in silence. Once the person who started has done 20, the next person continues and does another twenty, while the person who did it before does the jumping suburi silently as everybody else does. The process goes on until the last person is reached. Intense? Yes. The point of this is to strengthen both body and mind, as not only will your arms lose some feeling after a while and your feet feel like lead blocks, your thoughts will be tormented by the temptation to just stop and quit. Which, unfortunately, I gave into. Er, several times. Yup. Still, we’ll probably be doing it again in the near future, so it’ll be good to be prepared for that.</span></li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">It’s definitely best to keep a steady swinging and breathing rhythm. I used up most of my energy doing my kiai bit at the start and began to falter after the first 80 or so. Also, relaxing the shoulders and having a balanced jump would probably help a lot in the long run. Kudos to Clement and Kevin, the only guys in our generation that could go through all the way. Extreme.</span></li></ul></ul></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Kirikaeshi, with and without blocking</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Men strikes</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Men-kote strikes</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Small<span style=""> </span>men-kote strikes</span></li></ul><ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Something new for me. Still haven’t quite gotten the hang of distance and timing for small cuts, as I’m used to making a single cut per long stamp. Need more practice, but otherwise ok.</span></li></ul></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Small men strikes with harai</span></li></ul><ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Another new technique. Harai is done by warding off the opponent’s shinai, so that it’s not aiming at the centre and gives the opportunity for a small men strike. Not sure exactly how much off-centre the opponent’s kensen should be, but I found that the ikkyu boy only needed to tap my shinai <i style="">slightly</i> off-centre to get in with a small men strike.</span></li></ul></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />Watching the ikkyu senpai (ech...I should've really written names down) practice was quite interesting. His style is different to ours, though still using the same chudan stance. Kind of like Do-Hun-senpai's style, but less fierce. Interestingly, I see his movements as short bursts of speed; he seems to bounce slightly forwards on the balls of his feet when in chudan and suddenly spring to deliver a blow. I also had the honor of being his motodachi for the harai-waza. Compared to the way he delivered his strikes, I'd look extremely clumsy and wasteful in terms of energy. He doesn't knock the shinai away; rather, he taps it aside for a split second and goes in on the same step. Perhaps that's what I'm supposed to be doing? Still, I'm certainly in no position to say whether it's right or wrong...it was just different to what I'm used to seeing.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">That’s about all we did for this session, which doesn’t seem as rigorous as last Tuesday’s (which, incidentally, I haven’t written down yet) but still pretty challenging. Had a jigeiko with Leo-senpai, which ended prematurely with me tripping unceremoniously on my own hakama. Funnily enough, I still had plenty of energy left over (or maybe I was hyper at that time) to goof around with Joyce. However, despite me still having enough energy (whereas I should’ve been downright exhausted if I gave it my all during keiko), I felt pretty satisfied with my own performance. I think I’ve been able to relax my shoulders a bit better, and also stop thinking too much doing a jigeiko. All in all, quite a few lessons learned.</span></p>Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-88452258854320997192007-08-24T23:57:00.000+12:002007-08-25T00:10:52.136+12:00My Bogu and I<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Looking back on a previous post about <i style="">bogu</i>, it’s funny how very little time has passed between the first time I struggled to put my <i style="">bogu</i> on properly to now, where it has become something of a routine. After all, I only started wearing it in mid-July, and I can still remember how terrifying it was suddenly being put in the ranks of people who all knew how to do it properly. Suffice to say, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight with my <i style="">bogu</i>. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">That Saturday afternoon, I felt completely out of place and clumsy. Even in unpacking I was unsure. Where do I put my <i style="">men</i>? Which way do the <i style="">kote</i> face? Why is <span style="font-style: italic;">my men</span> slipping on down on top of my <i style="">kote</i>? Before anything had happened, I already had that sinking feeling that precedes a major screw-up (much like when I realise my 2000-word essay is due in two nights). Everything was wrong. Then the <i style="">mensuke</i> order came. I tried desperately several times to put on my <i style="">tenugui</i>, and by the time I finally got the thing to stay on my head (albeit looking like a complete mess doing so) everybody else, including those of my generation who had been using <i style="">bogu</i> for a bit longer, was standing up. I tried putting on my men calmly, but it wouldn’t work. People were standing before me now, ready for <i style="">kirikaeshi</i>. At that moment, any calm I possessed left me and I frantically tried to tie my <i style="">men</i> up quickly. Predictably, I failed. It was only through the intervention of James-senpai that I could finally get it to stay on my head. I remember how ashamed I felt that someone else was tying up my <i style="">men</i> for me, how I was unable to do anything but sit there and wait silently. The thought that was going through my head was that I was a burden on my senpai, and I let that affect the rest of my day. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For the entire length of my first time in <i style="">bogu</i>, I was disoriented, tense, and hesitant. Every blow that connected to my armor seemed painful. Being the last person in <i style="">bogu</i> also meant that I didn’t hear the instructions, so my <i style="">kirikaeshi</i> was all over the place. I didn’t lift my shinai enough, I couldn’t concentrate on anything, and Marleen-sensei informed me after the session that my blows were too powerful. At the time, I couldn’t understand, as I was already feeling discouraged and utterly ashamed before she said it. That only made me feel even worse. It was only the first time with bogu on, and I felt terrible. How could I possibly go on like this, having to depend on other people to help me put my own armour on? That feeling swirled on as I packed my bogu in silence and walked on home. Awatea tried cheering me up on the way home (as my way home passes his Hall of Residence), but I was too full of self-pity and regret to really cheer up. I couldn’t sleep, and wondering why suddenly kendo became scary and hard (conveniently forgetting that kendo was somewhat scary and hard when I only started four months before).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">But there was an important lesson that came out of that, something that I hadn’t learnt up till then. Practice <i style="">does</i> make perfect. Or at least close to it. For far too long I had slacked off and relied to being able to suddenly remember how to do things at the last minute. It was something that had so far worked in my academic life, but it was shown to be ineffective in real life. That night, I resolved that I would practice putting on my bogu until I got the hang of it and stopped being an embarrassment to myself. And that I actually did. For the first time in my life, I found something that I could take pride in getting better at. Well, apart from cooking and living on my own, but those are entirely different stories. For the rest of the week, I devoted my spare time to practice putting on my bogu. Much of it I re-learned from videos and manuals online, as the materials I originally had couldn't show me precisely what to do. By the next session, I had progressed significantly, from barely being able to put on my armour to being able to at least keep it on for more than fifteen minutes without worrying. I was still slow, but I had gained some confidence. As a result I was much better prepared to take on the day’s keiko. I actually felt proud. It's probably a small thing for most of the others to whom it was a routine, but for me it felt like I had finally done something worthwhile for my time spent.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">About a week later, after I had posted the Tuesday session (July 31<sup>st</sup>, 2007) reflection on the blog (see below), Robin-senpai (Parrington, that is) came up to me and asked me about how I felt about putting on my <i style="">bogu</i>. He had read the entry, and wanted to give me a bit of his own thoughts on the subject. He told me that it didn’t matter how quickly everyone else put on their <i style="">bogu</i>, and that I didn’t have to worry about being slow. After all, even the best <i style="">senpai</i> were beginners once, beginners who also more or less struggled to put on their own armour. What mattered was that I did so properly, even if it meant being a little slower than everybody else. Eventually, I’d be able to do so quickly and efficiently enough to keep up with the rest. That helped put things into perspective; I wasn’t the only person in the club who couldn’t put on my own armour. There would be new beginners, and in time I may be in Robin’s position, helping a <i style="">kohai</i> realise that just being able to put on <i style="">bogu</i> by yourself was an achievement, no matter how slow or difficult it may seem at the start.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If someone were to ask me now whether wearing <i style="">bogu</i> is easier now that I’ve had some experience, I’d say that it’s still not. It’s still as uncomfortable and awkward as it was a month ago, and there are times when I feel wearing it is such a hassle. Plus, doing <i style="">keiko</i> in it is still as tiring and dehydrating as it was before. But compared to my first time, I’m a lot more used to my armour now, more aware of little details I couldn’t quite grasp before. Where before it required my entire <i style="">do</i> hang off on one string to make me realise a loop was undone, I can recognize that a string is slightly loose just by the general feel of how the <i style="">do</i> feels within seconds. I learned how to make knots that will stop the <i style="">kote</i> strings from coming undone every five minutes in a <i style="">keiko</i>. It’s as if the more I wear it, the more it becomes a part of me, just as my <i style="">shinai</i> became an extension of my body after four months of feeling awkward and strange to swing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">So, just as with my kendo in general, putting on the <i style="">bogu</i> hasn’t gotten any easier. If anything, wearing the <i style="">bogu</i> now means that the challenges will only get harder and harder as I proceed along the long road of the sword. But I've seen that one thing is for sure; if I practice long and hard enough, then one day I may improve my skill...and perhaps myself in the process.</span></p> Cheers to that thought.Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-36632202374758864772007-08-14T23:24:00.000+12:002007-08-21T00:32:21.103+12:00Winter CampAh, gomennasai, I know that this is extremely late in coming. Actually, it's been sitting in the draft section since Tuesday, but I kept adding stuff in. Enjoy.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Waikato Kendo Winter Camp 2007</span><br /><br /><br />nearly two full days of kendo. It was amazing. Just being in the same hall and practicing with so many others (far more than the club has, at any rate), listening to the sharp cracks of shinai in unison with the battlecries of more than sixty people. And in the middle of it all, before the banners of the Federation and the club, Inoue-sensei sat serenely, watching the young hopefuls battle others and themselves. At least, that's how I remember it. Please do excuse me if I seem to glorify it a tad much.<br /><br />On a less dramatized note, the Winter Camp took place last weekend, from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and from 8 am to 3 pm on Sunday. Over sixty participants from clubs throughout the country (around 10) joined the Camp, which was hosted by none other than the Waikato Kendo Club. The highlight of the camp was a visit by Inoue-sensei, an 80-year old hachidan from Japan who is today considered to be a 'living treasure' due to his advanced knowledge and understanding of all things kendo. The following post is a reflection on what I personally found to be of importance, both internally and externally, from that weekend.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Mindset</span><br />This doesn't exactly fall into the 'camp' category, but I thought it would be pretty useful if I wrote it down for future reference. On the Friday before the camp, the New Zealand national kendo team practiced at the Uni's Rec Center basketball hall from 08.30 to around 16.00. I came in around noon to watch how they trained. After their warm-up session (which seemed tough enough as it was, lasting for more than at least two hours), they began to do jigeiko. At this stage, Inoue-sensei came up to watch over the combatants. After the first few rounds, he stood up and began to talk about having the right mindset when going into battle. Here's what I caught on to:<br /><ul><li>Always be prepared, even before battle. If you enter the battlefield without taking note of your opponent and your surroundings, you will already have disadvantaged yourself.</li><li>Start analyzing your opponent and make plans of attack as you step into the arena. Note how they walk, hold their shinai, gaze/stare/look, etc. Do this even when bowing or sonkyo, both starting and finishing.</li><ul><li><span style="font-size:78%;">Note to self: this may mean I'll need contact lenses if I'm going to keep practicing for at least another year.</span><br /> </li></ul><li>If you go into battle without having a plan of attack, you will be hesitant and as a result your kendo will not be good.</li><ul><li>I'm not quite sure about how he meant it, but the way I interpret it is that if I go into a battle without a clean plan of what to hit and when to hit, I'll attack wildly and I'll hesitate a lot (which <span style="font-style: italic;">does</span> ring true for when I do jigeiko).<br /> </li></ul><li>Have a 'battle-face' ready.</li><ul><li>It was something about going into battle with the appropriate facial expression to allow for the mindset to kick in. Inoue-sensei referred to the semi-legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi having a battle-face which was somewhere between a deep frown and a thoughtful expression. So, frowning deep enough to create a small furrow above the bridge of your nose, by completely focusing on the opponent. Actually, I might have this the other way around, as, logically, if you focused your eyes on the opponent intensely, you'd eventually go into a semi-frown. Might have to check with Sam-sensei or Marleen-sensei for a better explanation.<br /> </li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Always have it in your mind that the encounter will be a life-or-death situation.</li><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">How exactly we're supposed to achieve that feeling is still beyond me, but I think it's something you get after enough fights. Hopefully.</span></li></ul></ul> Again, I'm not saying that these are exactly what Inoue-sensei said that Friday, just what I understood and interpreted.<br /><br />During the camp, I also got some more personal lessons on mindset. Here are the ones that gave me a lasting impression.<br /><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Commitment.</li><ul><li>It wasn't really a specific lesson that we were all taught, but more of something that I pondered on throughout the length of the entire camp. I remember that it was after a tough suburi session on the first day (see the kiai section for more of that) that Bennet-sensei of the Christchurch dojo (who was supervising the drill) called us together and began to talk about commitment. Whoever didn't want to take it anymore was welcome to pack up and go home. I have to admit, I felt a little shaken at that point. The choice was either to stick it through, pain and all, or go home, in front of <span style="font-weight: bold;">at least 50</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">other kendoka</span>, and not be able to show my face for quite a while. Unless, of course, I had an asthma attack or something, which would validate my reason for leaving. So I stayed, although maybe for the wrong reason. As the days went by (as well as a particularly long night), I had more chances to think about where my commitments lie. Lots of doubts, especially during tough keiko sessions. I still haven't come to a conclusion yet, but I got this in my mind; kendo isn't all about fun and games. It can be fun, but it requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to get throughly exhausted.</li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">No regrets.</li><ul><li>This is probably the one experience I can still recall properly throughout the whole session. I was standing in line during a jigeiko session with the sensei on the Sunday afternoon. There were five people waiting before me, so I had a good chance to look at how the sensei I would face (Ken-sensei, from Japan) fought. That's when an image popped in my mind. It was like one of those epic war movies, where you have the champion of one side cutting the ranks of nameless footsoldiers with barely any effort. As I got closer, I realised that there was no way that I'd be able to defeat him. Knowing that, I began to relax slightly. I put it in my mind that even if I couldn't 'kill' him, I'd die doing the best I could in trying to do so. So when my turn came up, I felt virtually nothing. I was breathing a lot better than when I usually do jigeiko, and I was able to complete most of my strikes properly. He gave me a sound beating (five men and kote strikes before I can even lift my shinai, and that was in the beginning!), as expected, but I left the jigeiko feeling happy and satisfied with how I performed. I was well and truly spent, but it felt like I honestly accomplished something meaningful (rather than make a half-hearted attempt and lie to myself that I did something). I don't think I can thank him enough for opening my eyes to that feeling; I'm hoping to one day be able to use it on a regular basis.<br /> </li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Self-confidence.</li><ul><li>It felt a little intimidating to be in the company of so many other kendoka, most of them better than myself. Especially when we trained in pairs. I think I annoyed some people for doing a poor job being motodachi. Or the time I accidentally whacked a certain someone over the head with my bokken during nihon kendo kata, which was a rather distressing event (but useful, as it taught me not to let my kensen drop when swinging). Eventually it occurred to me that rather than try to catch up with the levels of all the others, which would be futile, I might as well do the best I can at my level.Heck, even at one stage Inoue-sensei <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> have been a beginner too. Better to work longer on a steady base than go up high only fall back down because of weak foundations (eh?).<br /> </li></ul></ul> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kiai<br /></span><br />Probably the aspect of kendo that Inoue-sensei emphasized the most. All through the weekend, he talked about how important kiai was in kendo. It wasn't only the breath and the voice, it was the measure of the soul and how much you were willing to give in the fight.<br /><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Keep kiai loud and clear, and don't stop it on a lower note.</li><ul><li>Best example: one-breath suburi. The first real (i.e. non-kata) training we did on the Saturday was constant empty cuts, with various styles of cutting (see techniques section for explanation). The difference was that we would do it in pairs, and compete to see who could last longer on a single breath while constantly using kiai. We weren't allowed to let our kiai drop, and had to know our limit. Now that I've tried it out in a jigeiko setting, it makes a little more sense too this newbie mind. If I drop my kiai after a single strike, I relax slightly and think that I have some space to gather myself for a next attack. I'll probably miss the strike and get hit (several times, actually) before being able to go for another, not to mention having to wind myself up for another attack (which would take time and extra energy). On the other hand, if I keep my kiai, I'm forcing myself to stay conscious and therefore a bit more able to rebound with another attack. Still, it's no use if I keep screaming and run out of breath halfway through...<br /> </li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Kiai for the benefit of others.</li><ul><li>This lesson came from Bennet-sensei. He talked about the importance of kiai not only for those in combat, but also for those watching. Everyone in the dojo is training, whether directly or indirectly. Those not training or waiting for a turn have the responsibility of cheering on the people they are watching. This support is meant to help the fighting spirit of the trainee up so that he/she is continually encouraged to push the limit and concentrate on perfecting his/her kendo. Or, at least that's what I think Bennet-sensei was talking about. Whatever the goal, it's good to maintain solidarity among fellow kendoka, especially those of the same club. Fighto!</li></ul></ul> <span style="font-weight: bold;">New Techniques<br /><br /></span>Funnily enough, this is the one section that I didn't make too many notes on. So here's a short list of new training sets we went through...<br /><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">One-breath suburi.</li><ul><li>As mentioned before, doing suburi for an amount of swings with only one breath (which means one continual breath, no pauses inbetween). Enforces concentration on breath control and arm movements. Two main variations:</li><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">x</span> [insert suburi type] forwards, <span style="font-style: italic;">y</span> backwards (e.g. 4 jogeburi forwards, 5 back)</li><li>[insert suburi type] until your breath runs out. Can have further variation such as:</li><ul><li>Jumping suburi</li><li>Jumping suburi with one swing per step (instead of back - forward/strike - back, back/strike -forward/strike - back/strike)</li><li>'Switchfoot' suburi (position of kamae switches every strike via a hop, but still in kamae)<br /> </li></ul></ul><li>Note: If my terms are a bit (yeah, right) confusing, try them out. Might work better that way.</li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">One breath kirikaeshi.</li><ul><li>I think some of the others have already pointed out this one. Normal kirikaeshi, but on one breath from tai-atari.<br /> </li><li>A variant of this was doing it in rounds, where the motodachi begins kirikaeshi once the person doing it first runs out of breath. The first person thus becomes motodachi, and does the same routine. This can go on for several rounds until both are completely exhausted. To help both motodachi (as both become motodachi in cycles) react better once the partner runs out of breath, two additional people can help on either side, pushing the motodachi forwards to keep the cycle going.</li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">One breath continuous stamping strikes.</li><ul><li>Similar to the stamping strike (<span style="font-style: italic;">fumikomi-ashi</span>?) exercise we do, which is doing a number (or an unlimited number) of strikes with stamping from one end of the gym to the other. Only difference is that all the strikes from one end are in one breath. Watching the more experienced senpai do it was particularly exciting; one looked almost as if he were running half an inch off the ground, but his stamps still came at the same time as his kiai and tennauchi.He also got a recognition from Inoue-sensei.<br /> </li><li>I found out something I didn't realise about my fumikomi from Wells-sensei. He told me that my swings were too fast for my feet, thus I finish my strikes off before the stamp. Currently trying to remedy that.</li></ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">The 'Devil's Own' Keiko.</li><ul><li>Not sure about the real name for this, 'Devil' keiko is just what I termed it. It was given by Bennet-sensei, and lives up to its name. It goes like this:</li><ul><li>Start off with jigeiko,</li><li>Continue into five sets of men-kote strikes,</li><li>Go straight into kakari-keiko,</li><li>Finish off with a round of kirikaeshi,</li><li>Rinse and repeat the above steps until a) the instructor signals stop or b) you drop from sheer exhaustion.</li></ul><li>I kid you not, it can get tough. It probably only goes on for five to ten minutes at the most, but it'll feel like an eternity when you're doing it. Highly recommended to strengthen stamina and willpower, as you might well be wishing to faint after the first few rounds. Fun for the whole kendoka family. Nonetheless, it really made me realise how important it is to relax my shoulders, control my breathing and be especially attentive as a motodachi.<br /> </li></ul></ul> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kata & Philosophy</span><br /><br />And now, for something completely different. As most of us will probably know, Inoue-sensei is renowned for his philosophical insight on the meaning of kendo kata, and has published a book on the matter. Therefore, it we were extremely fortunate to be able to learn this from the man himself, without having to buy the book. Although buying the book would've been technically cheaper, it would never have amounted to the value of being able to see Inoue-sensei show us precisely what he means. In short, it made all the difference in performing the first three kata. The gist of it was that kata 1 to 3 are not simple simulated encounters between 'good' and 'evil', but rather steps of enlightenment for the kendoka (I posted my thoughts based on this in the previous post). That I knew. But what I didn't know was the meaning behind each stance taken. Thus, here's a short list which I managed to take on the Sunday.<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jodan no kamae </span></li><ul><li>Both hidari jodan (uchidachi) and migi jodan (shidachi) have the same essence; exposing one's self to danger as the stance does not allow for the user to recover quickly enough after a failed attack. Therefore, both uchidachi and shidachi must move with resolve, accepting that each may die in the encounter for their respective belief. In addition to that, neither party should feel any hostility towards the other. Uchidachi fights because he/she must, as does shidachi. Shidachi, on the other hand, does not rejoice over the 'death' of the uchidachi, and must therefore move back in reflection of his act once he has struck. After all, killing is killing, even if it is in self-defence.</li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chudan no kamae</span><br /> </li><ul><li>I forgot to write down about chudan, but Inoue-sensei said something about chudan no kamae having a 'true' name, which reflects on why it is used to disable the opponent in nihonme kendo kata.</li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gedan no kamae<br /> </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Another one I failed to write down, though I'm not sure whether Inoue-sensei said anything in particular about this stance.<br /> </li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hasso no kamae</span><br /> </li><ul><li>According to Inoue-sensei, the hasso stance (sword drawn back upright, where the tsuba is level with the mouth) originates from Buddhism, representing the eight levels of enlightenment a person must go through to become...er...enlightened. It should be of note that the kata it is used in is separate to the first three, where it begins to look more on more technical matters. The uchidachi (who uses hasso) must feel a sense of dedication and willingness to teach shidachi all he/she can in this one encounter. The analogy used was that uchidachi in yonhonme kendo kata must act like the sun, giving its rays equally to all beings on earth. Not sure how that has to do with the kata itself, but that's what I wrote down.<br /> </li></ul><ul><ul><li>My personal take on it is that the uchidachi 'releases' the knowledge to shidachi, represented by 'holding in' the knowledge (at the start of the kata and after the first attack) and 'releasing' that knowledge in the direction of the shidachi (represented by the two attacks). Just my two cents.<br /> </li></ul></ul><li>Wakigamae <br /> </li><ul><li>Completely opposite to hasso no kamae's somewhat closed stance, wakigamae sees shidachi pulling the sword all the back to the point where the kensen is pointing down at the ground behind him/her. This is symbolic of shidachi being the student in yonhonme kendo kata, ready and wide open to receive what uchidachi will teach. The body is completely exposed, and therefore shidachi's life is at stake. If shidachi receives the 'knowledge' (in the form of the attacks) incorrectly, there will be no second chances. Again, there has to be that resolution from both sides for the kata to make any sense.</li></ul></ul> Just to finish off, here are a few more things of personal importance (feel free to skip this if you want, these are just personal rambles).<br /><ul><li>In retrospect sleeping in the gym mirrored my mindset in doing kendo. Sure, I was pretty eager to do so. A few hours later, I began to realize that it wasn't going to be as easy as I imagined. Halfway through the night, I got restless and cold (I was stupid enough to only bring a sleeping bag and a light jacket), and began questioning why I volunteered in the first place. All the while I kept thinking of how easy it would be to just walk out of the doors and go home for the night. But on the other hand, I knew that I had promised and that it was a responsibility I asked for. Eventually, I found out that the gym's heating system was working (although I'll probably go to hell for wasting that much energy to heat myself up :D) and that five chairs can make a pretty good substitute for a bed. I even managed to sleep properly for five hours before being woken up by security. The point I'm trying to make is that me volunteering to stay overnight is very much like the beginning of kendo; it's all fun and new. Then, the floors start to get cold and uncomfortable, just like kendo seeming to become more of a chore once I'm used to it. The doors represent my commitment, of whether I'll stay true to what I said I would do (which is stay in kendo for at least a year) or quit and walk away. At the moment, these are the things that are going through my head whenever I do kendo. It's still fun, but there is also the sense of duty and sacrifice (e.g. getting exhausted and doing things I'm not too fond of), and I do question whether I'm really serious in continuing my kendo studies. The chairs and heating represent what I hope; the moments of enlightenment and sense of acheivements that will reinforce my will and help me to stay in the club longer. Maybe I'm just looking too much into my own predicament, but I know that my night in the gym really made me think seriously.</li><li>There were four times during the first day's kata training where I ended being without a partner. It wasn't that I didn't look for a partner, it just seems that everytime I find one, I/they get shifted so that I'm left facing an empty spot on the opposite side. I was beginning to feel a little discouraged by this, but tried to do it as best as I could. Luckily the nanadan sensei came up twice to assist me. I can't remember his name, but I will remember him. The way he did his kata was firm and confident, and by doing so it helped me find my own confidence and resolve to perform as best as I could. It was as if he was teaching me without words, leading me only with his spirit and his eyes. I can still remember the third kata, where his movements as shidachi truly made me retreat and feel fear. One second I lunge at him, the next I'm three steps back with his kensen between my eyes. Never have I felt that intense when doing a kata, not even when I'm about to get hit. Again, he's someone to whom I can't give enough thanks. He taught me how to 'feel' when I'm doing kata, and I'm most grateful for that lesson. Cheers to you, sensei, wherever you may be.<br /> </li></ul> All in all, I learned quite a lot from the kendo camp. Many thanks and congratulations to Sam-sensei and Marleen-sensei, who made it happen and made sure that everything went smoothly (with an extra to Marleen-sensei, who sacrificed her training on both days to make sure everything was going well in the background). Many thanks also to all the other members who joined, for all the solidarity we shared that weekend. Special thanks to the guys and girls who made sure the food was distributed correctly to everyone (bless your kind hearts). Here's to a successful winter camp, and to another in the near future! *cheering*<br /><br />[End]<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Is it just me, or did that last paragraph sound like an award acceptance speech? Yeesh.<br /><br />Well, that's my report on the 2007 Winter Kendo Camp. Many apologies if I got too liberal with specific terms or rambled on too much (speaking of which, I just realized this report is about 7 pages on MS Word, which is <span style="font-weight: bold;">far</span> more than I'd write for a normal essay :D). Good night everyone, and see you all tomorrow!<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-65059476628839214462007-08-05T22:50:00.000+12:002007-08-08T13:19:22.959+12:00Training Session on Saturday, 4 August 2007Yes, yes, I know it's overdue. This one's been through several drafts, and the one I'm posting is the best I could come up with. <span style="font-style: italic;">Gommennasai</span>, all. Expect last Tuesday's to come up tomorrow night or so.<br />----------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Schedule for session on Saturday, 4 August 2007<br /><br />Senior Class<br /><ul><li>Reviewed <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">kata</span> 1 and 2</li><li>Learned <span style="font-style: italic;">kata</span> 3</li><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> start by lowering their <span style="font-style: italic;">kensen</span> to knee height (enemy's knee, that is).<br /></li><li>Take three steps in, into the 'danger zone' (no pun intended). Both raise <span style="font-style: italic;">kense<span style="font-style: italic;">n</span></span> up slowly to <span style="font-style: italic;">chudan no kamae</span>.<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi </span>takes a slide/step forward, thrusting the <span style="font-style: italic;">bokuto</span> horizontally (<span style="font-weight: bold;">yaa!</span>) to stab <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span>'s heart (think of it sliding in, between <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span>'s ribs).<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> steps back in response, and pulls the <span style="font-style: italic;">bokuto</span> back slightly to deflect the thrust. Using the groove of his/her <span style="font-style: italic;">bokuto</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> directs the stab away.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> counters (<span style="font-weight: bold;">toh!</span>) by moving forward in <span style="font-style: italic;">chudan-no-kamae. Uchidachi</span> takes a step back and makes an clockwise circular movement with the <span style="font-style: italic;">kensen</span> to tap the side of the <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi'</span>s bokuto.</li><ul><li>Step back (non-sliding step) with <span style="font-weight: bold;">RIGHT<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>foot.<br /></li></ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> moves forwards another step. <span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span> does as above, but makes an anticlockwise movement.</li><ul><li>Step back (non-sliding step) with <span style="font-weight: bold;">LEFT </span>foot.</li></ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> takes three steps forwards, pushing <span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span> back. <span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> raises <span style="font-style: italic;">kensen</span> gradually from chudan so that by the end of the third step it is level with Uchidachi's forehead.</li><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi: </span>Move forward strongly. Foot sequence is <span style="font-weight: bold;">RIGHT,LEFT, RIGHT</span>. Non-sliding at this point.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span>: Drop kensen to <span style="font-style: italic;">yamei</span> (rest) position to show surrender. Foot sequence is<span style="font-weight: bold;"> LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>No sliding.</li></ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> halts for a split-second, then goes back five steps to center, gradually lowering kensen to <span style="font-style: italic;">chudan-no-kamae</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span> moves after <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span>'s second step, gradually raising kensen to <span style="font-style: italic;">chudan</span>.</li><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi:</span> Foot sequence is: <span style="font-weight: bold;">LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT</span>.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span>: Foot sequence is: <span style="font-weight: bold;">RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT</span>.<br /></li></ul></ul></ul>Personal Thoughts:<br /><br />On the philosophical scale, I liked how Sam-sensei explained the psychological and moral side of kata. And the way he puts it is coincidentally in tune with what I've been learning (from the parents, books, religion) about self defence; the ultimate goal of learning martial arts is so that you don't need to use the deadly techniques to stop people from doing unjust actions. Here's my summary, with bits of personal interpretation, of the first three kata.<br /><ul><li>Kata no. 1 - the most basic form of self defense - hit back. The <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> delivers a counter-blow that, if connected, will slice the <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span>'s head in half. While it may be necessary to stop an opponent (provided the opponent in question is unjust and will jeopardize the lives of others) by killing him/her, the <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> is also technically guilty of taking another person's life regardless of justification. Which leads <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> to regret and reflect, moving on to...</li><li>Kata no. 2 - same story, different outcome. <span style="font-style: italic;">Uchidachi</span> goes in for <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span>'s wrists, <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> dodges and cuts off <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span>'s wrist in retaliation. This time, <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> is wise enough not to take his/her opponent's life, and chooses to disable instead. However, the implication of this is that <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> makes <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> invalid, possibly ruining <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span>'s life (which could potentially be changed otherwise). Again, <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> must move on and reflect on how to acheive the ultimate defence; that is, how to stop the next oppressor sans bloodshed. Years (or hours?) later, a third encounter happens...</li><li>Kata no. 3 - this time, <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> has learned the folly of the first two encounters; the first ended with the death of the opponent, the second with maiming. Now <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> assumes a more alert, but relaxed, stance, actually letting his opponent get close enough for a thrust to the heart. Blocking that, shidachi moves forwards, constantly threating <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> but never raising the sword. Eventually, <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> realises that the cause is lost, and that there is no other way but surrender. Whether or not <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> would stab <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> in the back once the latter walks away is irrelevant, though ideally we'd hope to see both parties back off in honorable fashion. The point is, at this stage <span style="font-style: italic;">shidachi</span> is able to convince <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> of the errors of his/her way, without unnecessary bloodshed. <span style="font-style: italic;">Shidachi</span> should be thankful of not having blood on his/her hands, <span style="font-style: italic;">uchidachi</span> should count blessings and be glad to escape with his/her life.</li></ul>Interestingly enough, this was an argument my parents once gave me when I asked about whether or not my religion allows for killing in self-defence. Their question to me was, "why kill, if you can avoid trouble altogether". Again, it parallels with my new knowledge of kata. Killing in self-defence is permissible, but should be avoided when possible; disabling the enemy is better, but may have repercussions later on (e.g. vengeance, creating a dependency in the invalid opponent); thus, the best way is to win is to avoid striking altogether (whether through diplomacy or displaying the business end of a sword) and avoid trouble from the start.<br /><br />Just as a small note, Sun Tzu also said that the best kind of victory is the bloodless kind, for both sides.<br /><br />Phew. Talk about a rant. Sorry if it all seems irrelevant, just wanted to get that off my chest. Arigatou gozaimashita!<br /><br />--------------------------------------Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-47067994596864463702007-08-03T01:01:00.000+12:002007-08-03T01:23:39.490+12:00Training Session Tuesday 31 July, 2007First entry's always the messiest...and possibly the most reluctantly patched-up. So here's my take on last Tuesday.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today’s Schedule</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Beginner Class</span></p> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed <i style="">chudan no kamae.</i></span></li><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed footwork.</span></li><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed <i style="">jogeburi.</i></span></li><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed <i style="">men</i> strikes.</span></li><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed <i style="">kote</i> strikes.</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /><span>Senior Class</span></span></p> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Warm-up</span></li><ul><li><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Put on <i style="">kote</i>, trained <i style="">kirikaeshi </i></span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">Note:</span></li></ul></ul> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Motodachi</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> receives 9 strikes; 4 backwards and 5 forwards. Footwork for <i style="">motodachi</i> is like walking during <i style="">kata</i> – hold shinai parallel to body, left side first (right <i style="">men</i> strike always first).</span></p> <!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--> <ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Put on <i style="">men</i> and <i style="">kote</i>, trained more <i style="">kirikaeshi.</i></span></li></ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB">Reviewed <i style="">fumikomi</i> (stamping with a strike)</span></li></ul><ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Learned “leaping” (not sure what it’s called; basically a long skip forward after <i style="">fumikomi</i>)</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Learned “leaping” back (for <i style="">kirikaeshi</i>)</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">Did <i style="">kirikaeshi</i> with “leap”</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Did single <i style="">men</i> strikes with stamping</span></li></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Learned <i style="">kirikaeshi</i> with extra step in – need to learn real Japanese name.</span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">“Anti-<i style="">motodachi</i>” (excuse the liberties taken) steps in once, <i style="">motodachi</i> steps back once in response. AM steps in again, M lowers guard. AM strikes, <i style="">kiai</i> is <i style="">men</i>. For the whole process until the strike, AM does <i style="">seimei</i> (yaaaaaaaaa.....-<i style="">men</i>) continuously. </span></li></ul></ul> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Learned <i style="">kote</i> <i style="">kirikaeshi</i> – again, must see official name</span></li></ul> <ul><ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">Sidestep, wait for M to expose <b style="">RIGHT </b><i style="">kote</i> (not left – they’re supposed to hit and be able to escape to the right of M), strike at angle to prevent coming back to <i style="">chudan</i> with risk of giving M an accidental <i style="">tsuki</i> (throat jab).</span></li></ul></ul><br /><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Afterthoughts</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Two people told me tonight that I seem to be improving lately. Which is rather strange, considering that I barely practice at home due to lack of time, space, and (I’ll be honest here) motivation. Maybe it has to do with me thinking about kendo all the time? Unless I’m studying or utterly engrossed in blogging/chatting/doodling, my mind keeps going on to the last kendo session and replaying what I did back then. I do make mental notes about where I didn’t do so well and think about what everybody else seems to be doing easily. Like regret, but more constructive.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Or it may be that I just find kendo as something I immensely enjoy doing. It’s like the icing on the cake for good days, and both a wakeup slap <i style="">and</i> a pick-me-upper for those less than happy days (e.g. boring labs, lack of sleep, essay deadlines...). So I try to give it my all, <span style="font-style: italic;">kiai</span> like I mean it, and let everything off my shoulders for the next 4-5 hours. And I try not to think about anything else during training, which may (or may not) help my attention span. Whatever it is, I’m happy that my strikes are not wild blows, though the presentation leaves much to be desired. That’ll be for another session, hopefully.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Also, I’m putting on my <i style="">bogu</i> about 1.5 times as fast as I did last week, so it’s giving me more confidence when doing <i style="">kirikaeshi</i> (my performance last week was a total letdown, hence extra training at home in putting on the <i style="">bogu</i>). Barely half as quick as the <span style="font-style: italic;">senpai</span> seem to be able to do it, but it's a decent start so far.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">So overall, good practice, good fun. Had a little muckaround at the end with some of the boys, though Sensei would probably disapprove of such behaviour. Great fun.</p>-------------------------------------Grasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411168658074260043.post-48876774210120892682007-07-30T20:50:00.000+12:002007-07-30T21:05:52.908+12:00Welcome, Members of the Waikato Kendo Club!Well, it took a while but it's up and running. Sorry about it still looking sparse and all, but it should look better when more stuff is posted on.<br /><br />Generally speaking, this blog is meant to be both a place for members to keep track of training progress, as well as post insights and thoughts on training, kendo, and life. We hope to keep this blog running as a reminder to both current members and those who have moved on, that the club is also a family and home we can (hopefully) come back to.<br /><br />The reason why I'm publishing the blog here is because Blogspot allows group blogs. Which means we can have more members' insights and thoughts. I'm not sure if there are any other alternatives, but I've been using Blogspot for a while and it's just convenient. If anyone finds or knows a better host with more user-friendly interfaces, let me know.<br /><br />So, please don't hesitate to join and put up some posts of your own if you've got the time, and see you at training!<br /><br />Arigatou gozaimashita,<br /><br />OmarGrasswatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03656464404775742420noreply@blogger.com0