So it's a great contrast, the transition from kata (kodachi ipponme through sanbonme) to kendo-keiko, though Saturdays usually means more focus on jigeiko, with very little kihon-geiko, and today we also squeezed in some shiai-geiko. Today actually I managed to practice against three Sensei, including one who hasn't been around quite so much the past few months, so it was a good revisiting on my progress since then since he would yell at me in the past for various minor offenses, such as mokuso-ing wrong, breaking mawari, loosing energy. So it was good energy all throughout, with brief keikos, which I think I prefer, as I get to burst forward more.

My shiai bout was against my immediate sempai, who is also my immediate sempai overall in terms of the dojo, as he has an extra month on me, but practices far far more than I do. I started out really strong with massive kiai, and scored an ipponme men after we followed through on an attack--I nailed it with a satisfying thwack. Unfortunately, my kensen came off, and so I had to get a replacement shinai, and this meant that I broke the rhythm and after I ran all the way downstairs redfaced in full bogu, and then rushed back, never regaining the momentum, and losing with two straight men. I think another problem is that I used up most of my kiai too early on, and then was panting too much, and it was only a three minute match. I should try to play strategically--this is sanbonshobu, which means that after I have ippon I should play differently, though I suppose in real life my matches don't go well after I have ippon--at June's shiai, I scored a kote out of the gate, but then went down to two men's. So it's delicate balance--not to loosen up enough to let the opponent score, but also to not overexert and lose all my energy too quickly.