Two practices in one entry.

Yet more kata on Saturday, but it was welcome, vaguely, at least--an emphasis on choking up the back foot in all situations after ayumiashi to maintain the proper stance, especially in various zanshin type situations. Also the earnestness of the strike (tsuki) in nanahonme. Other than that, the main problem I have is the main problem of the kata-failees: after being in jodan-no-kamae, my sword dips back before the strike.

Practice itself was fine, if somewhat disconnected and not as aggressive as I usually am: I need to stay loose and Sensei chided me on not striking deeply enough, while Saturday sensei said I should continue to observe the opponent closely.


Today's practice focused a lot on footwork. That abdomen-based feeling of pushing the opponent with the tip of the shinai--not sticking the hands out. SAR drills I did horribly on (not enough spring forward). Other than that, not so much to note: the usual sequence of kihon strike drills, the most interesting being kote-men, men, hiki-men.

Mawari-geiko was somewhat unremarkable: just need to keep working on the basics. Felt good, though, to be back, especially since I'll miss two practices in the coming week.

It's interesting how the shinsa-prep season can seem so little like real kendo, even though it's supposed to be reaching for the real. Today was lots of kata-cramming and practice, which does not seem like the everyday, somehow: too too many small conventions to be followed, which are not often enough enforced. My kata is okay, but just needs continual practice by June.

Then after a few rounds of regular men-uchi and kirikaeshi, we moved into one-on-one shinsa practice with criticism from Sensei. Against my perpetual sempai, I did reasonably well, although I was told that I rush too much and am still too tense with my hands. Still, I heard a few good thwocks at least and some kote-nuki-men type waza. I didn't think too much and so barely even went for kote, although I guess I could have and should have. Then it was just watching other people keiko, which was interesting if only because it wasn't a shiai context.

Then we had four or five rounds of "shinkendo" practice--three menuchi, kirikaeshi, and then kakarigeiko until Sensei gets tired of watching you flail. Whew.

More kata! Normally I love it, but normally it's just 1 hour, not 1.25! And those poor beginners--I hope they don't think that this is what kendo is (well, normally).

Actual practice was great--maybe it's the naps I've been taking. Plenty of solid oji-waza, kept the center, felt good energy, knee didn't really bother me, I did pretty well and was relatively relaxed against most opponents. I should work on my makiotoshi, though--right now it only works (and spectacularly!) against kohai.

There were the usual two new students since it's the beginning of the new year. We did way too much kata--I was bored and there wasn't enough room and every passes kata anyway--and so I mostly watched, but I do need an intensity rather than a doo-doo-doo type of approach: killer instinct! With only 45 minutes for regular practice, we ran through kihon, (M,KM,D,KD) and uchikomi practice plus kakarigeiko before keiko. I felt good today--rather aggressive and effective while holding center but still a little too tense.

I'm happy to announce that the paperversion is alive and well again.

Today was five sensei, 1000 suburi, dozens of foreign (domestic) kohai, and one practice of what I hope to be a couple hundreds.