Aikido for 09/27/2009

On 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon at the Gunnison Community Recreation Center: Mike, Heather, and I started Aikido practice with an extended warm-up. I introduced two step-back exercises I learned at Central Illinois Aikikai from Kris Oneshi. In both exercises, you step back out of the way from a forward attack. The foot-work is basic to Aikira Tohei Sensei opening for the basic techniques on 5th kyu test. We also practiced the irimi-tenkan step and arm swing exercise. Since we had the entire mat to ourselves, we practiced forward and backward rolls along with a shikkyo lap. After tenkan and irimi exercises, we worked on the following techniques:

katatetori iriminage. For this irimi variation, the footwork is stepping back and swinging the free-hand up to break the grip of uke, the same footwork we practiced as an exercise earlier in the class.

Yokomenuchi shihonage omote. For this variation, nage steps and blends with the yokomen strike. This technique depends on proper timing in order to blend smoothly with the attack. The foot-work is the same as the irimi-tenkan exercise we worked on in the beginning of class.

Yokomenuchi kokyunage. For this kokyunage, nage initially blends with the same opening as the previous shihonage but instead of the shihonage, cuts down with the forward hand, and moves up into uke's armpit with other hand and throws uke for a forward ukemi.

When I was in Grand Junction, I purchased two cheap bokkens for use in the second half of class. We started off with a demonstration of the basic shomen cut which we then practiced with 30 cuts. We then practiced the following with the bokken:

happo undo (8-way) exercise

Most of Kumtachi number 3

We finished off with seated kokyu-ho exercise after about 1 1/2 hour class. This longer format allows more time to actually practice compared to the 1 classes at Escalante Fitness Center. Good Stuff.