Aikido for 05/13/2010

On Thursday morning, I drove from Gunnison to Colorado Springs to search for a new apartment. I spent the day looking at different places, stopped by the Tutt Library for a quick visit with my new co-workers and supervisor, before finally filling out an application and putting a security deposit on a new apartment just North-west of the college and Old Colorado City. I then drove up to Boulder Aikikai in time for the 6:00 pm class taught by Mark Reeder Sensei.

In Reeder Sensei's first class, we focused on striking, particularly to the mid-section and to the face. He had us work on aligning our fist with our arm so that uke lines up all of the bones in forearm for faster and more relaxed strike. We practiced a number of different kokyunages and irminage, along with a hijinage. During the hijinage, Reeder Sensei directed my focus to being more relaxed and to flow with the turn and throw. My hijinage is normally solid but his instruction made me realize that I still use too much strength and I still be softer and relaxes in my techniques. I have been hearing to relax in my techniques over the years from different sensei and I still need to work on regulating my breathing and to relax more.

Reeder Sensei taught the second class and he continued with the striking techniques we practiced in the first class but because this class was an advanced class, we practiced more kokyunages and iriminages. We also practiced a similar hijinage from the first class, I was amazed how I could reduce my efforts to throw uke by relaxing and not trying to use muscle to throw uke.

These two classes were great and afterward I drove to Broomfield to stay with my sister in Broomfield. I stayed the day with her, her husband, and my nieces before leaving for Gunnison and then Grand Junction on Saturday. On Sunday two of my brothers and I are driving out to Portland Oregon to visit family and friends. I will be making a day trip up to Seattle and on our way home I'll be dropped off in Salt Lake City to visit with friends for a couple of days before taking the bus back to Grand Junction and then on to Gunnison to finish moving to Colorado Springs.

Aikido for 05/05/2010

Tonight for Aikido, Mike and I started at 5:15 pm. After warming-up, we practiced the following techniques:

• yokomenuchi shihonage omote and ura
• yokomenuchi kotegaeshi two variations
• yokomenuchi iriminage with two different openings, the first a ryokyo block and the second the more standard Aikikai style
• yokomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura

I may be teaching a Sunday class at the Gunnison Community Center. Mike may be bring some of his friends who are here for his graduation on Saturday.

Aikido for 05/03/2010

Yesterday I went to the Gunnison Community Center for the 2pm class and discovered another group was using the space, there was too many kids to practice safely. I called Mike and canceled class.

Today, I arrived at 5:30pm, set-up the mats, and then practiced the 12 jo-kata. I also did some tenkan and irimi exercises with the jo, I found the jo kept in me closer and changed my perceptions of my body and center. I'll have to play around with these exercises in the future. We then practiced these techniques:

• katatedori shihonage omote and ura
• surawaza katatedori shihonage omote and ura
• katatedori ikkyo omote and ura
• surawaza katatedori ikkyo omote and ura
• katatedori iriminage
• surawaza katatedori iriminage