Aikido for 10/28/2010

Thursday night's class was the last class I am covering for Tip. He will be back from vacation next week. With only Doug and Tony showing up (although there was a visitor and his two children who sat and watched most of the class), we practiced in a line and worked on the following techniques:

• Yokomenuchi kokyunage with a deep entry and side-kick to uke's knee)
• munetsuki kotegashei to kaitenage kaeshiwaza
• munetsuki iriminage to ikkyo kaeshiwaza
• munetsuki ikkyo to ikkyo kaeshiwaza
• munetsuki iriminage to shihonage kaeshiwaza
• yokomenuchi hijinage

All of the techniques were from the Saotome Sensei's Halloween seminar that I wanted to reinforce through teaching and practicing.

Aikido for 10/26/2010

Last night for Ken's class, we worked on a number of techniques from this weekend's Halloween Seminar with Saotome Sensei in Boulder. Including the following: mune tsuki kokyunage with a foot sweep/stop to uke, a tsuki kokyunage where nage atemi's to uke's chest, and a couple of other techniques I struggled to remember with Ken.

Halloween Seminar Day 3 and Family

Sunday morning class started at ten and I arrived ten minutes before class. Ikeda Sensei stopped me and we talked for a minute or so and I was able to change and get on the mat before Saotome Sensei started class. The first half of the class we worked on kaeshiwaza from a wide variety of attacks and counters, I felt more in sync with Saotome because of my own kaeshiwaza class on Thursday night. We practice a large number of different kaeshiwazas, here are the few that stand out:

• munetsuki kotegashei to kaitenage
• munetsuki kotegashei to sankyo
• munetsuki kotegashei kokunage (a number of variations include the one in Ledyard Sensei's video)
• munetsuki iriminage to ikkyo on the hand holding your head
• munetsuki ikkyo to ikkyo
• munetsuki iriminage to shihonage

After a ten minute break, Saotome Sensei came back and we worked on a number of techniques from a yokomenuchi strike including one kokyunage where nage enters deep into uke raises both hand up and brings the outside foot up and a sweep to uke's knee.

The entire morning I felt a richness and deepness in techniques on the mat. I feel my increased practice schedule including teaching at Pikes Peak Aikido, has improved my Aikido and my life. Such enjoyable moments in life are treasures to be savored and remembered and my joy continued when I returned back to my sister's house in Broomfield. I helped her and my two nieces, Alexis and Adelaide, carve two jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. I then watched the first half of one of the worst Broncos game I have ever seen with my brother-in-law Lance, before heading home to Colorado Springs. I had such a great weekend with my family and my Aikido friends.

Halloween Seminar Day 2

For the morning class Saotome Sensei did a wide range of different techniques, Ken sat out and took notes on all of the different techniques we practiced in the morning session and it was 16. A couple of note include a foot-trap/sweep by nage from a tsuki to the face, a number of munetsuki kaitenages, and a number of kokunages with aggressive atemi to uke. Saotome Sensei emphasized Aikido and Budo is about "being" or "to be", we don't compete because we should be concentrating or aware of the moment. Saotome Sensei talked again about being of daily mind when doing a technique, that we do not need to get in exaggerated martial poses or positions, that Aikido techniques work even better when we don't change when encountering an aggressive action.

In the afternoon, we worked on bokken strikes, single, paired, and multiple partners techniques. I was stupid and forgot my weapons back at Pikes Peak so I had to borrow a dojo bokken but that was okay.

I went to the dinner afterwards, the full Chinese menu at the Golden Lotus in Boulder was very good, I was able to learn more about my fellow Aikido students from different parts of country.

Halloween Seminar Day 1

The Friday night class started at 6:00 pm at Boulder Aikikai. Saotome Sensei started class and then we went right into the night's techniques. Saotome Sensei moved from different kokyunages explaining the importance of getting all of the body into a breath-throw or kokyunages by using the body through the hips. I was able to see many of the my friends from Boulder Aikikai as well as other dojos from across the country. The seminar wasn't that crowded during the night class but enough so I was able to practice with a wide variety of people.

I always enjoy Saotome Sensei as he has a way of cutting through some of the bullshit that surrounds Aikido. Aikido is budo, our concentration and our attention needs to be, not to win, but live. Some may approach Aikido as a nice choreographed dance between partners but the focus and attention should be on the immediate and the realization that losing concentration can mean no more being.

Aikido for 10/21/2010

Last night I taught the 6:00pm Open Aikido class. After a fairly typical warm-up (I included the basic step back out-of-way) we practiced the following techniques:

• shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
• shomenuchi kotegashi-to-kokyunage kaeshiwaza. This technique was inspired by a YouTube clip George Ledyard Sensei posted on Facebook from his new DVD (here is an interview George recently gave discussing kaeshiwaza and the DVD)
• shomenuchi irminage-to-sankyo kaeshiwaza
• shomenuchi shihonage-to-iriminage kaeshiwaza

A couple of the beginning students needed some help but I thought the class went well and I agree with Ledyard Sensei about the importance of kaeshiwaza in developing a martial attitude and focus in Aikido training.

Aikido for 10/19/2010

For Tuesday class, Ken started off with the warm-ups and then we worked on the following techniques:

• katatetori kokyunage
• katatetori kaitenage omote
• tsuki kokyunage
• tsuki combination kokunage
• tsuki (to the face) direct irimi

During a couple of the techniques, Ken commented that I wasn't going directly into uke, my first response was to be defensive, but upon later reflection, I realized that I wasn't practicing the techniques being showed and I need to again check my own ego in practice.

I am teaching Thursday night's Open Aikido class. I told a beginner we would work on some break-fall exercises and I want to work on shomenuchi ikkyo, iriminage, and shihonage variations as well as incorporating some of my new ideas from last Thursday's JKD class.

Aikido for 10/17/2010

Yesterday I attended Garry's noon Aikido Fundamentals class. I swung by CC and waited ten minutes but no one showed up, so the class didn't have any true beginners. After a warm-up and about twenty minutes of ukemi practice, Garry had us practice the jo block to yokomen strike. After practicing these attacks, we went on and worked on kumijo number one. After practicing the kata for a bit, Garry showed the jo block to jodan stance with the jo. From the jodan stance (the jo is held straight up at the right side of nage's head), the jo swings around and knocks away uke's tsuki strike to the hip and then the jo comes up for high butt strike to uke's sternum for a complete kata of kumijo number 4.

I am feeling more confident about my kumijo 1,3, and 4. Garry has been great at helping me and I now need to start practicing the complete kumijo and bokken kumitachi in preparation for my shodan test. Boulder Aikikai hasn't set a date yet for shodan tests but at the next one, I'll be traveling up to Boulder to test. I am not doing anything special in training right now other than learning and improving my weapon requirements for the ASU test. In my open-hand techniques I need to just keep practicing and learning the ASU emphasis for the basic Aikido techniques.

On Thursday I'll be teaching class and I am already thinking of bringing some of Scott's training and exercises to my own class warm-ups and training.

Aikido for 10/14/2010

Instead of a normal Thursday night Aikido class, Pike Peak Aikikai held a striking work-shop with Scott Welker, a beginner student at the dojo, leading the class. Scott is a very experienced Jeet Kune Do practitioner along with expertise in American Boxing, Filipino boxing and stick fighting, and some styles of Kung fu. He started us off by having us work on the basic boxer stance with the left-foot forward and the right foot aligned behind. The right leg powers the right-hand hook while the left hand is positioned for quick jabs. Scott talked about the three movements when engaged with an opponent; after, during, and before an attack. Many martial techniques occur after the opponent strikes and you respond with a counter or other movement. This is the most basic level. The next level of martial response is to move, counter, or strike simultaneously with the opponent's attack. This is a higher level of awareness and requires you to more "in tune" the rhythms and timing of your opponent. The highest level of martial response is to initiate your actions on your opponent's intention, before you opponent has the time or opportunity to attack. Scott did a good job of tying these concepts with ideas and techniques of Aikido.

We worked on a lot of different striking combinations and responses. Scott followed the practice of JKD of showing and doing many different techniques in the hope that a few will sink in. While I found the sparring with open-hand, knifes, and sticks to be enjoyable to watch, I learned the most from the different footwork, distancing, and stances that I plan to modify and expand into my own Aikido practice.

Aikido for 10/12/2010

Tuesday night Ken taught class. After warm-ups, we worked on a number of kokyunages including a couple of ryo-katatori (both shoulder grabs) where Ken had us focus on blending with the forward movement of uke. At the end of class, we did a rotating randori from the ryo-katatori attack so everyone was able to practice throwing three other ukes for a couple of minutes each.

Aikido for 10/09/2010

Saturday I went to the second, Aikido Fundementals class taught by Garry. After warming up, we spent a good twenty minutes on ukemi practice and then worked on jo shomen and tsuki strikes. We then spent the reminder of the class on kumjo number 3.

Aikido for 10/08/2010

On Friday I had to be in Denver for committee business, I brought my Aikido gi and hakama so I could train on Friday at Denver Aikikai. Bruce Heckathorn taught the 6:00 to 7:30 class. We worked on a shihonage, iriminage, ikkyo, nikkyo, and a number of kokyunages all from different attacks. I enjoy Bruce's classes because his background is more of Iwami style with a slightly different approach and feel from the typical Aikido class.

Aikido for 10/07/2010

An old student of the dojo, Brad, was visiting from California and was the guest instructor for Thursday class. Brad's focus was on keeping posture and I enjoyed the difference he was showing although I get an internal laugh when I get lectured for not being a good enough uke by resisting too much. Funny, I feel technique should work but to be fair, the purpose and approach is different in Brad's style, much more a California Ki Society although he is affiliated with ASU.

Missed practiced

Normally Tuesday night Aikido classes are a regular occurrence in my Aikido training. Last night when I left my apartment to drive to the dojo, the Engine Warning light came on and I didn't want to risk it. Also, yesterday I had a migraine and was just recovering when I left at 5:30 so the light provided the excuse to go home.

Today I work the night reference shift so I will be going into work at 1:30. I don't mind having an evening shift, the library changes with the influx of students. On Friday I am giving a presentation to the Colorado Alliance Digital Repository Steering Committee on my work with the CC's thesis submission into its digital repository. The committee meeting is in Denver so I need to figure out what is wrong with my SUV this morning. I hope to train Friday night at Denver Aikikai before heading home. I have to work on Saturday and I want to train as well.

Finally, I may or may not teach the Open class on Thursday night. There is a visiting former dojo member that may guest instruct and I would be happy to take his class. I'll have to see but regardless, tomorrow afternoon I need to leave directly to the dojo from work.

Aikido for 10/2/2010

On Saturday, I decided to attend the Fundamentals class at noon so I could focus on some weapons training with Garry. After a brief warm-up and ukemi practice, we worked on a few bokken shomen, yokomen, and the yokomen to shomen spiral block into uke. In one exercise Hal and I practiced yokomen strikes back and forth across the mat. I found that I handle the quicker strikes if I felt and blended with the uke's blade by the best I think of, making my blade "sticky" with uke's blade. It was about maintaining connection for longer and controlling the outcome. After these bokken exercises, Garry had us go through kumitachi one through four that will be on my shodan test. This was a good class and I feel more confident about my understanding and growth in knowing these ASU weapon katas. I need to now learn the kumijo katas for my test training.

Aikido for 09/30/2010

I was late getting out of work so class started by the time I dressed out and got onto the mat. Tip started class with the usual warm-ups and then he stated he wanted us to work on our striking as theme for tonight's class. There was only five students and because I was full-time uke, I didn't get an opportunity to train much with the other students.

• Shomenuchi shihonage
• Shomenuchi kokyu-ho style kokyunage
• Shomenuchi kotegashei
• Yokomenuchi shihonage
• Yokomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
• Yokomenuchi iriminage
• Jo blocks and strikes
• Finally, jo kata number 1

I talked to Tip after class and although I will not be teaching his morning classes, I'll be teaching the Thursday Open Aikido class until he gets back in November.