Ken e-mailed everyone and asked for a volunteer to cover tonight's class. I volunteered and arrived to dojo twenty minutes early to open up and get ready for class. With testing coming up, I decided to focus on 4th and 5th kyu test techniques. Bill Howard from Boulder Aikikai showed up so I talked to him and he agreed to teach half the class. During warm-ups, I added happo-undo (eight-way) exercise to class and then we worked on the following two techniques:
- munetsuki kaitennage omote
- yokomenuchi ikkyo
After a water break, Bill took over and he explained that Ikeda Sensei during his regular Tuesday and Thursday classes has been emphasizing uke's responding quickly and being ready to counter at a high place, simulating more realistic encounter off the mat. I was uke for Bill when he was demostrating the change for a tsuki kotegashei, when I threw Bill he didn't resist but flowed into the ukemi and then immediately attacked again. Because we were odd number tonight, during the practice session, Bill and I worked together and I focused hard and attacking consistently and fast with good intent, Bill is very much my sempi and he is in excellent physical shape and so this is the first time at Pikes Peak dojo that I at a couple of points I was completely out of breath. Great training and privilege to have Bill here at the dojo. We continued working on the following techniques with the same intensity:
- munetsuki hijinage (Bill showed me that he was throwing down and not out like I was doing, subtle but important point)
- katatetori irimi kokyunage
He ended class with kokyu tanden ho exercise. I now need to get try to make one of these Ikeda Sensei classes with this new emphasis. Great stuff and night of training.
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