The early morning class was taught by Marc Reeder Sensei. In his class, he had us practice some basic katatetori kokyunages first with a hand and then we tried with just a finger connection to uke. Reeder Sensei spoke about three principles he has been training on: 1. Compression -- like Choate Sensei's instruction of collapsing the internal structure of nage that helps ground nage and if uke is connected, breaking uke's balance. 2. Ground path -- after contact with uke, nage grounds the energy connection with uke and transferring energy to the nages feet and unbalancing uke. 3. Connection to uke -- after compression and ground path, nage needs to keep that connection in order not to lose the ground path for the technique.
The second class of the day was taught by Doran Sensei. Continuing from his previous classes at camp, Doran Sensei had us start with nage footwork being a step with back foot that meets the forward and then stepping back at an angle and extending into uke. Following that opening, nage steps around and thrusts the grabbed hand palm up towards uke's face that then raises uke's elbow. From that same opening we practiced ikkyo, nikkyo, and sankyo. Then with the just first part of opening, we did an a couple of kokyunages and an iriminage.
For Saotome Sensei's class, he had everyone bring bokkens. He then explained that he was going through a number of katas for "sendo-tachi" or battlefield techniques. Nage is the middle with an uke in the front and an uke in the back. For the first kata, the first uke strikes shomen, nage -- starting in gaidan--, brings the sword up and in the same movement cuts down over the top of uke's bokken for a throat to groin straight cut. Nage then turns tenkan and performs the same technique to the attacking second uke's shomen cut. We through a number of variations including nage doing a belly cut initially and then coming over the top for a shomen cut on the second uke. A couple of the katas involved nage turning tenkan and attacking the uke that is behind first and then doing another cut on the first uke.
The forth class of the day was taught by Hofmeister Sensei. We started off from where we left off yesterday with surawaza shomenuchi ikkyo with active engagement by uke who follows nage's lead but nage doesn't force uke into any position but lets the technique flow from uke's force and energy. We worked on this technique for a while with different points of emphasis until we switched to standing technique. The type of exercises we were doing was not application (meaning it is not intended to be used in violent situation) but more for developing the sensitivity of nage towards uke. Again, Hofmeister Sensei said that uke is not a sack of meat, but a real human and our practice should reflect that human connection. At the the end of class, Hofmeister Sensei reiterated the two statements he made earlier in the week: 1. You don't do Aikido to someone. 2. Aikido is not done to you.
The last class of the day was taught by Saotome Sensei and was all jo katas and techniques. As he joked at the start of class this was "old-man" Aikido. Interesting, Saotome Sensei did not use a regular jo but his own walking stick in demonstrating the techniques. Most of what we did today was various paired jo katas with nage performing a number of different chokes or throws after nage's atemi to midsection, knee, or groin or alternatively, blocking uke's jo and then doing the technique. He had us also practice some jo exercises with swinging the jo around, alternating between hands -- it was a little bit nerve wracking being in the middle of the mat with people practicing with their jo all around. A good class and the a fitting end to a great week of training. Tomorrow is just the morning two classes by Doran and Saotome Sensei.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Aikido Summer Camp 2011 Day 5
The first class this morning was taught by Jud Blitzer Sensei from Boulder. Her focus today was a continuation of the communication theme and she had us do a number of different exercises, including one where uke and nage are in seiza facing each other. Uke raises up on their knees and collapses on nage, essentially a bear hug and then nage turned and gently guide uke to the ground. The pace of the class was slow and easy, good for the early morning.
Choate Sensei taught the second class of the day. While he did bring out the chain again to illustrate a couple of points, the main focus of the class was about nage's movement and response to uke. During a katatetori kokyunage for example, Choate Sensei emphasized that it uke that determines the technique by their attack and nage needs to response by where the movement and technique is taking both. He also made the point that we shouldn't be afraid to "kick them when they are down" meaning that nage should use their feet or legs for short kicks if uke is already down in that area. We also practiced a shomenuchi kotegashi and shomenuchi ikkyo.
The third class taught by Doran Sensei continued his emphasis on nage's movement that will naturally disrupt uke's balance. After tenkan and irimi exercises, we worked on yokomenuchi shihonage omote and ura with variations. We then worked on yokomenuchi iriminage variations including a blocking variation that Doran Sensei's point was not directly block but slide out and atemi to create a space to throw uke. Nage's striking hand then goes underneith uke's arm and extends out to create space for nage to step into and then throw uke. Doran Sensei reiterated the three principles of Aikido that he teaches all of his students at the dojo which all techniques much have to be Aikido. 1. Aiki (blending, not struggling) 2. Kosshu or breaking uke's balance, and 3. Posture, nage shouldn't lose their posture in the techniques.
Saotome Sensei's class started off with uke holding a jo with both hands in front of them while nage put a hand in the middle and moved an open hand to either side. Saotome Sensei then had four uke's stand behind each other and he threw all of them with the same motion. He did another multiple uke technique with two jos, with both jo's end touching other and nage had to extend through the jo into the leading uke's jo to throw the entire group. Another multiple uke technique involved nage extending a hand and the leading uke extends their hand to throw the group. The final group technique was a tenkan kaitennage, where uke steps back leading the front uke and hopeful the rest around and then thrown. Saotome Sensei then demonstrated a couple of kutsumi ("no touch" techniques) kokyunages. Saotome Sensei said some interesting things that Martial Arts training is learning about human anatomy and finding the corners to disrupt uke's balance during movement.
Hofmeister Sensei taught the fifth class and his theme was developing ukemi that was not complacent or disruptive in the technique being done by nage. Hofmeister Sensei made a point that Aikido is not something you do to people, or is done to you but is an activity that requires active participation and presence by both roles; nage and uke. The first technique we worked on was surwazi ikkyo with uke leading the movement while nage just directed. We did a few surwazi techniques and worked on the uke's ukemi not being passive or overly aggressive. Uke is not a sack of meat but a very essential part of Aikido practice.
The final class of the night was taught by George Ledyard Sensei. Ledyard Sensei's focus was in bringing to a full circle many of the major themes from other instructors at camp to basic kihon-waza Aikido. We started off with tenkan exercise and then went on to practice katatetori kokyu-ho omote and ura, katatetori sumitoshi, tsuki sumitoshi, and tsuki kotegashi. Ledyard Sensei talked about nage needs to bring uke into the negative space that opens up by shifting from the engaged hip to the neutral hip, this shift creates a lot of power and opportunity for nage to not force uke's action and movement through force but through nage's body mechanics and positioning. At the end of class, Ledyard Sensei asked if anyone had any questions and someone asked how to "float" uke as taught by Ikeda Sensei. Ledyard Sensei said that nage first connects to uke center through nage's hara and extends ki through the hands and into uke. Nage then shift the energy or focus to the uke's back foot and then straightens nage's posture and push nage hara slight forward (or as Ikeda Sensei says, clinch the posterior muscles). This lefts uke up and then nage can shift the balance to the neutral hip "floating" uke. Ledyard Sensei finished class with some interesting and positive things about the future of Aikido. The focus of the seminar has been on self-resilience and moving yourself either as uke or nage. This growth and positive energy, the hunger of this summer camp's students to learn new things will help Aikido grow in the next twenty years as it is a positive feed-back loop (demand for quality Aikido instruction encourages senior instructors to develop, expand, and evolve our Art)...if this desire for learning is not there, Aikido will be shell with a few quality instructors but the overall state of Aikido will be less.
Choate Sensei taught the second class of the day. While he did bring out the chain again to illustrate a couple of points, the main focus of the class was about nage's movement and response to uke. During a katatetori kokyunage for example, Choate Sensei emphasized that it uke that determines the technique by their attack and nage needs to response by where the movement and technique is taking both. He also made the point that we shouldn't be afraid to "kick them when they are down" meaning that nage should use their feet or legs for short kicks if uke is already down in that area. We also practiced a shomenuchi kotegashi and shomenuchi ikkyo.
The third class taught by Doran Sensei continued his emphasis on nage's movement that will naturally disrupt uke's balance. After tenkan and irimi exercises, we worked on yokomenuchi shihonage omote and ura with variations. We then worked on yokomenuchi iriminage variations including a blocking variation that Doran Sensei's point was not directly block but slide out and atemi to create a space to throw uke. Nage's striking hand then goes underneith uke's arm and extends out to create space for nage to step into and then throw uke. Doran Sensei reiterated the three principles of Aikido that he teaches all of his students at the dojo which all techniques much have to be Aikido. 1. Aiki (blending, not struggling) 2. Kosshu or breaking uke's balance, and 3. Posture, nage shouldn't lose their posture in the techniques.
Saotome Sensei's class started off with uke holding a jo with both hands in front of them while nage put a hand in the middle and moved an open hand to either side. Saotome Sensei then had four uke's stand behind each other and he threw all of them with the same motion. He did another multiple uke technique with two jos, with both jo's end touching other and nage had to extend through the jo into the leading uke's jo to throw the entire group. Another multiple uke technique involved nage extending a hand and the leading uke extends their hand to throw the group. The final group technique was a tenkan kaitennage, where uke steps back leading the front uke and hopeful the rest around and then thrown. Saotome Sensei then demonstrated a couple of kutsumi ("no touch" techniques) kokyunages. Saotome Sensei said some interesting things that Martial Arts training is learning about human anatomy and finding the corners to disrupt uke's balance during movement.
Hofmeister Sensei taught the fifth class and his theme was developing ukemi that was not complacent or disruptive in the technique being done by nage. Hofmeister Sensei made a point that Aikido is not something you do to people, or is done to you but is an activity that requires active participation and presence by both roles; nage and uke. The first technique we worked on was surwazi ikkyo with uke leading the movement while nage just directed. We did a few surwazi techniques and worked on the uke's ukemi not being passive or overly aggressive. Uke is not a sack of meat but a very essential part of Aikido practice.
The final class of the night was taught by George Ledyard Sensei. Ledyard Sensei's focus was in bringing to a full circle many of the major themes from other instructors at camp to basic kihon-waza Aikido. We started off with tenkan exercise and then went on to practice katatetori kokyu-ho omote and ura, katatetori sumitoshi, tsuki sumitoshi, and tsuki kotegashi. Ledyard Sensei talked about nage needs to bring uke into the negative space that opens up by shifting from the engaged hip to the neutral hip, this shift creates a lot of power and opportunity for nage to not force uke's action and movement through force but through nage's body mechanics and positioning. At the end of class, Ledyard Sensei asked if anyone had any questions and someone asked how to "float" uke as taught by Ikeda Sensei. Ledyard Sensei said that nage first connects to uke center through nage's hara and extends ki through the hands and into uke. Nage then shift the energy or focus to the uke's back foot and then straightens nage's posture and push nage hara slight forward (or as Ikeda Sensei says, clinch the posterior muscles). This lefts uke up and then nage can shift the balance to the neutral hip "floating" uke. Ledyard Sensei finished class with some interesting and positive things about the future of Aikido. The focus of the seminar has been on self-resilience and moving yourself either as uke or nage. This growth and positive energy, the hunger of this summer camp's students to learn new things will help Aikido grow in the next twenty years as it is a positive feed-back loop (demand for quality Aikido instruction encourages senior instructors to develop, expand, and evolve our Art)...if this desire for learning is not there, Aikido will be shell with a few quality instructors but the overall state of Aikido will be less.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Aikido Summer Camp 2011 Day 4
Wednesday is traditional a free day but there was still a couple of classes for those interested. I went to the 9:30 to 11:30 class by Sakabe Sensei.
Sakabe Sensei started off with a pretty rigorous warm-up including some warm-up exercises I have never seen before. We then started off with a kosadori kokyunage, kosadori sankyo, and then we practiced a number of interesting and new tanto tori techniques including a straight tsuki from surawaza that ended with nage pivoting away on one knee, bringing the closer arm over uke's arm while going underneath uke's knife with other for an ikkyo knife takeaway. We worked on some bokken takeways next. When then did a series of jo tori techniques and I was lucky enough to train with Jim Alvarez Sensei from California. He helped with some small suggestions and my technique was much easier to perform. We ended class with an exercise where nage is the middle of a triangle of three ukes with bokkens. All the uke's attack with a shomen strike and nage irimi-tenkan and is next to one of the ukes. Cool stuff.
For this afternoon, I'll be working on some job-related stuff (I don't know how productive I'll be, it is hard to shift gears and start programming in Python). I might play hooky and go down to the river to try my new fly pole my father gave me the last time I was Grand Junction.
Sakabe Sensei started off with a pretty rigorous warm-up including some warm-up exercises I have never seen before. We then started off with a kosadori kokyunage, kosadori sankyo, and then we practiced a number of interesting and new tanto tori techniques including a straight tsuki from surawaza that ended with nage pivoting away on one knee, bringing the closer arm over uke's arm while going underneath uke's knife with other for an ikkyo knife takeaway. We worked on some bokken takeways next. When then did a series of jo tori techniques and I was lucky enough to train with Jim Alvarez Sensei from California. He helped with some small suggestions and my technique was much easier to perform. We ended class with an exercise where nage is the middle of a triangle of three ukes with bokkens. All the uke's attack with a shomen strike and nage irimi-tenkan and is next to one of the ukes. Cool stuff.
For this afternoon, I'll be working on some job-related stuff (I don't know how productive I'll be, it is hard to shift gears and start programming in Python). I might play hooky and go down to the river to try my new fly pole my father gave me the last time I was Grand Junction.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Aikido Summer Camp 2011 Day 3
This morning's 6:30 class was taught by Troy Farrow Sensei. We did a long warm-up, which was nice as I think most of us attending hadn't completely woken up, and then Farrow Sensei had us do an exercise where starting from shomen, nage instead of extending into uke, straighten up and extended the engaged hand until uke had lost his or her balance. Beside improving nage's posture, this continued the theme of camp of self-reliance because by straightening and as Farrow Sensei suggested, visualize extending up to the sky through the skull and down to the earth and rotating around that axis. We did a number of techniques including some kokyunages and ikkyo using this approach.
Doran Sensei started off his class by relating a kodan - "second-hand" sayings of the founder O'Sensei which was that that the feet determine balance and direction of the hips and torso. Doran Sensei then showed us a simple movement where nage lifts the forward foot heil and pivots around the ball of the forward foot so nage is now to the side of uke's attack; either to inside or the outside. Building from this movement we then did a jodan tsuki ikkyo, nikkyo, and sankyo technique. Toward the end of class, Doran Sensei related what other masters have also said that you see principles through technique but you can't have one without the other.
For Saotome Sensei class, we continued with the jodan tsuki but we did a lot of different types of techniques, including a number of blocks and atemnis to sensitive areas in throat, chest, and legs. Saotome Sensei changed about mid-way through the class and had us practice with a very confined space, about a half of tatami mat. He talked about when we practice in the dojo, we have plenty of space to move around and respond, so what happens if you back is against the wall? For these close-in techniques, we worked from either a ryo-katadori (two shoulder grab) or a choke with both hands. The response from nage varied one technique was to slide out the way and then turn and throw uke into the wall, another for a choke was to come up and strike the soft spot right about chest cavity. Other variations included nage sliding both hands up to uke's neck and then using the thumbs, pressing right under the jaw pressing on the salivary glands or moving up to uke's face and pressing the nerves under the cheek-bones. Saotome Sensei said another interesting thing about ikkyo, that ikkyo was the O'Sensei was able to ensure self-defense without destroying the opponent. Saotome Sensei showed us the old style of ikkyo pin where nage keeps the outside knee up and extends uke outstretched arm across for the pin.
The forth class of the day was taught by Kevin Choate Sensei. From the start this was going to be a different class as Choate Sensei brought a four-foot heavy chain. We weren't doing some new or esoteric weapon takeaway, but Choate Sensei used the chain to illustrate some of the same points he made yesterday in his class. He pointed some different properties of the chain while holding it up and then letting the chain drop. The falling chain didn't drop as one unit, but each link the chain dropped and the chain fell in a straight line. Choate Sensei explained that like the chain, we need to think of ourselves as links in a chain and as we collapse we bring our energy down as well. Choate Sensei then demonstrated a second exercise where two people hold an end, as one person relaxes and exhales, Choate Sensei dropped the chain. He did that four times and then he had the other person do it again this time he didn't drop his end. The same movement results in the other person, breaking the other person's balance. This is the same concept to think about when doing a technique. We practiced variations on this and felt I learned more about what he was trying to get across. Choate Sensei made an interesting comment. He said that if we think the skill of level of Saotome Sensei or some other master is impossible to learn or attain, then why bother practicing at all? The level that Saotome Sensei and these higher ranked individuals is possible otherwise our battles would be won by very old men and not the young.
The fifth class was taught by Doran Sensei and he said at the start that since its been a long day, he would shift and how the relationships between Aikido and our sister art, Tai Chi. We started off in left hamni and then we practiced shifting our left side forward, followed by extending our right hand palm-up and out which brings the right shoulder forward. The second step was then turning over the hand and bring the left shoulder to meet the right hand and then you brought your right hand along your shoulders and out past your body going to opposite direction. We then paired up and practiced a form of push hands -- going back and forth -- until Doran Sensei turned it into a series of iriminage variations. A really interesting approach about the similarities of these arts and how the movements can be modified into techniques we are more familiar with in Aikido.
Doran Sensei started off his class by relating a kodan - "second-hand" sayings of the founder O'Sensei which was that that the feet determine balance and direction of the hips and torso. Doran Sensei then showed us a simple movement where nage lifts the forward foot heil and pivots around the ball of the forward foot so nage is now to the side of uke's attack; either to inside or the outside. Building from this movement we then did a jodan tsuki ikkyo, nikkyo, and sankyo technique. Toward the end of class, Doran Sensei related what other masters have also said that you see principles through technique but you can't have one without the other.
For Saotome Sensei class, we continued with the jodan tsuki but we did a lot of different types of techniques, including a number of blocks and atemnis to sensitive areas in throat, chest, and legs. Saotome Sensei changed about mid-way through the class and had us practice with a very confined space, about a half of tatami mat. He talked about when we practice in the dojo, we have plenty of space to move around and respond, so what happens if you back is against the wall? For these close-in techniques, we worked from either a ryo-katadori (two shoulder grab) or a choke with both hands. The response from nage varied one technique was to slide out the way and then turn and throw uke into the wall, another for a choke was to come up and strike the soft spot right about chest cavity. Other variations included nage sliding both hands up to uke's neck and then using the thumbs, pressing right under the jaw pressing on the salivary glands or moving up to uke's face and pressing the nerves under the cheek-bones. Saotome Sensei said another interesting thing about ikkyo, that ikkyo was the O'Sensei was able to ensure self-defense without destroying the opponent. Saotome Sensei showed us the old style of ikkyo pin where nage keeps the outside knee up and extends uke outstretched arm across for the pin.
The forth class of the day was taught by Kevin Choate Sensei. From the start this was going to be a different class as Choate Sensei brought a four-foot heavy chain. We weren't doing some new or esoteric weapon takeaway, but Choate Sensei used the chain to illustrate some of the same points he made yesterday in his class. He pointed some different properties of the chain while holding it up and then letting the chain drop. The falling chain didn't drop as one unit, but each link the chain dropped and the chain fell in a straight line. Choate Sensei explained that like the chain, we need to think of ourselves as links in a chain and as we collapse we bring our energy down as well. Choate Sensei then demonstrated a second exercise where two people hold an end, as one person relaxes and exhales, Choate Sensei dropped the chain. He did that four times and then he had the other person do it again this time he didn't drop his end. The same movement results in the other person, breaking the other person's balance. This is the same concept to think about when doing a technique. We practiced variations on this and felt I learned more about what he was trying to get across. Choate Sensei made an interesting comment. He said that if we think the skill of level of Saotome Sensei or some other master is impossible to learn or attain, then why bother practicing at all? The level that Saotome Sensei and these higher ranked individuals is possible otherwise our battles would be won by very old men and not the young.
The fifth class was taught by Doran Sensei and he said at the start that since its been a long day, he would shift and how the relationships between Aikido and our sister art, Tai Chi. We started off in left hamni and then we practiced shifting our left side forward, followed by extending our right hand palm-up and out which brings the right shoulder forward. The second step was then turning over the hand and bring the left shoulder to meet the right hand and then you brought your right hand along your shoulders and out past your body going to opposite direction. We then paired up and practiced a form of push hands -- going back and forth -- until Doran Sensei turned it into a series of iriminage variations. A really interesting approach about the similarities of these arts and how the movements can be modified into techniques we are more familiar with in Aikido.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Aikido Summer Camp 2011 Day 2
This morning I dragged myself out of bed to make Laurie Nusbaum Sensei's 6:30am class. She started off by talking about self-relience and how practicing with others we can get distracted, so she said we were going to have a silence class. We worked on a varied of techniques, mostly kokyunage and hijinages. We ended class with a nice 5 minute sit.
The second class of the day was taught by Saotome Sensei. He had us get a bokken and between techniques, he lectured about why we don't have competition in Aikido is because of the different mindset between a competitive atmosphere vs. the Budo awareness of protecting oneself and destroying the enemy. He referenced a concept "bujho" (between my extremely poor Japanese and hearing, this is as close as I remember)
In Doran Sensei class we worked on katatetori tenkan, with Doran Sensei emphasizing that we shouldn't let our arms kosadori ikkyo, kosadori kokyunages, ryo-katatetori reverse kotegashi...During one of the practice sessions, I was working with a taller older women, and she started lecturing me and giving a too much resistance for the technique we practicing (katetori kokyu-ho) and some other crap so during my turn, I threw her with the force she was giving me and she flew to the ground. I could tell she was angry and she even tried to kick me in the face and the same time lecturing me that wasn't Aiki! Whatever, but I was upset with myself for letting my own frustration come through my technique.
For Tres Hofmeister Sensei class, we spent the first half of class on just tenkan with Hofmeister Sensei having us work on both uke and tori (nage) reactions and movement. I enjoyed the blending and working with a lot of other students. The second half of class was a continuation of movement, balance, and approach as our work with the tenkan but we added a number of kokyunages to the movement with a chance for randori practice near the end.
The final class of the night was taught by Kevin Choate Sensei. He spent the entire class having us work on reducing the tension and some of our natural instincts when being grabbed. He had uke start about six feet away, and a key part of the practice (at least for me, as Choate Sensei said a couple of times, what we relate second hand is just our perspective, not necessarily what the original person meant, probable a good description of my blog in general) was recognizing the small changes that occur before physical contact and after. When being touched, we tense, and learning to relax and not respond in some of these instinctive mannerisms prevents us from being truely present and not negatively responsive in our own movements.
Tonight is the Glenwood Springs Hot Tub night and I still debating if I'll go to the pool or not.
The second class of the day was taught by Saotome Sensei. He had us get a bokken and between techniques, he lectured about why we don't have competition in Aikido is because of the different mindset between a competitive atmosphere vs. the Budo awareness of protecting oneself and destroying the enemy. He referenced a concept "bujho" (between my extremely poor Japanese and hearing, this is as close as I remember)
In Doran Sensei class we worked on katatetori tenkan, with Doran Sensei emphasizing that we shouldn't let our arms kosadori ikkyo, kosadori kokyunages, ryo-katatetori reverse kotegashi...During one of the practice sessions, I was working with a taller older women, and she started lecturing me and giving a too much resistance for the technique we practicing (katetori kokyu-ho) and some other crap so during my turn, I threw her with the force she was giving me and she flew to the ground. I could tell she was angry and she even tried to kick me in the face and the same time lecturing me that wasn't Aiki! Whatever, but I was upset with myself for letting my own frustration come through my technique.
For Tres Hofmeister Sensei class, we spent the first half of class on just tenkan with Hofmeister Sensei having us work on both uke and tori (nage) reactions and movement. I enjoyed the blending and working with a lot of other students. The second half of class was a continuation of movement, balance, and approach as our work with the tenkan but we added a number of kokyunages to the movement with a chance for randori practice near the end.
The final class of the night was taught by Kevin Choate Sensei. He spent the entire class having us work on reducing the tension and some of our natural instincts when being grabbed. He had uke start about six feet away, and a key part of the practice (at least for me, as Choate Sensei said a couple of times, what we relate second hand is just our perspective, not necessarily what the original person meant, probable a good description of my blog in general) was recognizing the small changes that occur before physical contact and after. When being touched, we tense, and learning to relax and not respond in some of these instinctive mannerisms prevents us from being truely present and not negatively responsive in our own movements.
Tonight is the Glenwood Springs Hot Tub night and I still debating if I'll go to the pool or not.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Aikido Summer Camp 2011 Day 1
Ikkyo is the first chapter of Aiki
Tonight was the first night of Aikido Camp of the Rockies in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This is Doran Sensei's last year teaching so there is a bittersweet and somewhat sober tone on the mat leading up to the start of Doran Sensei class. During his class, Doran Sensei had us work on a different opening to iriminage where nage steps back and switches hamni while bringing uke's hand to center. We worked on a couple of irimi-style kokyunages with a shiho-nage opening and then cutting back into uke's center.
Saotome Sensei started off the second class by having us do some connection and extension exercises where nage tries to move uke with just a finger while uke is solid with a straight fist. Saotome Sensei then talked about how every action has a reaction that positive energy turns into negative energy. He demonstrated this with a kokoyunage that was a small circle back into uke. Saotome Sensei brought the lesson back positive-negative point when he explained that kokyunage or kokyuh-ho breathing in and out is the positive and negative energy, a way of communicating. He then started drawing the connection between breathing in and doing ikkyo and ikkyo is fundementally a breathing exercise, a connection I never made before. Saotome Sensei then talked about how some students once were saying they already knew ikkyo but O'Sensei replied that ikkyo is a life-long study and the essence of Aikido comes through studying ikkyo. Up to O'Sensei, Budo is about self-defense and destroying your opponent, O'Sensei broke that connection, by saying that we don't have to kill or destroy our opponent even though all of the ways and opportunities to do so are present in our techniques.
A great start to my first summer camp or even seminar as a shodan.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Aikido for 07/21/2011
Tip taught class and it was just Clint and I as students so we practiced for an hour instead of the usually hour and half class. We went through a lot of kokyunages, ikkyos, and iriminages before ending class with jo kata #1-#4.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Aikido for 07/16/2011
Today I taught the open class for Garry. Since I hadn't practice bokken takeways in a while, I decided to focus on the basic weapon takeways from a straight shomen bokken cut.
- bokken-dori shomen iriminage
- bokken-dori shomen kokyu-ho kokyunage
- bokken-dori shomen tenkan kokyunage
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Aikido for 07/14/2011
Tonight for class it was just the instructors so it was fun with a different vibe as Tip had us practice the following techniques:
Uechi-Ryu Karatedo is a traditional style of Okinawian Karate and I found the class very interesting in that many of the movements and concepts are similar to Aikido but more regimented into formal katas and practice. I feel this school will bring a different budo to the dojo and offers different tradition and perspective on movement and martial arts.
- katatetori tenkan uchi kokyunage
- katatetori tenkan uchi iriminage
- katatetori tenkan uchi ikkyo omote and ura
- yokomenuchi kotegashi omote
- tanto tsuki kotegashi
- tanto shomen gokyu omote
- surawazi shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
- hamni-handachi shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
- shomenuchi tenkan hijinage (I did breakfalls for most of my ukemi
Uechi-Ryu Karatedo is a traditional style of Okinawian Karate and I found the class very interesting in that many of the movements and concepts are similar to Aikido but more regimented into formal katas and practice. I feel this school will bring a different budo to the dojo and offers different tradition and perspective on movement and martial arts.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Aikido for 07/12/2011
Ken taught class and after warm-ups and doing our usual katatetori kokyunage tenkan, he had us grab a tanto and practice the same kokyunage again with nage holding the tanto in the extended hand. Good class.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Aikido for 07/09/2011
Today for class, Garry mixed things up. We went straight into doing the following techniques
It was a good class and I enjoy getting on the mat and practicing.
- katatetori kokyunage tenkan
- katatetori kokyunage irimi
- kosadori sumotoshi ura
- kosadori sumotoshi omote
- kosadori hijinage tenkan
- kosadori irimi
- We also worked on the jo kata number 3
It was a good class and I enjoy getting on the mat and practicing.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Aikido for 07/07/2011
For class tonight it was just Garry, Clint, and I. Since I was covering for Tip, I decided to just do to a round-robin practice. After warming up, we practiced the following techniques:
I joked after class that I didn't want to claim the iriminages because they did feel forced. I have never seen these iriminage variations before in classes or seminars I have attended over the years, that although they weren't the strongest and most fluid iriminages I have done, it is demostration of the almost infinite variations available on simple themes(and to be clear, I am not claiming I invented anything).
Aikido provides an outlet of physical creativity and focus unlike any other activity I do. Aikido is a modern budo and not a kata-based martial art. Although creative and fluid movement is a characteristic of Aikido, the deeper levels of the Art don't start opening up unless your focus is martial. . Aikido allows for constrained improvisation in responding to violence and chaos. The only way I was able to develop these iriminages is because as I train more, I have a wider scale in which my body knows similar movements from hours and years of practice and I just know the technique will work.
- katatetori tenkan kokyunage
- katatetori irimi kokyunage
- I decided to focus on two opening movements, uchi and soto, with a katatetori attack for the rest of the night starting off with a katatetori uchi tenkan kokyunage
- katatetori uchi kokyunage
- katatetori soto tenkan kokyunage
- katatetori uchi kaiten nage tenkan omote
- katatetori uchi kaiten nage tenkan ura
- katatetori soto kaiten nage tenkan
- katatetori soto kaitenage omote
- katatetori uchi iriminage, two different variations that I haven't seen before. In the first iriminage, nage creates the opening movement by sliding underneath uke and then using the free arm and hand slides, extends into uke and does the iriminage throw off the non-grabbed hand. In the iriminage second uchi variation, nage does a complete tenkan and then slides behind uke for the iriminage throw.
I joked after class that I didn't want to claim the iriminages because they did feel forced. I have never seen these iriminage variations before in classes or seminars I have attended over the years, that although they weren't the strongest and most fluid iriminages I have done, it is demostration of the almost infinite variations available on simple themes(and to be clear, I am not claiming I invented anything).
Aikido provides an outlet of physical creativity and focus unlike any other activity I do. Aikido is a modern budo and not a kata-based martial art. Although creative and fluid movement is a characteristic of Aikido, the deeper levels of the Art don't start opening up unless your focus is martial. . Aikido allows for constrained improvisation in responding to violence and chaos. The only way I was able to develop these iriminages is because as I train more, I have a wider scale in which my body knows similar movements from hours and years of practice and I just know the technique will work.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Aikido for 07/05/2011
Tonight for Aikido Ken's focus was blending in with attack instead of stopping uke and then trying to do the technique. We started off with these techniques:
After I got home tonight and I was browsing my blog feed, I read the following post (An Open Letter to My Students) by George Ledyard Sensei regarding the poor turn-out of beginner students at a recent seminar at his dojo but he quickly expands on his reflections about Aikido and if the Art will continue into the future. I too worry about where Aikido will be in 20 or 30 years, long after all of O'Sensei's original students have passed away and many of the second generation of shinhan and sensei have also passed or are retired from active teaching. How can we increase not just the quantity of students (our numbers at Pike Peak Aikido are slightly down) but how to emphasize that the nature of a traditional budo practice in a dojo is more than a nice exercise time at the gym.
I try to bring to my own teaching a martial awareness that other instructors at Pikes Peak also do in their own way and methods. I don't lecturing about budo or the deeper reasons why I practice Aikido but maybe I should start doing that; especially in the beginner classes. As I prepare for the fall Colorado College Aikido Basic classes, I want to start attracting the type of students who prioritize and appreciate what Aikido can bring.
It may have been presumptuous of me, but in a comment I made to Ledyard Sensei's post I said I would be very interested in listening and discussing with other senior instructors at this year's summer camp about the future of Aikido and how to increase the importance of Aikido to the beginner and new students.
- katatetori kokyunage tenkan
- katatetori kokyunage irimi (or kokyu-ho)
- munetsuki kokyunage irimi to the inside with one hand cutting at the outstretched tsuki hand and the other reaching around the head and then turning the hips to throw uke, we practiced with a three different times
- We finished class with jo work, starting with first step in jo kata #1 and then moving to the complete kata
After I got home tonight and I was browsing my blog feed, I read the following post (An Open Letter to My Students) by George Ledyard Sensei regarding the poor turn-out of beginner students at a recent seminar at his dojo but he quickly expands on his reflections about Aikido and if the Art will continue into the future. I too worry about where Aikido will be in 20 or 30 years, long after all of O'Sensei's original students have passed away and many of the second generation of shinhan and sensei have also passed or are retired from active teaching. How can we increase not just the quantity of students (our numbers at Pike Peak Aikido are slightly down) but how to emphasize that the nature of a traditional budo practice in a dojo is more than a nice exercise time at the gym.
I try to bring to my own teaching a martial awareness that other instructors at Pikes Peak also do in their own way and methods. I don't lecturing about budo or the deeper reasons why I practice Aikido but maybe I should start doing that; especially in the beginner classes. As I prepare for the fall Colorado College Aikido Basic classes, I want to start attracting the type of students who prioritize and appreciate what Aikido can bring.
It may have been presumptuous of me, but in a comment I made to Ledyard Sensei's post I said I would be very interested in listening and discussing with other senior instructors at this year's summer camp about the future of Aikido and how to increase the importance of Aikido to the beginner and new students.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Vegan Monday and Happy July 4th
As part of the continued effort to vary my diet, I made a stuffed bell pepper with curry jasmine rice and chunks of boiled sweet potato. For a side, I took the rest of the boiled sweet potato, added some olive oil, a tablespoon of barbecue sauce (in honor of all of the 4th BBQs out there), and some peanuts that I blended into a mash. Here is the result:It was too much sweet potato so I removed the chunks in the stuffing. The BBQ sauce made the mash too sweet, next time I need to substitute brown sugar and use either margarine or (on a non-vegan day) butter for a more complex taste.
Today is the celebrated signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America with it's largest signature by a distant relative of mine. The modern world began around this date in 1776; we're definitely still figuring out what it means even today.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Aikido for 07/02/2011
I covered Saturday's Aikido classes for Garry. For the 10:30 open class, I focused on the movement relationships between nage's responds in both kosadora and tsuki attacks. We then worked on the following techniques:
No other students showed up for the beginner class. Kevin stayed from the first class and so we went through and practiced the first four bokken katas and the first five jo katas.
- kosadori ikkyo omote and ura
- kosadori shihonage omote and ura
- munetsuki ikkyo omote and ura
- munetsuki shihonage omote and ura
- kosadora sankyo omote and ura
- munetsuki sankyo omote and ura
- I then switched to two ushiro tanto-dori techniques the first technique was a ushiro tanto-dori sankyo
- The second tanto-dori was ushiro tanto-dori with a back choke I learned at Central Illinois Aikikai, I think I forgot some elements but I was able to figure out most of it. Nothing like demoing a long-forgotten technique in front of a class
No other students showed up for the beginner class. Kevin stayed from the first class and so we went through and practiced the first four bokken katas and the first five jo katas.
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