Aikido for 08/30/2011

Tonight for Aikido class Ken after warm-ups, had us work on dynamic opening for the katatetori and kosadori attacks where uke takes a step back and then steps forward for the grab and uke then follows through with a strike. We then worked on the following techniques from this dynamic opening.

• katatetori tenkan kokyunage
• katatetori tenshinage omote
• kosadori ikkyo kokyunage
• kosadori ikkyo kokyunage a couple of variations including one where nage steps back and throws uke
• kokyunage iriminage omote

Tonight was good class. I felt like a beginner multiple times, I was just not getting what Ken was showing us. I focused on the new movements but internally was clumsy and awkward.

Today was an emotional day; the start of the school year and with it, multiple new beginnings and I would say closures and openings in my own perspectives as I adjust to reality. Reality adjustment and introspection, also works as two Aikido descriptors.

Aikido for 08/27/11

Garry taught class and we started right away with katatetori kokyunage tenkan and katatetori kokyunage irimi. Garry's classes are always good because he does a good job of mixing up the techniques and budo training.

Aikido for 08/24/2011

Wednesday night I covered Ken's fundamentals class at 6:30. Only two students showed up; Jack and Noah, a 11-12 year-old from the Youth class who has been given the okay to start attending adult classes. After warm-ups, I decided to focus on moritori techniques tonight. We then practiced the following:

• katatetori kokyunage tenkan
• katatetori kokyunage irimi
• moritori ikkyo omote and ura
• moritori iriminage two variations
• moritori nikkyo omote

Aikido for 08/23/2011

Last night I covered Ken's class. Since there was just Jack and Tip, I decided to go through the 6th kyu techniques as that would be Jack's first test. We practiced the following in line:

• shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
• shomenuchi iriminage
• munetsuki kotegashi
• katatetori shihonage omote and ura

At the end of class, we worked on kumitachi number one.

Aikido for 08/20/2011

For today's class, Garry started right away with katatetori kokyunage tenkan followed by katatetori kokyu-ho irimi. We then worked ryo-katatetori tenshinnage omote first from static and then dynamic. Garry then had us shift to then doing the tenshin movement by bring nage's hands in parallel to the body instead of extending into uke's space for the traditional movement of tenshinage. We then moved to slight variation were nage steps back and throws uke for a kokyunage. I enjoyed today's focus and I had a good practice.

Aikido for 08/18/2011

Last night I taught class, covering for Tip because he had to go up to his cabin. I've been in a contrarian mood with my Aikido because classes at the dojo have lately been focused on internal aiki development, very much influenced by all of the great teaching at summer camp. While it is good training for more advanced classes, in class there was a beginner and Tony, back for his first class after a few month hiatus, I decided to focus on basic 6th kyu techniques. For the last exercise during warm-ups, I introduced the first form from the Dr. Yang Yang's Evidenced-based Taiji and QiGong DVD because I had an idea on how to use that movement later in class.

• katatetori kokyunage tenkan
• katatetori kokyu-ho irimi
• katatetori shihonage omote and ura
• munetsuki kotegashi two variations
• front-choke double-atemi kokyunage - the last technique came from the applications section in the Taiji DVD I have been watching. As nage is being choked by uke, nage brings both wrists up in the floating movement to do a double atemi, the variation I introduced then involved nage cutting up and down and turning tenkai to throw uke. It was a more difficult technique that I still need to refine the timing on.

The simplified 7-form Taiji on Dr. Yang's DVD has been on heavy rotation since I got it last week. I try to practice the form twice a day and the movements have helped me settle along with QiGong meditation forms.

Aikido for 08/16/2011

With tonight's class Ken focused was on nage taking uke's balance. After warmups, we worked on katateotri exercises where nage straightens his posture while connected to uke and just focuses on nage's posture and moving from the center. This built upon what Troy Farrow Sensei was teaching at summer camp.

Good class and afterwards, we went out to Old Chicago for beer and food.

Aikido for 08/13/2011

On Saturday, Garry taught class ... We started off class with katatetori kokyunage tenkan.

We then spent the rest of class working on nage movement and extension of ki, first from katatetori we worked on just breaking uke's balance from both static and dynamic grab from uke. We then moved to a static shomen strike with nage trying to blend early into uke's strike and then breaking uke's balance through an ikkyo technique to the ground. This class was beneficial and continues to re-enforce much of what the dojo has been working on since summer camp.

Aikido for 08/09/2011

Tonight Bradley taught his first Aikido class. After warm-ups, he had us work on the Kevin Choate Sensei's steel chain exercises from summer camp where two people hold either end of the chain and one person drops the end of the chain and the other relaxes and lets the chain fall. We then moved onto uke pushing down on nage's shoulder with one hand and nage just tries to relax with the same movement from the chain and disrupt uke's balance. We then moved to katatetori exercise with the same relaxing movement. A good class.

Aikido for 08/06/2011

On Saturday I taught the Open Class and decided to review a few techniques from Saotome Sensei's classes at Summer Camp. After warming-up, I introduced my attempts at moving first a single uke with uke holding a jo with both hands in front of them and then nage moves uke with a light touch. The next exercise nage moves multiple ukes with the same effort. This was followed by both single and multiple ukes where uke is holding the jo above uke's head and the remaining ukes line up behind the uke holding the jo. We then did the same exercise with the lead uke holding the jo in standard stance and nage tries to move uke(s) with just a finger or a light hand touch.

The last part of the class, we worked on a number of the two uke bokken katas where nage side steps and cuts down the first uke before turning and finishing off the second uke.

The inspiration for this class was Saotome Sensei's statement on the last class of camp; "Aikido always assumes multiple attackers".

Aikido for 08/04/2011

Tonight I covered Aikido for Tip and during warm-ups I explained to the class that I would be tieing tonight's various techniques from instruction I received over the Aikido Summer camp around a single theme, ikkyo.

From Farrow Sensei's morning class I showed how lining up the spine and improving the posture allows for an katatetori ikkyo that follows along nage's center axis. I then switched to Hofmeister Sensei's surawaza ikkyo uke-and-nage connection exercise and repeated Hofmeister Sensei's observations that "You don't do Aikido to someone else; Aikido is not done to you".

Next, we practiced Doran Sensei's katatetori ikkyo with emphasis on nage's turning the grabbed hand palm-up and thrusting into uke, forcing uke's elbow up for the ikkyo application with nage's other hand.

Finally, I related Saotome Sensei's account of some senior students coming back from traveling to O'Sensei's dojo. Asked if they had been practicing ikkyo; they replied they didn't need to because they had "master it". O'Sensei laughed and said that "Ikkyo is a lifetime technique". I then showed a couple finer points of ikkyo that Saotome Sensei showed us; including the danger of an uke's reversal with a groin strike or leg sweep if nage tries a straight take-down. I also showed the old-style ikkyo pin that Saotome Sensei showed during a technique demonstration.

Aikido for 08/02/2011

Tuesday's night class was the first back from summer camp and Ken focused on a number of the key points that each of the sensei and shihan emphasis ed, primarily focused on breaking uke's balance and nage maintain posture through-out the techniques. One of my best friends, Floyd, was visiting me from Salt Lake City and he came to class to observe his first Aikido class. Since we have known each other (almost 8 years now!) I always talk about Aikido and so it was cool to have him actually attend a good class.

After Aikido; Ken, Floyd, and I went and ate dinner at Tako. Floyd and I had the sushi special and Ken had a role and it was good visiting with them both.