Aikido for 02/29/2012

For the leap-year class, Ken started off with variations on tenkan kokyunage following the body position that Tissier Sensei does (Ken received the DVDs from the San Diego Bridge Seminar and has been studying them) for moving uke in a single movement, connected to nage's body. This was a good class and a one that worked well with some of the newer students.

Aikido for 02/21/2012

With Ken's class, we worked on the following techniques after warm-ups:

• katatetori kokyunages (three variations)
• katatetori katenage

The focus tonight was on uke maintaining a strong and realistic attack while nage worked on being sensitive the variation of the attack and responding accordingly, either a quick throw or more of blending, all dependent on uke's intention.

Aikido for 02/18/2012

Garry taught class and we went straight into techniques without a warm-up. More than half of the class we worked on various ukemi, including break falls before switching over to a couple of techniques.  Starting from static and working up to a faster and more dynamic attacks, all with the focus on uke's intention.

Aikido for 02/16/2012

Tip taught class and after warm-ups we worked on a the following ushiro techniques:

• ryokatatetori kokyunage
• ryokatatetori ikkyo
• rear-choke kotegashi

We finished class with a randori practice, the first for a couple of the new students. I enjoyed Tip's class as always.

Aikido for 02/14/2012

Ken taught class and after warm-ups, we worked on a couple of different techniques from Saturday's seminar with Sabo Sensei. The first technique was a tsuki kotegashi modified with our style of tsuki (Sabo Sensei had us tsuki with a very formalized and light swing up style while we practice with a much more realistic straight and hard punch) where nage steps up and performs the kotegashi on uke's elbow. The class was a good review of some of the things we were exposed to on Saturday.

Aikido for 02/11/2012

On Saturday the dojo co-sponsored an all-day seminar for John Sabo Sensei from San Diego with another dojo in Colorado Springs that ran from 9 until after 5. For the morning classes Sabo Sensei taught a number of techniques and although his approach was slightly different, the techniques and underlying techniques were still Aikido although one thing was very clear, that he was very opinionated. Right off, Sabo Sensei asked if I was a ninja because my forward ukemi was too quiet and I wasn't slapping the mat. We worked on a number of different techniques including an iriminage that involved grabbing uke's head that I found very interesting. At the end of the morning classes, he showed us four of Ki Society's exercises that I found interesting that we don't practice in our dojo.

In the afternoon class, we worked on a number of other techniques and then we had a nidan test for another student, which was interesting to see. Overall, the experience was positive and I hope that the spirit of expanding Aikido in Colorado Springs was reflective on such a cold day with John Sabo Sensei.

Aikido for 02/07/2012

Last night I walked from my hotel room to the Emerald City Aikido for the Adult class. I arrived early and talked with Joanne Veneziano Sensei who normally would have taught class but had tweaked her back and so was having another senior student teach. Kelly Koerner Sensei arrived and would be teaching.

Koerner Senei's class was vigorous and we practiced a number of different types of iriminages, kokyunages, and other techniques with a real enjoyable spirit with a nice size class. I enjoyed myself and experienced a good shift from the library conference before my conference talk the next day.