CLASS NOTES for Monday, 18/Jun/2007

In attendance:
Brandon

Class time:
7:05 pm - 7:35 pm Jo
7:35 pm - 8:15 pm Warmups w/50 rolls
8:15 pm - 9:00 pm

Since I was alone tonight, I decided to get in some suwari waza practice. I think it's been a while since I had done any extended suwari waza practice. I haven't been practicing it and also haven't been hiting the treadmill lately and I could really tell tonight. Reading the testing requirements also stated that I need to keep a log of training days for any eventual shodan application. I hadn't thought of that.. do Mike and I need to keep a log of our training time? Here's what I went over. (omote/ura, irimi/tenkan)

SUWARI WAZA
shomen uchi - ikkyo through yonkyo
yokomen uchi - ikkyo through yonkyo
kata dori - ikkyo through yonkyo

TACHI WAZA
shomen uchi - ikkyo through yonkyo
yokomen uchi - ikkyo through yonkyo
kata dori - ikkyo through yonkyo
shomen uchi - irimi nage
shomen uchi - kote gaeshi
shomen uchi - kaiten nage
tsuki - irimi nage
tsuki - kote gaeshi
tsuki - kaiten nage
yokomen uchi - irimi nage
yokomen uchi - kote gaeshi
yokomen uchi - kaiten nage

Some interesting videos

Doran Sensei
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8017562798133224282&q=doran&total=495&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Iaido (sword drawing)
In Japan
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8566157551057113966&q=iaido&total=674&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Good demonstration of applied sword drawing.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1487093840029613198

Jerry on Vacation

FYI, Jerry will not be here the 18th and 20th of June. Maybe if he takes some pictures of him taking ukemi on a white water rapid or something, we can get it posted here...

CLASS NOTES for Wednesday, 13/Jun/2007

In attendance:
Brandon
Jerry
Zach

Class time:
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Jerry and Brandon Tai-no-henko practice
7:30 pm - 9:05 pm Main class
9:05 pm - 9:45 pm Jerry and Brandon Kokyu ho practice

Prior to class, Jerry and I worked on tai-no-henko blending exercises to reinforce concepts from Ikeda's seminar and looking at how we use them every day in our class. We also worked in the movement Sensei showed us last week from the Jackson seminar. We worked on the footwork that Sensei showed us for how to lead uke around.

During warmups, we put in extra time with Zach on footwork. I thought it might also be interesting to do the tai-no-henko turn with the jo so we incorporated that too.

After warmups, we went up to the punching bag and worked on shomenuchi, yokomenuchi, and tsuki. We discussed what an "honest" attack is. If doing an attack at 1% speed and power, it will still hit the bag and not go off to the side. We practiced hitting all three strikes on the bag which I'm finding pretty useful. I got the impression that Jerry had never seen how effective a blow a shomenuchi or yokumenuchi can be. I emphasized hand placement when attacking and demonstrated the difference between a tsuki (punch) in karate and boxing, and also generating power from your center/hips.

After that, we went outside for sword strikes. We went over posture and te/ashi sabaki (hand/foot position). We also went over the first few ken suburi.

Techniques:
Gyaku te dori kokyu ho, one variation review

Kata te dori shiho nage omote review
Zach stated that he got to try this one out on his dad after Monday's class to good effect. From my experience, my loved ones stopped letting me show them techniques after the first couple of years. Enjoy it while it lasts.

kata te dori shiho nage ura
Jerry and I did with this great emphasis on efficient and correct footwork. I worked with Zach on just the footwork portion of this technique.

At this point we ended class at 9:05. Jerry and I stayed and worked exlusively on three of the gyaku te dori kokyu ho until around 9:45.

I got a lot of great training from tonight. Thanks Zach and Jerry.

CLASS NOTES for Monday, 11/Jun/2007

I thought that while Sensei is gone over the next two weeks, we can post some class notes as to keep everyone up to date on what's happening.

In attendance:
Brandon
Shawn
Jerry
Rodger
Zach

Class time: 7:35 pm - 9:05 pm

Footwork:
Practiced normal footwork + ikkyo ura footwork going up and down the mat

Ukemi:
Shawn worked with Zach on rolls and footwork. Thanks Shawn!
Jerry, Rodger, and I did 50 rolls. We incorporated the forward roll to back roll on the last 10. We discussed using one's rolling energy and form when standing up from the roll to make our rolls more efficient.

Techniques:
For all techniques we discussed and placed an emphasis on good posture, breathing, and terminology

Kata te dori kokyu ho #1 (side hand grab breath throw)

Gyaku te dori kokyu ho, one variation (opposite hand grab breath throw)

Kata te dori shiho nage omote (side hand grab four corner throw in front)
Here, we emphasized how to blend by connecting and turning one's center slightly to extend uke and take balance. Proper positioning by staying close when going under uke's arm, and turning the center to get uke's arm around to their spine for the take down.

For next class we will continue gyaku te dori kokyu ho and reviewing shihonage omote. We will also add in shihonage ura.

We also discussed starting class at 7pm for the next three classes only. If enough people read this and show up at 7, I'll be there and we'll start class then.

Some terminology review:
kata - side
gyaku - other or opposite (side)
te - hand
dori - grab

kata te dori = side hand grab
gyaku te dori = opposite (side) hand grab

(Hopefully, I don't confuse anyone with this next bit)
Counting
1 - ichi
2 - ni
3 - san
4 - shi (yon, fyi alternate reading)
5 - go
6 - roku
7 - shichi (nana, fyi alternate reading)
8 - hachi
9 - kyu
10 - ju

Counting up to 100 works this way:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9..
10 = ju (10)
11 = ju ichi (10 1)
12 = ju ni (10 2)
13 = ju san (10 3)
14 = ju shi (10 4)
...
19 = ju kyu (10 9)
20 = ni ju (2 10)
21 = ni ju ichi (2 10 1)
22 = ni ju ni (2 10 2)
30 = san ju (3 10)
40 = yon ju (note the alternate reading) (4 10)
50 = go ju (5 10)

for one hundred:
100 - hyaku

Now it works exactly the same
152 = hyaku go ju ni (100 5 10 2)

Reminder

Just as a reminder to everybody, there is a seminar coming up this month in Salt lake City on the 22nd through the 24th. Here is the link for the info: http://www.utahaiki.com/calendar.html

Not a lot of details there yet however.

Schedule for June 11/13, 18/20

Sorry, but it looks like I will need to be absent tomorrow, Monday June 11, and then on the next 3 class sessions as I indicated last week. Please continue to practice the omote/ura (or irimi/tenkan, if you are familiar with those terms) variations for entry into kokyunage, ikkyo, and shihonage. I will be back on the mat June 25.

Sensei

Sensei's schedule for June 4/6

I'm in town this week. Michael Cardwell and I will try to recall technique highlights from Clyde Takeguchi shihan's workshop held at the new Jackson Hole Aikikai dojo Saturday. It was a very good seminar, and the dojo, while not yet completely finished, already has fabulous mats and is a dedicated facility. We enjoyed the interactions with Bill Plank sensei and his students.

Dojo blog

Hello current students, and visitors interested in aikido in Idaho Falls. I'm trying a blog as a means of communicating information on my schedule, and any other information that might be of interest to you. For the time being, I'd like to keep posting limited to dojo members, and have visitors send me an email instead. Let me know what you think of this mode of communication.

Frank