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jxa127's Blog Blog Tools Rating: Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 02-09-2005 01:53 PM
jxa127
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Status: Public
Entries: 109
Comments: 18
Views: 193,131

In General 2nd kyu test went well! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #69 New 07-30-2004 08:57 AM
Last night's test went pretty darned well. In addition to the 2nd kyu test for Richard and me, we had two people test for 7th kyu -- Justin and Greg. Greg tested for some 6th kyu test techniques too, but he was not quite ready for those. Robert would have tested for 4th kyu, but he's recently back from a toe injury and didn't feel ready to test. He took ukemi, however. Micah (our senior student) suffered a freak injury to his ankle this past Tuesday, so he did not take ukemi. He sat with our sensei and was part of the testing committee (which consisted of him and our sensei *grin*). Craig, who has been with us for a month or two also took some ukemi. The other Robert (I think we'll call him Bob), who just started on Saturday and had previously studied TKD, mostly watched, but he provided some good ukemi for Richard and me when we had to test against kicks.

After the two 7th kyu tests, Richard and I tested for 2nd kyu. We started out with ki tests (unliftable body and testing whilst standing on one foot). Then we had an oral exam on a couple of key questions regarding aikido. That went pretty well except that I could remember very little about Earth breathing, heaven breathing, and human breathing. They came up as part of the question on meditation training. However, I acquitted myself well when talking about before-and-after-class meditation, and zasen meditiation. My blank on breathing was due to the fact that we hadn't practiced it for three or more years -- something o ...More Read More
Views: 1148 | Comments: 1


In General Testing tonight, and the status of the dojo... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #68 New 07-29-2004 08:50 AM
I was worried on Saturday that the talk about dues had driven people off -- only Richard and I showed up. However, we had a brand new student come in and take his first class. My doubts proved unfounded on Tuesday. We had yet another brand new student and the regular crew. A total of eight of us showed up to train.

Richard and I test tonight for 2nd kyu. Justin and maybe one other (Greg) test for 7th kyu. Naturally I'm a big nervous, but I feel pretty confident that I know what I need to know.

Check back here for a recap of the test.
Views: 1025


In General Test next Thursday; and dojo unrest... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #67 New 07-23-2004 02:38 PM
It sometimes seems like, just as things seem to be going pretty well, something happens to make things more complicated again.

The good news is that we'll be testing in a week. Richard and I will be going for 2nd kyu. Overall, I feel pretty secure in the techniques I need to know. I still need to do a little research on the oral exam part of the test, but things should go well.

The unrest is about dues. Our dues will be going up from 55 to 65 or 70/month in the next month or so. To me, this isn't a big deal (for a number of reasons, but not because I'm rich), but a couple of students are worried about it. Our instructor has been pretty candid about the necessity of raising dues, an attititude I find admirable. The conflict is that some feel we should do more to raise enrollment rather than raise dues. Those who feel that way are in favor of some gimmicks for bringing people in the door. This is an approach that our instructor is not willing to try, and that upsets those who are in favor of it.

I tend to agree with our instructor. I especially dislike the practice of having people pay for three months of training up front, and then counting on them to not come back after a month of two.

In any event, I'm sure things will work out in the end. The strange thing last night was that everyone bent my ear after our instructor left last night. I suggested that those who really want to rais attendance should offer to administrate the discount programs so that our ins ...More Read More
Views: 1006


In General More on different levels of ukemi... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #66 New 07-15-2004 08:48 AM
Last Tuesday's class was very interesting. We had four beginners and two "old guys" (Richard and me). Richard and I only got to work with one another for the final technique of the evening. We were working on yokomenuchi irimi nage. After an hour and a half of giving careful, slow speed ukemi, I had a difficult time, at first giving more fluid a quick ukemi to Richard. After a reminder from our instructor, I started doing just that, and boy did it make a difference!

When giving a more fluid attack, nage's timing is very important. This is a pretty self-evident statement, but it was neat to actually feel the truth of the statement in practice. The main problem during this technique, for both Richard and me, was that if the off-balancing motion is not applied to the shoulder of uke's striking hand at the right moment, uke can wrap around under nage's arm requiring a change in technique to something more like men nage (throwing by the head).

When done smoothly, and with good kyusushi (off-balancing, I'm not sure I spelled it correctly), the technique goes off according to plan.

In any event, it was good to have a strong reminder of why good ukemi is essential to helping nage learn.
Views: 1140


In General Some thoughts on hip throws... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #65 New 07-09-2004 08:23 AM
I think I'm finally starting to really get these down. I've learned two types of koshinage so far. The first is like a kokyu nage with the hips in the way. The second is more like wraping uke around you, thrusting your hips under his belt, and then unwrapping him onto the floor.

I've been doing pretty well with the second type, but was having trouble with the first type. Last night I felt like I was getting it; meaning, of course, that I could perform the same throw with both sides of my body, with a couple of different ukes, in a row.

Class last night went well in other ways too. We had a good turnout of students with two newcomers.
Views: 953


In General Getting better all the time... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #64 New 07-06-2004 01:57 PM
The last couple of classes have gone well. My back is feeling much better.

I taught class this past Saturday. With it being the day before a major holiday, only two other people showed up, and we only trained for an hour and a half, rather than three hours. I went over the basic jo strikes and then the first two kumi jo. I taught them just like I learned (and drilled incessantly) at the instructors seminar.

I should be going to class tonight, but I have a bunch of things I need to do around the house. So, I'll go on Thursday. I'll miss Saturday again because I'm helping my best friend and his wife and baby move.
Views: 992


In General Sometimes, it is very hard to train... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #63 New 06-29-2004 08:13 AM
I went to class on Saturday, even though I wasn't feeling 100%. I'd been having stomach troubles all week, and I'd strained my back the previous Tuesday working on my house. I found that my back held up pretty well unless I needed to arch it for ukemi. It's feeling better and better as time progresses.

However, my stomach trouble caused me to throw up a little bit about an hour into training. That's the first time in nearly five years of training that such a thing has happened to me! I've gotten a bit nauseated from time to time during periods of high exersion and/or high heat, but I've never thrown up. My instructor wasn't feeling well either, so I guess there's something going around.

Oh well, the throwing and falling felt pretty good until I got to feeling sick. I'll train again tonight and see how things go.
Views: 1187


In General Really really busy, but testing soon... Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #62 New 06-24-2004 12:55 PM
I've been exceptionally busy for the past month or more and it's starting to catch up with me. Mostly, I've been doing a lot of work on my house.

Still, I've managed to make it to practice twice a week most weeks. We're gearing up for another round of tests at our dojo. Richard and I will test for 2nd kyu in July. Micah will be testing for Shodan soon, and our instructor is going for Sandan soon too.

I'm less nervous this time than I was for the last test. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good about what I need to know for the test, and I still have some time to figure out the stuff I'm weak on.

I'm looking forward to tonight's open mat session and regular class.
Views: 1007


In General AAA East Cost Instructors Seminar a huge success! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #61 New 06-02-2004 11:03 AM
From Thursday, May 27 though Sunday, May 30, I attended the AAA East Cost Instructors Seminar in lovely Charleston, West Virginia.

And I do mean lovely. West Virginia is a beautiful state and Charleston was a very pretty city. The seminar was held at the Charleston Family YMCA, on top of a hill overlooking the city. The facilities were fine and the instruction was top notch. I'll be typing up a more detailed report soon, but my first impressions are below.

Sato sensei did most of the teaching, but other members of the AAA teaching committee led sessions as well. The primary focus was on weapons. Apparently, instructors seminars have a different focus each year. Last year the focus was on ki tests and running a rank test. The year before, the focus was on teaching ukemi.

One highlight of the seminar, for me, was working on the first five kumijo with Matsuda sensei (the head of the Eastern Region). He pointed out a number of areas where I needed work and really helped me correct the mistakes I was making. My biggest mistake was in letting the ma ai collapse. I was consistently getting too close during the katas. I started to get a little frustrated and asked Matsuda sensei how I can avoid this problem; he pointed out that he is much shorter than I, so I should take smaller steps. It dawned on me that I usually train with people taller than me, so maybe I was too used to a certain range of movement. But, I really should know how to adjust my sense of distance to fit di ...More Read More
Views: 951


In General Broken toe...thankfully not mine. Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #60 New 05-21-2004 02:09 PM
Last night's class was going pretty well until Robert broke his toe during randori.

We've been working on brown belt (nikyu) test techniques in preparation for a test in June. The techniques are feeling pretty good, but I'll be taking advantage of the open mat sessions to work on them.

We're not quite sure how Rober broke his toe (or if it's broken, it may be dislocated). We were doing randori with Micah as nage and four of us as uke. None of us felt any hard collisions or anything that would explain the injury to Robert's toe. As soon as Robert realized he was injured, I got the ice pack and bound it to his foot with an Ace bandage. Shortly thereafter Micah drove Robert to the emergency room for an X-ray and treatment.

I'm a little perturbed because I've been urging Robert to get health insurance for a few months now, but he still doesn't have any. As a result, we've all offered to chip in a bit and help with his medical costs. I guess it's the right thing to do, but combined with the fact that we all agreed to chip in and help pay our most senior student's shodan test fee, the subsidizing other people's aikido practice is starting to bug me.

It' wouldn't bug me so much if I weren't already worried about paying for the instructors' seminar I'm attending next week, not to mention the test fee in June.

This hobby can be pretty expensive at times.

Views: 1288



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