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CatSienna's Blog Blog Tools Rating: Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 03-03-2005 12:13 AM
CatSienna
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Status: Public
Entries: 218 (Private: 79)
Comments: 51
Views: 290,592

Entries for the Month of March 2006

In General sliding Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #81 New 03-24-2006 08:59 AM
Today's practice turned out to be a little longer than I expected. I also find that if the pace is fast, I feel it less whereas if the pace is slow, I actually feel it more. I think it's the adrenalin that makes the difference.

Today there were 9 people plus the instructor. I spent part of it learning how to slam as I've realised I never stick my hand out in time so I figured friday's classes are a good time to get in that practice as we were doing a lot of throws. So instead of rolling out, I'd try to slam. It took a while and I'm still not sure it'll come automatically but it's a bit better now.

For ikkyo from a wrist grab, the instructor taught me to be more economical and instead of lifting my hand to get to the elbow, to instead just turn it out slightly and slide along uke's arm to the elbow. Far more efficient and effective. And then a similar thing for reacting to a punch...to block then slide in and elbow into uke's face before extending out the arm. Overall to just learn to slide hands more along uke's limbs/body rather than lifting off which takes more time and gives uke more of an opening to respond.

For irimi from katatetori: To ensure the hand that's being held makes a little circular turning out motion. More effective and breaking uke's balance and hold.

I've been feeling really very "xien" at work...i should just step up the aikido during this lull period. Go and practice more as the physical exercise takes the edge off my frustrat ...More Read More
Views: 874


In General Pulling Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #80 New 03-22-2006 07:37 PM
yesterday's practice was humid to say the least...it's very energy sapping.

I noticed that when I partner with H, I tend to pull her when she resists or is stiff. Not a good habit. I should slow down more and figure out how to turn around or flow over her resistance instead of just pulling. I also need to move more from my centre. This was particularly true when I did my least favourite move: what I call the windmill move this time from a yokomen attack. H is good uke for me as she points out when I'm not taking her and tells me what more I need to do. She said all I needed to do was to push uke's arm more over the body of uke and the uke would naturally overbalance with very little effort on nage's part. She's right...she's good at these little things. I used to hate this move but it's one of her favourites as she says with very little effort it's possible for a small uke to control a large strong nage...I'm thinking, gee, I never feel I'm in control of a big strong guy when I do this move on them! Clearly I'm not doing it right.

ushiro: during freestyle I realised I wasn't responding well at all to ushiro attacks to the shoulders. Don't know why. I could get an initial move out by twisting under the uke and then not know what to do. Bummer. HAve to go revise those moves. Didn't have a problem when it was ushiro involving one or both wrists.

I really like practising with H. We're a good match...I'm a bit more supple and fluid with gentler cont ...More Read More
Views: 845


In General A Growing Crowd Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #78 New 03-18-2006 01:30 AM
Wow, a whole 15 people for Friday class. Attendence I notice is creeping up slowly. It was 12 the last two weeks and now it's 15. Let's see what it's like for the next few weeks. I tend to really enjoy the contrast of friday's class with the other classes on Monday and Wednesday.

I notice there are more newbies coming for friday's class. There seem to be at least four now who show up each time. I was chatting to one of the newer white belt guys, a huge sturdy guy whom I first thought was american but later after talking to him realised he was probably Irish. Turns out he's done judo and karate before but got injured quite a lot. He told me that in judo he got his ankle broken four times. He says he's also got a nagging shoulder injury so he's having to be careful with that. I think it would be interesting to see how his aikido evolves as I don't know anyone else who's come from a judo type background. I notice the ones who have a kendo, karate or TKD background tend to have more linear, harder styles.

The other white belt guy who was really stiff appeared again much to my relief. I didn't partner him though as I figured he'd probably had enough of me laughing at him from last week. One of the very senior yudansha guys partnered him which I think was good for him as he's very patient.
Views: 1028


In General soft as a feather Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #77 New 03-15-2006 08:11 PM
Getting thrown into a soft slam breakfall by sensei is the most amazing experience. It felt as soft as a feather even though I forgot to stick out my hand to slap the mat. I'm still marvelling at the control he has. It was one of those kinda like hip throws but not quite which neither my partner nor I could figure out properly how to do, so he came over to demonstrate and over I went, light as a feather, gently onto the mat. Amazing...that's control. I don't know anyone else in the dojo who can do that. the senior yudansha often have a lot of control but it still feels harder whereas this was just floating down.
Views: 601


In General Felling a Tree Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #75 New 03-10-2006 09:12 AM
Today I ended up partnering one of the newbie guys, older and very stiff and still of the mindset that harder is better. Fortunately I had another senior girl who's supremely flexible so we both worked with him but I realised that he falls like a tree. Somehow he automatically tenses his entire body, as if he's bracing himself, when he loses his balance. Naturally he then topples over like a felled tree rather than trying to fold down or roll down and he seems to think that's the way it should be. And I broke my rule of not telling people to relax as I couldn't stand it anymore . I'd pause midway through one of the techniques and say, *this* is where you need to relax. And he actually did start relaxing a teensie bit which made his fall softer. Unfortunately all that got undone in the second class as I notice when he gets hyped up he just goes faster and harder cos he just kept telling me when I was nage "go harder, go harder" and he just seems to love slamming down no matter how lightly I threw him, so it was kinda pointless. I tried really hard to resist the temptation to laugh but must confess to cracking into laughing out loud after desperately trying to stifle my chuckles after about 1.5 hours. Needless to say I admire all my teachers and sempai for not laughing at me when I was a newbie!! Plus I really wish I were like one of the yudansha women who can actually imitate my mistakes and then show me the right way of doing it.

Anyway, I'm getting an immen ...More Read More
Views: 811


In General TGIF! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #73 New 03-03-2006 09:57 AM
Today's friday's class was one I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. It's the end of a very very busy and sad week for me so it's good it ended on a happier note.

There were about 12 of us, double last week's paltry 6 and we had a rollicking time towards the end where there was a lot more free flow of movement in the round robin practice and lots of people helping the sole white belt...at one stage I saw him being helped and explained to by a yondan and a 2nd kyu who's probably the best 2nd kyu in our dojo. The explanations he was getting were very good but I know that when I was at that stage, none of it sank in . All I could absorb was maybe one thing per lesson and I was lucky if I remembered that till the next lesson. Maybe he absorbs stuff better though. I was really not good at remembering things at the start.

But it was really the mood of relaxed casualness, experimental but people being careful. Also great seeing Peter back on the mat after his hamstring injury.

i'm turning into the only girl in the advanced class. Not sure where the other three gals who turn up have disappeared to. The other woman had a health problem so she tends to stay for the first beginners class only. It's kinds fun though cos it meant I got to partner lots of guys which I think is good for me and I got to partner the best black belter around whose really great to work with as he's got just lovely, fluid, gentle control and he works very deliberately. H ...More Read More
Views: 765




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