Thanks so much Kelly --- yes, that is helpful! I always thought I felt pretty relaxed (sometimes perhaps too much so), but I'll definitely try to keep that in mind as I go along.

The finishing with Ki issue is, in my opinion, more than just lowering your center by bending your knees. Even a big guy like me gets pulled off my center on finishing a technique. Even if I was throwing someone much smaller than I. What I have discovered is not only do I have to lower my center, but I must remain supple and relaxed. I discovered that in some cases it don't matter how low I get when I finish a technique, if I'm tense,and the uke attacks with enough energy he/she will pull me off ballance. On the other hand if I finish the technique relaxed to the point where I can absorb the energy through my body, ie. like a shock absorber, it don't matter how big the uke is or how much energy is in his/her attack I can finish very stable. Sensei is very good at helping students to visualize/internalize how to develope the concept of Ki. It is not a leap of faith. It really is a learned concept. Once its figured out it makes other things fall into place as well. At least it did for me. That being said, once you get the idea and feel for the concept of Ki, even though things start to click, You'll tend to find that knowing what you have to do, and doing it with all techniques are two different things. Hope this helps.