Great Class!

So I went to class on Monday night, not expecting anything different (not that that's a bad thing, I LOVE going to class!). But we had a substitute instructor filling in for our regular teacher, who did the entire class a little differently. We started with basic ki excercises derived from techniques, then we slowly began building on the excercises until we were doing the full technique. Then we lined up with one person in the middle of the mat, and they would throw everyone in the line in order and then switch. Then, we got to do 3 person Randori (my first time), using only that one technique! Really, we only worked on one movement the entire class, but in each "phase", we learned it under a different context. It was so cool being able to start learning something on your own, then with another person, then the whole class, then in a battle-esque situation. I hope this class setup appears more often, it could REALLY help teach us to stay relaxed, and also how take something we've learned and practice it under pressure. Just wanted to share.

Hi Judd,

I think that having different teachers really helps. Our Sensei enourages us to traing at different dojos and attend as many seminars as we can. At one class each week, we also have each of the dan grades teach on a rotating shcedule. I love it - each has a different style, a different focus and you take soemthing new form every one.

Hey Judd,

It sounds like you did indeed have a great class. Could you please describe the exercises and techniques that you built on during that particular class?

Thanks

Sieger

Hello,

Judd, you wrote : "Then we lined up with one person in the middle of the mat, and they would throw everyone in the line in order and then switch."

This kind of training is called in Japanese:KAKARIGEIKO. It is great.

Ze'ev.

chadsieger -

I'm not familiar with names yet, but we started with a mirrored stance and a wrist grab. Then we did tenkan (?) and rotated, brought our arms to our center, then came up to one side ended with the our arms extended to the right or left (one extended about shoulder high, the other at our belly, palms up) while slightly squatting with a wide stance.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's so hard to describe online...

Was it an escape, throw, or hold?

Sieger

Throw, sorry.

Judd, you mentioned an "opposite stace," if the grab was opposite hands, I imagine that the technique could have been tembinage. Was there emphasis placed on the uke's elbow? If it was opposite stance, same side grab, then it sounds like a regular kokyunage.

The main point here is to remember what you found useful from this exercise and use those aspects when your are required to teach. What was easy for you to utilize might also be easy for another.

Sieger

Sounds like some of the Seminars that I have attended ... isn't it great to get this type of practice!

If you try to go with everyone in practice, or seminars, whether you get to go in line practice or individual practice, it will enlighten you to the many variations people use to do 'their own aikido'.

Hey Chad, did you ever get to Morristown for one of their Seminars?

Hey Bruce, no not really. How do you become aware of seminars so easily? I'm not on their list I guess, I usually don't hear about them until after the fact. Unless of course someone like Stevens Sensei is coming.

BTW I moved to Philly (commute to Allentown), so I'm in their neighborhood more or less. Let me know the next time something is going down.

Thanks

Chad