I love the way the Butokuden smells. I think it comes from having many fond childhood memories of wood cabins and camp fires. The Butokuden, being a large, entirely wood structure has that amazing old wood smell that makes me feel both nostalgic and comfortable.
I've wondered (and asked) if the Butokuden structure as it is retains the same wood that it was built with over a hundred years ago. No one I've asked so far has known. Certainly, there are some planks and beams that look old, and some that are obviously new. There are also new amenities such as electric lights and glass on the windows, but the over all feel of the Butokuden remains old, rooted and historical. I like it.
Women's practice today went well, I think. It was a moderately sized group, evenly divided between older and younger members. I still sit somewhere in the middle. While there are women my age who attend practice, their dan is higher than mine. Because of that, I can't entirely be grouped in the older group (their dan starts at yon-dan) nor can I be completely a part of the younger group, which consists mostly of high school girls. Today I floated between being motodachi and participating in the drills, as rotation required.
We did the normal stretching and warm up routine, with a nostalgic twist at the end. Kuzuta Sensei had the younger half of the class do a kiai drill. It was just a standing drill, in kamae but it brought back memories of running back and forth across the length of a gymnasium screaming myself purple.
Predictably, the first round had very weak kiai. We went back and forth in a sort of kiai competition to encourage the younger girls to be louder and more energetic. The kiai should come from the stomach, not the throat. You get a stronger voice this way, and a longer breath to use. Furthermore, vitality comes from tanden, the spot just below the navel. Kiai should come from the stomach and subsequently store energy in the tanden. This energy is then released explosively when we complete ki ken tai and lingers on in zanshin.
From there, we put on our men and did several rounds of kirikaeshi. We rotated as motodachi so the impact of 6 rounds of kirikaeshi was not felt as much. The focus was on striking large, accurate hits. My focus was keeping my left hand in the center. Itou Sensei corrected my sayu-men a little while back. My tenouchi slips on the left swing and I lose a lot of power through the subsequent awkward angle of my wrists.
We followed this up with some kihon drills. Since none of the male teachers were going to be in attendance today, the focus of the practice was kihon. When practicing men-uchi in particular, we were asked to be aware of not just our arms, but our knees, legs and body. Correct timing and a crisp, audible sound with fumi-komi-ashi is key to completing a valid hit. Likewise, the distance cannot be crossed with arms and body alone. Leaping forward the correct distance and keeping the upper body straight keeps strikes correct and beautiful looking.
Following these drills we took our ten minute break. Fortunately, my lower back was a little more forgiving today. My breathing still hasn't reached it's full efficiency again, however. As irritating as that is, there's nothing for it. Little by little at least, my airways are clearing and kendo is becoming easier again.
After the break, we dove into the more complicated drills and waza. This is the part that I like best, aside from the actual keiko part. We did hiki-waza which I'm really glad for. Hiki-waza are my favorite waza. The timing of them just feels good, I think. We did hiki-men and hiki-dou (my dou has become so horrible) and then things got complicated.
We did a drill that involved on person to do men-hiki-men. The motodachi then had to chase the first person and hit men. We did this for a few rotational rounds, and then changed the final men to kote-men. These I could do easily, but then the pattern became more and more complicated. Waza were added into the mix until it became an impossible Simon game that I couldn't understand anymore. I asked my motodachi exactly what it was that we were supposed to be doing and she answered with such a long string of varied waza that I could only shrug my shoulders helplessly.
We finished practice with a few rounds of three minute mawari-geiko and some kakari-geiko. It was interesting practicing with some of the younger girls there. I could see myself in my early years in them. It made me realize how far I've come, and how I am now in a position to help those younger than me. I could see their mistakes, because I've made them, and I know how to react to them now because I've had so many good teachers in my study. It was an interesting experience.
Unfortunately, another practice was arriving, and I suppose they needed us out quickly and we had to finish early..
After practice, we said our end of the year aisatsu and that was the last women's practice of the year. I was complimented on timing again, which is uplifting to hear, considering I practice with so many high ranked, and skilled people. To be told that, at the very least, I can keep a good timing with them is more than validation enough. My dou though I was told, truthfully enough still needs work. It will be something to focus on in the new year.
The end of the year nomi-kai will be on January 16th. Apparently, the February women's practice will be held in Osaka! I hope I'm able to attend!
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