The Inevitability of Destruction

The leather loop in my dou for the himo has been frayed for several months. David was kind enough to buy me a replacement strap for it last summer but seeing as no one knew how to actually take apart and repair that part of the dou it's been left sitting in my bag until today, when the thing snapped for good.

Fortunately, Koyama-san was there to give me a quick patch up, but he suggested that it would only be good for one day. Since I don't have a bike anymore after the mysterious theft of it from outside my house, and no money until I get paid again, it'll have to wait until Golden Week.

I did a bit of kata practice today with Koyama-san. He really drilled me on ippon-me today, which is nice. It's good to make sure I have the early forms down to perfection. (Note: this has not yet happened). In particular, he reminded me that shidachi needs to give uchidachi a 'push' when they come together in the center. Seme is important.

I got to experience the new 60 suburi drill today and nearly died for it, but it certainly woke all my muscles up. I just hope this drill isn't going to etend into summer. I'll shrivel up like a little raisin before I even put my men on!

My body was much more cooperative today in terms of correct striking and footwork. I got a couple nice pops that I was very pleased with. Itou Sensei corrected me again on taking my zanshin way too far after a strike. At least, I think he's corrected me on that before. Different teachers give different advice on this subject I've found. Some have told me that I need to get as far away from my opponent as possible after a strike, and some have told me that if I feel I've earned the hit, to run away with it. Others advise a strict  'three step and then turn' rule. I think, like most things, it depends on the circumstance. I know that in many cases I'm guilty of putting my kendo on auto-pilot and just doing everything my habit. Need to start making myself more aware of the fights I'm in.

A Few Good Men

Another Friday practice and only 9 of us there. It's always a good group on Fridays, and the small size makes it feel more intimate. It's nice.

Ino-san worked with me doing some kata today which is good. I don't get to do kata with Ino-san very often. I messed up my footwork on sanbon-me and I forgot the last step into jodan for roppon-me but I think t was a successful venture, nonetheless. I had fun.

The warm up drills went well too. Much better from how they were on Monday, actually, which was very nice. I hit with some nice, solid pops and my arms and legs seemed much more in agreement to work together today, as opposed to Monday where they just wanted to flail around and pretend like they never had any motor skills to begin with.

We did some more complicated waza today too, the hardest being suriage-kote. I tried, and managed it clumsily, but at least it was included in practice.

I fought Ino-san and Tanaka-san during mawari-geiko and managed to get a few hits in, possibly because they're both tired from extra training for the up coming exam. In any case, remembering to go straight always helps me get the best men hits and I even managed a few kote. At the end, everyone had good things to say about my men accomplishments. I was told that even if my opponent is fast, a good, solid men is better, so that's something.

I still want to be faster, though.

The Next Round

Everyone at practice was feeling pretty beat up today, it seemed. Except Koyama-san, who Yuko pointed out is always genki. It's testing season again for the higher dan and the rush to squeeze out every last practice before the exams can definitely wear out the body. Coupled with just the stress of testing, it leads to a pretty rapid onset of exhaustion. Sometimes I wonder if it's better to just skip a week of practice before an exam and center one's self, but I too am always over anxious to get in those last few precious practices the month before exams. Cramming for any sort of test is just too ingrained in our minds, I guess.

Today was my first practice back after a break to go to Taiwan. In short, my body was not impressed to be mack at swinging and leaping and shouting, but it's going to have to deal with it. Itou Seinsei wasn't at practice today which may have been for the better. Yuko says that he has upped warm up suburi from 50 to 60 each and I don't know if I would have been able to handle that today. I've made a note to at least 50 each at home every day to condition myself.

The practice (for me at least) was fairly relaxed. Fifteen minutes were devoted to mock test shiai for the higher dan, after we did some preliminary kihon. Ju-geiko followed that and Sugaya Sensei grabbed me for my first match which was all right in relation to how terrible my kihon practice had been. It was mostly a feeling my way back into my comfort zone of kendo. It's like squeezing into an old pair of pants. You know they're comfortable, you just have to break them in again.

My final fight was with Koyama-san who told me that I have to chase my opponent when he backs up out of my reach; more than twice if necessary. So I chased him around in a circle the next time. It was only after the match that I realized after the third strike he was probably just trying to step out of my way. Oh well, over achievement for the win.

In other news, my bike was stolen while I was in Taiwan so I had to leave my gear at Fuchou. I'll be taking Ari's bike too and from kendo until I save up enough money to buy a new one.