Date: 2006-11-14 14:55 Subject: Back to Normal Security: Public

Sensei at the head of the class, C, Ky, E, Monkey and I on the mat and ready to go … all is right with the world again. 

 

Saturday C, Ron and Sensei had been at a dojo that does competitive karate teaching the guys how to get off the line. Apparently, Sensei impressed the hell out them; at the end of class as we were cleaning up, C told me that Sensei got a there minute applause after he hurled C on a kotegashi. On a concrete floor, I’d have been applauding for C!

 

In Iaido we did the full first series of the Okuden. Not to bad, though I’m really going to have to go over my notes again. I quite like the okuden series, it has a real flavour to it that makes it easy for me to visualize what is happening. The kata put me in mind of a castle under siege, and the forms involve the defenders trying to stop an invading force that has already breached the walls. It might sound silly, but it helps me visualize that is going on in each particular kata.

In aikido, we worked on morotetori (both wrists grabbed) techniques; including tenchinage, ikkyo, nikyo, kokyuho. For a finale, we worked on a line where the uke would run in to grab both hands, and you just had to toss them off. With C and myself, we changed it up a little so some of the attacks were coming from behind or the side instead of straight up the front. Apparently, I’m moving better, which is an improvement since I used to stand there rooted in one place and would have to force myself to take a step, which resulted in a lot of stop/starting and choppy technique.

 

I am far to ‘handsy’ in my tenchinage (meaning most of my ki is in my hands rather than at my hara). The throw works fine that way, but it makes it very easy for an uke to pull me to the floor if my zanshin isn’t one-hundred percent. I can shake uke off if I’m aware they are still hanging on, but I got pulled over more than once. C said not to worry; it was a stage he went through as well, and at least it is better than getting stuck in your shoulders. Intellectually, I tried to remember some of the things Th Sensei talked about yesterday; like waiting for uke to come to you rather than pulling them in; stepping ever so slightly off to the side and most importantly not trying to bowl or clothesline uke over with your weight and shoulder. As I said, great tips and at least I finally got a chance to practice them!

 

I got an interesting lesson in the difference between judo and aikido. E pointed out that in the judo version of tenchinage, you –are- trying to bowl uke over with your shoulder, preferably by bashing them in the nose with it. Speaking as the uke for that one it totally works, but it has a very dirty feel to it. Quite honestly, the pain of the shoulder-smash made me more angry than stunned. Had it been a real right, I probably would have come up swinging. Then Sensei did it by wrapping his arm around my shoulder and suddenly I hit the floor. No pain, no sense of being in a fight, just this unexpected jolt and suddenly I’m flat on my back.

 

The body understands PAIN. It can work around it, simply ignore it or use it to generate an adrenaline burst or even a much more primitive and dangerous reaction. But it has a harder time dealing with that no-feedback effect that is generated by really good Aikido (which is why it can be so hard to learn). You get thrown that way, you have no freakin’ idea what happened and intellectually you pause, if only for a millisecond. If in that millisecond you realize that there is no point in attacking again, then the fight is over and no one has gotten hurt. That to me, is the beauty of aikido. 

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