The Home Stretch

The Home Stretch

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1965(4/26/07 3:49 pm)
The Home Stretch
Well, I'm really thinking about that shodan test these days. I went to class last night and it was a good class. We worked on yokomenuchi. Kokyunage: from different openings -- irimi (two types, one is a straight enter and the other you let uke's arm go by you.), tenshin, irimi-tenkan (reverse variety - we call it "the Penny"). Shihonage: from different openings like above. On the i-t version I noticed I was getting to far away from uke. This can be a really tricky opening as you kind of go in backwards and then turn around. You are blind to uke. The key is the atemi as you enter. But you can overcompensate and step too far away which is not condusive to performing shihonage -- kotegaeshi perhaps. We did on henkawaza version where you go into ikkyo then go under the arm (kind of hard to describe). This was fun as I would get this up-down-up-down feel to it.Kaitennage: four different variations--1. step back tenshin go under arm pushing up with your forarms. 2. tenshin opening but then irimi-tenkan to the outside then go under uchi 3. strait in with your rear hand striking the atemi should have enough intent that uke wants to duck 4. henka version from ikkyoKokyunage - 180 degree throw: we did this in lines with class split between breakfallers and non-breakfallers. I choose the breakfaller line. Here you enter in irimi directly and cut down uke's striking arm back and down behind them the other arm is striking/irimi nage. This was fun. This is tricky because you really have to make sure you get deep enough and do it all in one movement.Jo tori: yokomenuchi

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1976(5/1/07 9:36 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
Well, the Yudansha Seminar was Fantabulous! It was very motivational and really helped get me out of my malaise. I was really sore on Saturday and Sunday, but I'm feeling better today. I went to class tonight and Penny Sensei taught. She was teaching technqiues from katatetori. We practiced Kokyunage, kaitenage, iriminage and kotegaeshi. She had us working in groups to drill one after the other. Then we would switch back to pairs and work on the techniques. She focused on leading and flowing with the techniques. It was a very dynamic class, as her's usually are. See you tomorrow!!!

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1977(5/2/07 9:10 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
Peter Sensei taught. We worked on techniques from ushiro ryotekubi tori. We did kokyunage, shihonage, iriminage (three variation). The three iriminage variations were 1. as they grab you don't let them go behind you and you just to an iriminage straight in. 2. You let them go around but not grab. and 3. They go around, but they grab. We also did sankyo omote and ura. You apply the sankyo to the first hand that is grabbed. Also, where we normally step back tenshin we do more of a pivot where you end up perpindicular to your partner but in the same hanmi, then you choose omote or ura. I got to uke for sensei on this technique. Next, sensei split class up between 1st kyu and up and 2nd kyu and below whereby we did jiyuwaza/randori. I had some nice moments and some "what the heck am I doing" moments. Then we did jo nage. You strike with the back end of the jo uke grabs (you sort of end up in an ushiro position with uke) then you throw like a kokyunage. Remember to tenkan and turn your hips as your throw.Overall, I really felt like I had some of my stamina back. After pushing myself so much in the yudansha seminar a one hour class seemed like kids play plus taking ukemi at the same pace as a week ago seemed way too easy. Also, sensei has been throwing me around some more in class. He used me a demo uke for sankyo tonight and then he just threw me around while we were doing shihonage. I definently feel like my stamina is up. I would like to ask the two black belts that come on Wednesday nights to work with me more, and to help me push my ukemi to improve it some. I would really like to feel confident that I can take any throw and would feel confident that they can throw me in any throw. This means working on my breakfalls some more by simply just doing more of them where appropriate. I don't think it's necessary to be a breakfall fiend but I do need to learn to do them more confidently so I will be able to do them when necessary without worry.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1978(5/7/07 10:07 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
What a yucky-blucky class. We did this whirly-twirly-swirly techniques thingy and I was just all squirrely. ugh...

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1980(5/8/07 9:56 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
Okay, tonights class was a lot better, but it was a basics class and I was the most advanced. Last night, well, I was in the middle of the pack with at least 6 other people higher ranking than me yondan down to senior ikkyus. So last night was a real challenge mentally and reminder of what I really need to work on -- more relaxed and trusting in ukemi and more variations in techniques where I can demonstrate more variety without thinking. I tended to get stuck on two or three different techniques or just get stuck period.Tonight sensei worked on ukemi alot, foot work drills, and then we worked on g.h. katatetori irimi/tenchinnage type throw. He was emphasizing ukemi all night. It was a good work out and a good time to really focus on details of basics.Finally, I majorly had my ego stroked by a newbie who after class asked me to work with me because "she's really good." I just can't take a compliment modestly, but it was a nice after last nights class. I stayed with him after class tonight until about 8:45pm.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1981(5/9/07 9:04 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
David Halprin was in town and he taught tonight. It was a really great class. Halprin Sensei started class focusing on various iriminage variations from shomenuchi. First we worked on the opening then built up the technique from there. He emphasized making sure you protect yourself from uke's elbow so they don't strike you with it. The first version we worked on ura openings then we worked on omote openings. Sensei Peter was there tonight and took class and I got to work with him on kotegaeshi.


jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1984(5/16/07 8:52 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
I went to class last night and tonight. I didn't go over the weeked because my mom was in town for Mother's Day. We had fun shopping over the weekend.Last night was a basics class and as usual sensei starts with teaching of "how to" ukemi. He even started teaching breakfalls - you know when you roll over a person hunched over on the ground. I used to never be able to do this due to my mental block issues. (In the past when I first start a sempai spent an entire class with my practicing this.) I then watched the newbies try this remembering how hard it was for me. We had a newbie chica in class and she pulled her groin muscle trying this. I hope she will be alright. After a few scary attempts by some of the guys sensei decided to start teaching techniques. We worked ikkyo and nikyo from katatori. Tenshin-tenshin was the footwork.Tonight was a mixed class and compared to last Wednesday night it was pretty small and our usual higher ranks were not in class tonight. They must have been there Monday night. We worked from techniques from Morotetori. The first one was what I call "ushiro nage." (It probably isn't the name, but it's how I remember it.) As uke cuts down you step through with your back foot dropping your arm down and as you tenkan you raise your arm up and when you step behind and to the other side of uke you drop your arm down. You get this down-up-down action going and is fun to practice working from your center. It is a very smooth soft flowing technique, but very effective when done right.Next, we did what I think is called hijikitoshi. As uke start to grab you enter irimi and kokyu you go under their arm as they go around your turn and then throw. You can do this with a straight irimi enter, but we were doing an opening more like what we call uchi. To me this technique is the "opposite" of udekime. In udekime you are affecting the balance with uke's inside arm. In this version, you are not going for the elbow so much as they are typically grabbing your outside hand and you step across their center. But here you go more with their elbows than against. (I know if your reading this. I'm making absolutely no sense, but it makes sense to me.)Third we did nikkyo out of the same opening as the previous technique. I noticed the key is as you pivot around and under uke's arm, that you take uke's balance forward and down, keep them off balance to get your nikkyo grip then raise their hand to your shoulder. At which time, they should ideally move straight into your applying the pin. (Sakanashi Sensei is really great at demonstrating this.)I got to be demonstration uke for the fourth technique. Sensei knows I need to work on my stamina and ukemi for shodan so he has been using me a lot more. Sensei was demonstrating kaitenage from a tenshin opening. I felt pretty relaxed taking ukemi for this one. I've definently notice an improvement in my stamina. Compared to a couple of months ago, I was breathing heavy and my leg muscles exhausted. This time, I didn't get tired until Sensei's last few throws. My legs were tired but my muscles were not completely exhausted. Next, we did some variations of shihonage. My training partner and I had some fun trying to figure our sensei's variations. I think he did at least five, but I was blurring them all together. He caught the ones I didn't and I caught the ones he didn't. Don't ask me to explain these. My explanation would make my description of the "hijikitoshi" sound completely clear and concise. Finally, we did some tanto (nage?). Nage had the tanto and would go to strike uke with a back slash and uke would cut down on uke's arm and attack morotetori. We did two techniques from this. The first was a forward roll type throw and and the second was two versions of nikkyo. Nage kept the tanto.It was a good class. No randori or jiyuwaza in class tonight, but I'll be going to Penny's class on Saturday so I'll get plenty of that then.Until next time...

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1992(6/3/07 6:30 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
Well, the past two weeks have been really crazy at work. I had to work late everyday, but it was worth it. This weekend I went to Gold Coast Aikikai's 10th Anniversay Seminar with Yamada Sensei. Saturday morning Tropical Storm Barry was still coming through. It was just a little wind and rain, but once it cleared up it's been really beautiful.The seminar was great about 20 people from my school and at least 20 from Gold Coast was there along with folks from other Miami Aikido dojos, Tampa and New Jersey.Yamada Sensei taught the morning classes and my sensei taught the afternoon classes. Saturday night we all went out to dinner at a local restaurant call El Nobillo. It was Nicagraguan fare. It was the celebration party for Gold Coast and about 50 people showed up. Due to the number of people, the service was slow, but the food was delicious. I had churrasco which is a popular cut of beef in South America, mainly Argentina. I was incredibly exahausted after classes, but it was great.Me and some of the women from the dojo rented a room in the hotel that everyone was staying at. Sunday morning we got up and found a good little Cuban cafe and had a Guava and Cheese Empanada and Cafe Con Leche. I passed on the coffee since I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but had the freshly squeezed orange juice in stead. Sunday's class was great. Yamada Sensei taught the first class. He started with gyakyu hanmi katatetori and switched to ryotetori. I got to work with Wee-Wow Sensei for one technique. She really pushes me when I train with her. (We were doing the throw where you get one arm in the shihonage position and the other throws like tenchin/irmini nage.) I was getting really tired, but she kept encouraging me and giving me motivation to persevere. I'm always glad to train with here in class.My sensei taught the second class. He taught techniques from Ushiro Tekubitori. We did Kokyunage, Shihonage and Jujinage (but with uke taking a back fall instead of a breakfall - we were all too tired for breakfalls). I really fing going to seminars to be really motivational. I get to test my stamina -- I took all classes and only had to take a couple of water breaks on Sunday. It is a great gage to really see how far you can go. I guess my next challenge will be Summer Camp!Well, I think I'll be able to make it to class this week as I do forsee any major due dates in my forcast at work so I'll be able to leave on time and make it to class. See you tomorrow!


Re: The Home Stretch
Well, the past two weeks have been really crazy at work. I had to work late everyday, but it was worth it. This weekend I went to Gold Coast Aikikai's 10th Anniversay Seminar with Yamada Sensei. Saturday morning Tropical Storm Barry was still coming through. It was just a little wind and rain, but once it cleared up it's been really beautiful.The seminar was great about 20 people from my school and at least 20 from Gold Coast was there along with folks from other Miami Aikido dojos, Tampa and New Jersey.Yamada Sensei taught the morning classes and my sensei taught the afternoon classes. Saturday night we all went out to dinner at a local restaurant call El Nobillo. It was Nicagraguan fare. It was the celebration party for Gold Coast and about 50 people showed up. Due to the number of people, the service was slow, but the food was delicious. I had churrasco which is a popular cut of beef in South America, mainly Argentina. I was incredibly exahausted after classes, but it was great.Me and some of the women from the dojo rented a room in the hotel that everyone was staying at. Sunday morning we got up and found a good little Cuban cafe and had a Guava and Cheese Empanada and Cafe Con Leche. I passed on the coffee since I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but had the freshly squeezed orange juice in stead. Sunday's class was great. Yamada Sensei taught the first class. He started with gyakyu hanmi katatetori and switched to ryotetori. I got to work with Wee-Wow Sensei for one technique. She really pushes me when I train with her. (We were doing the throw where you get one arm in the shihonage position and the other throws like tenchin/irmini nage.) I was getting really tired, but she kept encouraging me and giving me motivation to persevere. I'm always glad to train with here in class.My sensei taught the second class. He taught techniques from Ushiro Tekubitori. We did Kokyunage, Shihonage and Jujinage (but with uke taking a back fall instead of a breakfall - we were all too tired for breakfalls). I really fing going to seminars to be really motivational. I get to test my stamina -- I took all classes and only had to take a couple of water breaks on Sunday. It is a great gage to really see how far you can go. I guess my next challenge will be Summer Camp!Well, I think I'll be able to make it to class this week as I do forsee any major due dates in my forcast at work so I'll be able to leave on time and make it to class. See you tomorrow!

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 1997(6/28/07 7:39 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
ooopss...lost my post. Anyhow...good to be back on the mat. I got sick right after the seminar. Actually, I think I was sick during it. Then work has been busy crazy and I was exhausted all week last week. I feel a lot better now.I was back in class on Monday. Sensei taught "lesson in shomenuchi." Sensei had us working in groups of three on person attacking right after the other. First techniques was nikkyo omote and ura. Next we did kotegaeshi omote and ura. Then we did kaitenage omote and ura. Next was koshinage then finally iriminage. Sensei ended class off with some bokken work.Wednesday Harry taught "lessons in g.h. katatetori." We worked on kokyunage, then kaitenage, then a pinning thingy (start like kaitenage then switch to what looks like the nikkyo pin -- umm Wakikatame?), then shihonage. Finally we did some tantotori - tsuki kotegaeshi and yokomenuchi gokyo.Thought of the night re: ukemi "Just give myself to it." Work has been slower this week so hopefully I can get out on time tommorow and make the Friday night class.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2003(7/14/07 1:26 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
Okay...okay. I haven't been around a lot. But I was back at class today. Today after the morning class and before the second class, we had a little celebration for sensei's promotion to 7th dan. This has been 7 months in the coming as we have been collecting the money to cover his 7th dan fee. So today we presented with money to cover his 7th dan fee and a we gave him really big card with everyone's signature in the dojo. We had about 20-30 people there so it made it really special. All I have to say is that we at Florida Aikikai feel honored and proud to call Peter Bernath our Sensei. 7th dan and Shihan is a really big deal although he doesn't treat it that way. I spoke with Penny after class today and she said if you want to test for shodan in November you need to make it to class a lot more since I've only been managing about 6 times a month. She told me to stop working late and to get to class! I also talked to some of our black belts and asked them to make sure that they work with me in class so I can get ready. Sensei told me not to push myself and I'll be ready when I'm ready. (He started that "well, it will happen when it happens, don't push it, yada yada yada, I'm still thinking about whether you're ready or not." He did that to me for 1st kyu. I'm listening to Penny. I'm just going to class to train. Okay, so no more excuses!

Edited by: jd2b at: 7/15/07 1:25 pm

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2004(7/15/07 1:34 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
4 months and 2 days...Sunday class was great today. Once of our long-time (4th dan with around 20 years in aikido) students taught. He usually teaches on Sundays. He was emphasizing breathing properly when you throw and receive ukemi. He would come up and push you and I would just forget to breath properly. This is really important for me to work on my stamina. I usually hold me breath or just breath really shallow until I get winded and then I'm working on my breathing again.Also, yesterday some people made comments about me losing some weight. I've lost a little over 15 pounds, but still have at least another 15-20 to go. I think another challenge for me is finding a good balance between, work, family issues (sick and grieving parents), aikido, personal finances, etc. I think this really is the challenge for me. I can't take a laissez-faire attitude towards things though. (A kind of attitude sensei was encouraging yesterday.) I'd never find a balance then and never get to shodan, too. In the past it was really easy to get to class as I was either not working or only working part-time. Now, I work full-time and often times I do not control when I can leave work. Training and being committed to aikido then was easy. Now, it's really tough. Having this goal really is great motivation to find this.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2005(7/16/07 9:57 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
4 months...1 day....who me? focused on a goal? who ever said it's not about getting a black belt either lied or already has one.Anyhow...I get to class today and there is only few people in class. Mondays usually are packed. Instead of a regular class sensei worked on the 31 jo kata. Lots of fun. We first worked through all the steps. Then I got got to work with one of my black belt buddies on the partnered kata. I was pretty much flailing around when working with a partner. It's a whole 'nuther ball of wax when working with a partners. Nice class, barely broke a sweat.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2009(7/20/07 8:42 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
Wednesday class was small as well, but not too small. I think the key to my ukemi is to move, move, move. I used to hold back a little because I was afraid. Then, I held back a little to "feel" it, but sensei wants me to move a little faster. Good tip on yokomenuchi irimi opening -- make sure you make the atemi to the face to get uke's balance, especially a tall strong uke! My sempai (the eternal 1st kyu [who'll still be sempai/senior even after I test-he refuses to test for shodan]) told me this. Good pointer. Sensei had us circle up and during one of my rounds I caught him smiling at me. This was my second time around where I had good timing and movement. My first time around was a bit, "what the heck am I doing?" We then did a couple of techniques for tantotori-Yokomenuchi gokyo omote and ura (with irimi and tenshin opening variations) and Shihonage (do take-away high (before you pin uke) and low (while you're pinning uke)

Tonight, I finally made Friday night class. We worked on techniques from Shomenuchi. First we did Ikkyo, then Sankyo, the ikkyo into ude osae (that criss-cross lock that looks like shihonage), then iriminage. He emphasized that you get ikkyo when you get the person all the way down. Then you get sankyo when you do ikkyo but the person is not all the way down. You do the ude osae when you start ikkyo but your hand goes over instead under like sankyo and you let uke stand back up into it. We got into iriminage when you try to do ikkyo but uke resists and you can cut them down. Instead, you enter under the arm and use your elbow as an atemi to the chin. Go under cut the arm down and then do irimi nage. We did jiyuwaza last. Sempai emphasized that being higher ranking I need to initiate the attack by approaching uke and control the ukes rather than sit around and wait for uke to attack and controlling the situation. After class was over he told me that I looked good. I said I still feel so-so and not quite there. He told me that I will be.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2010(7/23/07 9:38 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
3 months ... 3 weeks ... 4 days... When you say it, you know it's going to be happening soon. It's July already, so November is just around the corner.Back to class again tonight. We worked on tsuki from tenshin opening. We did iriminage, shihonage and kotegaeshi. I need to work on my tenshin footwork. I step to forward instead of more to the side. I need to cut uke's tsuki hand down and draw it more towards my center.We also did jiyuwaza from tsuki. I still don't like my jiyuwaza. I could do cleaner more dynamic techniques, plus I get really sloppy when I start to wear down. The plus...my parters threw me into some great breakfall throws like maki otoshi, uki otoshi, etc. No "going easy on her" techniques like in the past. You know you get a nice soft iriminage and they throw the next person into the really cool breakfall type throws. Heh...that was me. Good on an ukemi angle.After jiyuwaza from tsuki sensei had everyone circle up and we did randori from double shoulder grab. There were a lot of big guys (strong muscular/tall but not lanky, etc.) I could really see a difference between those just using upper body strength and those who don't. They can just push me over and I'm no fragile flower either. One guy I pulled over as I went into my because he was just pushing me. I took his balance on my way down and he rolled away...at least he didn't fall on top of me.We ended class with a few rounds of Saito Sensei's 31 jo kata.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2013(7/25/07 10:16 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch -- AND NO MORE EXCUSES!
3 months...3 weeks...2 days...Okay...so I'm obsessively focusing on the test now.Sensei commented on how nice it is to see me coming to class, which is his way of saying, "you better keep coming." Sensei didn't teach tonight. He had some last minute things to do in the dojo before leaving for Summer Camp. I'm really bummed that I couldn't go, but even facing shodan, family is way more important.Harry McCormick taught tonight. He's godan and has at least 40 years of aikido under his belt. He's one of the old timers from New York Aikikai I believe. He always teaches a good class. I always try to work on the differences from the way Peter does things. We worked on a.h. katatetori and did kotegaeshi, ude kime, kokyunage, sankyo and nikkyo. Oh...and one thing I noticed that after Monday night one of the guys seems to treating me with a little bit more respect. He's just test for 2nd kyu but could easily be 1st. He transferred over from a different school (Western Region, I think) and can be a little cocky towards. I noticed that the cockiness was a little less tonight.On ude kime, I noticed that if I just kept watching nage's center that I didn't get behind. I was practicing with someone less advanced though, so I'll see how well that keeps working.Until next time...

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2018(8/6/07 10:30 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
1. Ukemi - make sure you work on that shomenuchi strike. 2. Milton's back in town! WooHoo! 3. Techniques:a. Suwariwaza ikkyo omote & urab. Shomenuchi nikkyo omote & urac. Shomenuchi kaitenage omote & urad. Shomenuchi kotegaeshie. Tantotori Shomenuchi KotegaeshiOne note about kotegaeshi...make sure you keep your ma'ai. I was stepping too far in during my enter which is more suitable for iriminage. Don't enter as deeply keeping an arms length with wrists meeting. Made for a much nice kotegaeshi. Details. Sensei is helping me with these.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2020(8/7/07 9:53 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
3 months, 1 week and 3 days...Basics Class. G.h.katatetori shihonage omote and ura. Emphasis on angles in opening and delivery of technique. G.h.katatetori kokyunage (forward roll). First 6 steps of 31 jo kata. We have a new chic in the dojo. She's rolling after four weeks and we hit it off pretty good. We were already chatting it up on our first time training together. Sensei came over and started picking on us for talking in class. After class, I took ukemi for 3rd kyu test prep for testing this weekend. And then I asked someone to practice with me on on few techniques for shodan.
Anne Marie
jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2026(8/13/07 10:20 pm)
Re: The Home Stretch
3 months...4 days...Friday night class...yucky blucky...why can't anyone throw me with anything other than ikkyo. And whey can't the guys stop treating me like kid gloves. I'm not the aiki-kiddie anymore.Saturday and Sunday...Claude Berthiaume Seminar! Great!Monday...Sensei went over the Kanai sensei 11 step jo partner-kata. Nice class. I was too tired for anything else. Talked to a guy in class about how its alright to throw as it will help me get ready for shodan.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2030(8/26/07 11:41 am)
Re: The Home Stretch
Well, I haven't posted to my journal in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been training! Things have been crazy at work, but I have definently been able to make it to class. This past Wednesday while we are all still lined up sensei tells two our our black belts to work with me as I'm getting ready for shodan and all the classes will be focused on me getting ready to test.I finally feel like I'm getting into the swing of things and have finally gotten my lazy butt to class on the weekends. Penny's classes feel so good. She just drills and drills us. If you have taken one of her classse a seminar just imagine what she does but at a higher pace. Usually at seminars Penny will stop and give explanation, at the dojo most of us know what she's asking for and it's just drill various, move and jiyuwaza for an hour straight. I feel fairly confident but I still have things to work on. As far as techniques it's just a matter of drilling so that I'm fluid and not stopping in the middle of my technique. I'll only have about 15 minutes to show my stuff so I need to make sure I show variety without thinking about it. Of course keep working on my connection in my ukemi which means train with folks who don't coddle me.

jd2b
Aiki Queen BeePosts: 2049(9/16/07 12:17 am)
Re: The Home Stretch
As of late I have been really frustrated with my training.. I've been worried about getting to class, getting to class on time, getting ready to test, and then realizing test time is almost upon and no one seems focused on getting folks ready for dan tests in November. I was focused, but since last November my life has been really challenging for me. I think the biggest realization I've had in the past week is that my future does not depend on me testing in November. I don't really feel ready. I feel like I could "pass" technically but not do a really good job - not a good enough job that I would like. So, I've decided not to test in November and Summer Camp feels more realistic. I just feel so much better now.
Anne Marie