Wells' Back

Well, one of our old timers is back taking classes on Monday nights. It's good to see him again. He has been teaching classes in South Beach and is in the Fort Lauderdale area on Mondays. The last we trained together I think I was getting ready for 3rd kyu or had just passed my 3rd kyu test. It's nice to see how much my ukemi has changed. When I trained with him in the past, I was usually too slow or just held back too much, and he would always correct my ukemi for not following enough. Now, it's nice to see I was able to follow except for crashing down on iriminage. I still need to work on that ukemi. Ugh.

Tonight in class Sensei taught techniques from g.h. katatetori we did the following techniques:

• suwari waza g.h. katateori sote tekubinage (reverse kotegaeshi): Make certain when you turn over uke for the pin that you change grip and then hold uke's arm against your leg so that you can switch into the kneeling pin.
• g.h. katatetori sote tekubinage (reverse kotegaeshi): I did a couple of breakfalls for this one just for practice even though the throw didn't really require it. Here, the pin you turn uke over one foot will be by the head and the other will be on the other side of uke. It is on the "other" leg where your place uke's palm against your knee. You hold uke's hand in place and then Press against uke's elbow turning away from uke's head.
• g.h. katatetori kaitennage: Here we only did a kaiten opening. You curl your hand and lead uke in front of you, when uke takes a step you drop your hand down and then go into kaitennage. Sensei emphasized that whether the attack is static or more dynamic, that the goal is to get uke to take a step forward. The lead will happen in the static by threating uke's grip and in the dynamic you are redirecting uke's momentum.
• hanmi handachi g.h. katatetori shihonage ura: Sensei emphasized again the drop motion like in kaitennage. You drop you hand down in front of your center and then draw uke around. Ukemi wise make certain you protect your center, attack should stay off the line, and uke needs to move and tenkan and go around nage.
• g.h. katatetori hijikinage: Woo Hooo! A great breakfalling technique! Sensei emphasized that time is key in this technique that as soon as uke comes into to grap you will step forward changing hanmi taking uke's center back.
• g.h. katatetori iriminage: Here, you're staying in the same hanmi. As uke attacks you kokyu and step slightly to your side to let uke go by. In ukemi, sensei emphasized to make certain you go by and to step so that you protect your center. Don't just stand there to get kicked in the groin.

We also did jiyuwaza and randori (ryokatatori kokyunage): Sensei broke us into two groups and put the 2nd kyu and up together. That would be me, N. (2nd kyu), W. (2nd Dan) and R. (3rd Dan). I did pretty well in following but didn't do to well when W. did a strong iriminage on me. I just left my but behind and didn't my feet. My bad. Other than that I did a good job following and taking good ukemi.

In randori, Sensei emphasized to make certain that we enter and not pull uke around. It's in the entering where there is power in the technique not the pull.