So I start tonight's writing with a slightly heavy sigh. I appears, I owe someone a dollar. Due to an alarm clock malfunction (i.e. I don't know the difference between AM and PM apparently), I did NOT make it to the early class on Tuesday Morning. I did, however recieve my new Gi(uniform) in the mail over the weekend. I do have to admit it was sort of like Christmas. I have owned several Gi's throughout the years. This one is a bit different than I was expecting. First and foremost was the fact that this sucker is PURE WHITE. All gi's I have worn till now have been black. I think that has something to do with the art and its origin. I have noticed that the Chinese arts tend to lean towards the black uniforms whereas the Japanese tend to favor white uniforms.(This is NOT a rule as anyone who stops by the Iaido class on Weds nights can attest to). I have also heard tell that the white versus black is based in the core philosophy of the art. The black uniforms of the Chinese arts is, according to rumor, to symbolize that the arts core value is to destroy, wound, maim, or kill all in the name of self preservation. On the other side the white uniforms symbolize a desire to preserve life, and only disarm or incapacitate not NOT to kill. I don't really know how much truth there is to this. From my observations there is SOME evidence to prove the point, but I cannot say that it is ALWAYS the way. I mean look at how deadly Aikido can be, BUT also know that Aikido's core principle is for one to create harmony with the world and one's opponent. One thing I learned in my research recently is that the Hakama, a split pleated skirt or pleated trousers (take you pick) has in it 7 pleats. One to represent each of the seven virtues of bushido: Benevolence or Mercy, Honor or Justice, Ettiquette or Courtesy, Wisdom or Intelligence, Sincerity, Loyalty, Piety. I have heard different versions of the seven virtues, but the idea still remains the same.
After the color of the Gi, first of all, thing I noticed were the pants. All of the uniform pants I have had up until this time were semi-cheaply made, had a simple drawstring waist and I diamond panel in the crotch (to allow for extra movement that martial artist tend to favor). These new pants have a double drawsting, one for each side, AND more peculiarly a little loop on the front. I have NO CLUE as to the function of the loop. Each side of the pants has a deep V cut where the drawstrings come out of the pants. Upon closer examination the pants are heavily re-inforced in the knees and at the seams. Ultimately the pants fit VERY well, allow for extra room to move in and feel very light. I think I may just have to be weary of my under garments as the sides leave one a tad bit exposed.
The top honestly feels like a BIG comfy bathrobe. I swear this thing MUST be too big. When examining the top closer a couple things are quickly apparent. First the material is heavy. VERY sturdy. There is a sort of almost waffle like pattern inthe fabric. Again all the stitching is re-inforced. It seems as though there is a double layer of fabric on the shoulders and elbows. I am a littel worried I will be too warm in this, but this IS what I was told to order. It does seem to me that most other students have slightly lighter material in their Gi's I wonder if there is a light weight version out there. I am going ot want that as the weather warms up and gets hot. The Gi also came with an Obi, AKA belt. I think i am going to use my old Obi. I know it doesn't really matter, but I do see the dirt on my old Obi as a sign of past accomplishments that shall guide me into the future.
SO what's the first thing that a Dustin does when he gets new clothes??? YUP!!! He tries them on! So i THOUGHT I bought it too big, the relaity is, when I tie everything together, my new Gi fits VERY nicely. I think i am going to end up wearing a shirt and shorts underneath to manage sweat production, but I am pretty sure almost everyone in class does some variation on a theme, particularly the women (for modesty's sake, I am sure.) Now here is where I have to admit something minorly shameful... after almost 10 years of not actively studying... I forgot how to tie my belt. I thought it would be in muscle memory... not so much. I sort of got it... nope... not really. I didn't want ot look dumb going into class so I will also openly admit, I looked it up. What I found is that different styles and school sometimes use different ways of tieing. I found one paticularly good video that I can no longer find the link for, that describes the 'knot' being an actual knot per se, but more or a specific way to fold the cloth so it cannot come undone. This actually makes more sense than a knot anyhow since if you fall to your belly, that LAST thing you want to land on is a knot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksKl1ptKUV8
Well... I got my Gi, so now I won't feel so out of place, and I have a clue as to how to tie my belt... I guess this means I need to get my ass back to class. Weds night is my next chance. Double class with weapons then trivia. Should be a good day.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Aikido Day 5: They look like big strong hands...
After having the weekend to myself with Sesshin going on, I have found myself a trifle conflicted. For some reason, it was very easy to make excuses to not get to the dojo this week. My excuses were not that I didn't want to be there as I do truly enjoy the expeirence I have there. I had no real pain to speak of after the last class on Wednesday night save for the few sore muscles from working out. I found that someway, somehow I got it into my head that I shouldn't keep showing up to class without a proper uniform even though Sensei has said nothing to me of the kind except my first night suggesting which places to go. Next I found myself being 'sooooo tired.' BULLSHIT!!! 'D' you're just being lazy. Well... actually I have to be honest with myself and anyone who reads this. I fell back into a bad habit briefly. Well two of them actually. I shan't say any more on the first topic than that. I will comment however, I DID recognize the problem and took steps to make sure I could step away from it and climb back up. The second bad habit or issue that I faced was letting myself fall into a pit of despair, self-loathing, and hatred. I don't know what happened really. I woke up Tuesday morning with anxiety like I have not felt in ages. Once I cleared my head, I decided it was time to try and put my head back on straight. Ultimately, I think the two issues went hand in hand. Just further proof why I needed to step away from all of that. I decided that I would call Tuesday a mulligan and start fresh in the morning. And that is precisely what I did.
Wednesday I woke up with a mission. Originally I was slated to go do some work downtown but that ended up getting canceled about two minutes before I left the house. Good deal. This would allow me to wash my workout clothes, maybe do a little 'sitting' and all around try to regain focus. I found myself very eager to catch up on my writing and get all of my blog posts up to date. I did sit for a little while. Actually i have noticed when I sit at home, I have no real concept of time. I don't know if this is bane or boon. I suppose it just is. I also found myself for the first time in quite a while at the grocery store. I made a VERY conscious decision. I decided I am going to try and get closer to this vegetarian diet that Sensei is suggesting. I don't know that I will ever be able to cut meat completely out of my diet... I mean REALLY, what kind of a wolf doesn't eat meat??? But in that, I am definitely making my way towards that end. No red meats in my cart and in fact the vast majority of my purchases were vegetables and fruits. I figure with how much I like to snack, if I have something healthy I can reach for it will do me some good. I made a very sensible lunch when I got home and prepared to go to the dojo.
Now there are reasons why Spring is my favorite time of the year... My sinuses are NOT one of them... *sigh* My nose is like a leaky faucet that drips incessantly through the night on a tin pan place upside down...in a word... ANNOYING!!! However, I DID find myself stopping along the way to take in the newly warm air, examining the freshly budding flowers, and to say hi to the beautiful puppies I saw along the way. I REALLY wish I could have a dog.
My exit from the apartment was slightly later than I would have like so I arrived to the dojo about 8 minutes before class. While it is not a RULE per se, it is recommended that students arrive on the mat fully dressed sitting in seiza to practice meditating 5 minutes before class is to start. I am not sure HOW I changed so quickly... but I made it just in time and actually with one minute to spare. On my way to the mat I stopped briefly to speak with Sensei and let him know I HAD ordered my gi and it would be arriving hopefully in the next day or two. I don't know WHY I am so stuck on this idea of not having the proper uniform. I think maybe part of it is that I feel like an outsider as I obviously standout from the rest of the class with my black workout clothes against all thier white gi's and obi. I tried to put myself quickly into a meditative state and at least get another few moments of focus. JUST as I hit that slow breathing, Terri (another senior student) hopped up and began the warm-up. You know... I will not say that warm-ups are getting easy as that is just not true... BUT today was a little easier than the day before. I was still heaving at the chest when we were done, but I was not NEARLY as dizzy as I was before. Actually I remember hearing in the back of my head Sensei's voice saying my rolls looked good. At one point I was quite dizzy and needed to stop I looked back and I was holding up the entire line of students... DAMMIT!!! I HATE holding up other people. I looked back at Matt and offered for him to go ahead of me. He smiled put his hand out for me to continue and said, 'At your own pace.' I am not quite sure how to take comments like that... Should I slow down as it looks like I might hurt myself? Should I speed up and try to increase my pace? Well, I did what Dustin's do. I pushed on and tried to keep pace with the rest of the class. Rolls are all fine and well, a little dizzy, but I know that will pass with time. Its the damn duck walk that gives me issues. I feel like I am the only one that cannot do these damn things with any efficacy. What makes it worse is there are people doing spins while doing this, showoffs... One day.
Class was very unique for me this time around. Mostly because much of it was VERY humorous. Tonight we were focused on entangling techniques. All the techniques were actually VERY familiar to me in slightly altered forms. I suspect that is going to be a very continual theme for a while. I was paired at first with a gentleman I didn't quite know. Actually it was the first time I had seen him. He stood about two inches shorter than I. I really wish I could remember the names of the techniques, but not know Japanese is making that a touch difficult. I remember in Kenpo all the techniques had very pretty names like Diving for Pearls(guess what THAT one is) Brush of Danger, Choking the Storm, or Dance of Death, and combat Karate they were fairly straight forward names that were easy to remember... Maybe I should look into some Rosetta Stone Japanese or some such. It seems like you have to speak Japanese to some extent to get very far in this art anyhow.
I do know that technique we studied tonight was to defend against an attacker grabbing you shoulder, lapel, chest or something like that. You take a step back with a block, wrap your arm around their in a big circle and lock your hand to their chest and extend. This technique is how shall we say... uncomfortable. Sensei DID make a point of saying, 'We must be careful with pairing on this one as you do have to make good solid contact with the chest...' The two girls in class giggled and shot off to one side of the room. Sensei laughed. Then it dawned on me what he was saying.... OOooooooohhhh... teehee... I think I may have blushed a little. Now this particular technique I actually learned in Kung Fu one of my first classes. Soon...We discovered very quickly that my partner was having an EXTREMELY difficult time finishing this technique. For some reason he could not wrap my arms up. Sensei saw the problem and tried to help... We then all sort of realized I have big arms and a barrel chest. Actually I have never given it much thought as I take my strength for granted most of the time and forget that I spent four years of highschool power lifting. Sensei chided my partner very jokingly saying you have to pick someone in similar size in class, we both looked around... I am the largest person in class tonight by far. Actually looking back, it seems I am the biggest person in the dojo besides Ben. We laughed and continued to flumox about. There really was not proper pairing for me. So with much struggle we were both able to work our arms into proper positions... and then we got stuck.Yeah this technique, VERY uncomfortable, even MORESO when you are STUCK to your partner. It took some clever manipulation but finally we unwedged our arms. I THINK my partner was glad to switch after this technique to someone a little less bulky.
The next technique I found myself paired with Matt and Terri once again. This was a similar technique but another direction and a slightly different ending... I was working through it with Matt and Sensei walked by and said something to the effect, 'Dustin you should enjoy this one, its a kill shot. At the end you draw your knife from your obi and (makes a striking motion to Matt's ribs) OR better yet you draw HIS knife and use it against him.' You know what... I LIKE Sensei, I really do. BUT, Do I really come off as the type that takes a certain amount of glee and knowing kill shots and gruesome ways to finish my enemies? Yeah I guess I do. If you bore witness to Jake and I's knife test for the SAFD that is all the proof you need. I digress. Matt and I continued. Now... looking back to an earlier episode, well actually the very FIRST day of class , I made mention of all the weapons on the racks, one stood out to me as I wondered what it was for... a particularly large large club... Hold that thought. So Matt and I were working and I catch Sensei walking up with what I can only describe as a small trunk of a tree with a Bokken handle carved in it and a smile on his face and a slightly devious look... I mean this is one of the biggest clubs I have seen. This... Can't ... Be... Good.
I swear there was a moment when I flashed back to some earlier body hardening exercises in Kenpo and Combat Karate and REALLY thought he might actually strike me with this small sequoia he is brandishing about like its a baton. I laughed,' I was wondering when that was going to come out. Eeeek.' Sensei laughed again and said, 'Its a training tool.' And took a big swing. Now, in reality I know I was not in danger, nor was he actually swinging this symbol of pure barbarism weapon AT me, but I did take a step back and was close to trying to hide behind Matt. Then Sensei explained further that is was indeed a training tool for sword technique and he called it his Bam Bam stick. He then proceeded to swing it above his head and in a downward cutting motion. He explained then that this was for sword training and that I should try and stop it using my core and body as trying to do the exercise with all arms was practically impossible OR in my case would make me VERY tired very quickly.
Then we were all told to make a circle. This is new. Sensei came walking into the circle with the Big club over one shoulder and a smaller version over his other. 'Okay everyone, this is Big Bertha and Little Bertha.' He went into detail how to do the exercise. If you have done other western sword techniques this was essentially a mullinet (no idea how to spell properly) to a downward cut on center line. This thing was NOT light. We went around the circle each person doing the small one first and then Big Bertha. Surpisingly enough this technique is quite easy if you let the sword do the work. I have this sinking feeling that this is going to be VERY important in sword training. I had another very small victory in my mind during this exercise. Even student that were far more expirienced than I were having a bit of trouble doing this without clobbering themselves in the head, hitting duct work, etc. Then just like that the FIRST class was over. We bowed, stepped off the mat, and I found myself to the water cooler and a towel. While I was drinking, Nekka came bounding over and very smiley asked if I was staying for weapons. I had a big grin and said YUP!!! Y'all got me addicted with the last one. She smiled and bounded off. I think I like Nekka, she has always been very smiley, helpful, and seems eager to make freinds. It is funny as she has been in the US for only about 6 months so her english is a little off but she barely has an accent. She is from germany and speaks English VERY well, but she does mix up conjugations of things quite often. It amuses me as Matt is always quick to correct her English. I take for granted sometimes that English can be a very difficult language to master since the way we say things is a little off on occasion. I laughed and told her that what Matt was teaching her was American and not nessecarily English. From what I gather she is Uchideshi or the personal student of Sensei Meido. I have a feeling she is going to become another good friend in time.
We lined up and sat waiting for the next class. There were only three people that stayed for weapons. I wonder why other folks aren't as inclined to stay for weapons when they are already there for class anyhow. I guess they all have real lives or something, or maybe they don't like weapons, or... well who knows. I just know this is the second weapons class of this size and I am getting the impression it is typically the case.
I learned one thing at the start of class tonight. Grab all three weapons as we never know which form is going to be taught. Tonight we put our bokken to the back of the mat and retained our Jo. If you are not familar, a Jo is a short staff that is approximately 4' in length. They are VERY sturdy and it seems like I will be able to generate a lot of power.
Tonights weapons class... taught by Matt this time. Jo basics involve A LOT of repetition of small movements. I think the weapons class was actually harder for me than the unarmed class was. The first thing we did was strike in a thrust. I can say that at this point it felt like I was shooting pool for the first 10 minutes. There is a littel turn of your backhand that I was having trouble with but I am sure it will come in time. I will spare you the details about most of the practice since we basically worked variations of a theme. Some important points though. There is one movement the is a overhead block with a slight step to the side that finishes in a diagonal strike. The step to the side is fine although it feels awkward and off-balance when taking it on the count given by Matt. there is also a small shuffle with the hands that takes place over the head just before the strike that was also a littel wierd to master. Once we spead it up and my instincts took over, the movment actually felt VERY good and powerful. There was a variety of ways to strike from either having the point of the Jo at the ground or from a ready stance. Each technique we did 50 times. 10 times on Matt's count, 10 times on each students count, and 10 more on matt's count again. Each time it was my count Matt was very clear... 'On YOUR pace.' I suppose this gave me leave to slow down and be very precise... I just felt so bad as though I was slowing other's progress... Everytime it was my count though, 'At your pace.' *sigh* I hate flundering on techniques. I have always had a pretty decent kinesthetic awareness and usually have been able ot learn techniques with only a few times of being taught. In this class... I feel like a moron sometimes. So many littel corrections constantly. I am VERY grateful for having such wonderful teachers that are willing to help me break bad habits and learn the ways of Aikido, but I also hate feeling like I am affecting others in a negative way. At one point I was asked how it felt. I replied that I like it but my other experiences were with Long Staff or Quarter Staff. Matgt laughed, thats a different set of mechnaics. Yeah, I agreed or a different set of physics.
Once we finished the practice... my arms were nothing but wet noodles hanging at the side of my body. Here I am finishing this post several days later and my muscles are STILL sore like it was the day after class. Wow. Who'd a thunk a 4' twig that weighs approximately 1lb could destroy my arms so much.
After class as I was returning my weapons to the rack Matt complimented me and said I did really well tonight. I smiles and thanked him... I really wish I beleived him. I laughed and said, ya know, this place is kicking my ass all over the place. He laughed and said, 'Good. then we're doing our job.'
As is now typical, we swept the mats very ritualistically and cleaned up. Then Nekka came up with a bucket full of water and several rags and said, 'Come on!' and beckoned me to the right side of the dojo. 'You know how to do dis?'(in her barely perceptible German accent.) Not exactly. She dipped the cloth in the bucket (which smelled like a swimming pool for the record), spread the cloth out over a little section of mat. and shot to the other side keeping the cloth in front of her with her hands. When she got to the other side she again beckoned me and said, 'Well come on.' I took a deep breath and went for it... step step step PLOP!!!! On my face. I tried again step step PLOP!!! Okay... so have you ever waxed a floor REALLY well and then tossed a tennis ball over to the corner for your favorite Golden retrienver, Black Lab, or just about ANY puppy? Yeah... I was the puppy. the problem with pushing the rag in FRONT of you is that mat BEHIND the rag (i.e. STILL in front of you) is now wet and slick. The other student had completed the whole of the dojo floor by the time I had made it back from my first trip. STEP STEP PLOP STEP STEP PLOP... I can only imagine how amusing it was to watch me flounder like a fish on a boat deck... As I arrived back Matt sadi in his very teacherly way,' You know this DOES server a purpose, right?' You mean beside the obvious disinfecting the floor? 'Yes. This is to help you learn balance. The idea is to learn to counter how much pressure you need on the floor, how fast to go, against your weight moving forward. Keep practicing.' I suddenly got the feeling that I was going to be disinfecting A LOT more mats in the days ahead. Hopefully noone is around to watch until I can learn to not slide like a puppy on rollerskates.
Tonight we all parted ways without much todo besides a quick goodnight and Matt reaffriming that I did well.
On my way the gravity of my arm situation quickly became apparent, I could barely get my wallet out of my pocket to get on the train. Instead I grabbed a cab as I was supposed to head a few blocks North to meet a bunch of theatre folks for trivia night. That is a story for another day though.
Looking back on Wednesdays classes I am can come up with a few quick reflections.
First, I am still out of shape... I am going to be for quite some time.
My arms are much larger than I have realized and prohibit some tecniques from being done on me. I suppose this is a good thing for real life scenarios, but this may become problematic for training in the future. Since I cannot really make my arms smaller, I am going to have to find alternate means to explore these tecniques.
third... my balance SUCKS!!! I am fairly graceful most of the time but doing something simple like cleaning the mats was a real chore.
Next, matt's weapons classes... are... hmmmm.... a good workout. I'll leave it at that.
Sensei is a very funny guy and I REALLY want to use big Bertha some more. Actually really when looking at things a littel more in detail I think I might want to start taking Iaido. I have always wanted to learn good Japanese sword technique... well here's my chance. Next class I will be able to attend will be Tuesday morning. The real question, does Dustin ACTUALLY make it out of bed for a 6:30 am meditation and a 7:00am Aikido class. My money is on that I will. Until Next time...
'D'
Wednesday I woke up with a mission. Originally I was slated to go do some work downtown but that ended up getting canceled about two minutes before I left the house. Good deal. This would allow me to wash my workout clothes, maybe do a little 'sitting' and all around try to regain focus. I found myself very eager to catch up on my writing and get all of my blog posts up to date. I did sit for a little while. Actually i have noticed when I sit at home, I have no real concept of time. I don't know if this is bane or boon. I suppose it just is. I also found myself for the first time in quite a while at the grocery store. I made a VERY conscious decision. I decided I am going to try and get closer to this vegetarian diet that Sensei is suggesting. I don't know that I will ever be able to cut meat completely out of my diet... I mean REALLY, what kind of a wolf doesn't eat meat??? But in that, I am definitely making my way towards that end. No red meats in my cart and in fact the vast majority of my purchases were vegetables and fruits. I figure with how much I like to snack, if I have something healthy I can reach for it will do me some good. I made a very sensible lunch when I got home and prepared to go to the dojo.
Now there are reasons why Spring is my favorite time of the year... My sinuses are NOT one of them... *sigh* My nose is like a leaky faucet that drips incessantly through the night on a tin pan place upside down...in a word... ANNOYING!!! However, I DID find myself stopping along the way to take in the newly warm air, examining the freshly budding flowers, and to say hi to the beautiful puppies I saw along the way. I REALLY wish I could have a dog.
My exit from the apartment was slightly later than I would have like so I arrived to the dojo about 8 minutes before class. While it is not a RULE per se, it is recommended that students arrive on the mat fully dressed sitting in seiza to practice meditating 5 minutes before class is to start. I am not sure HOW I changed so quickly... but I made it just in time and actually with one minute to spare. On my way to the mat I stopped briefly to speak with Sensei and let him know I HAD ordered my gi and it would be arriving hopefully in the next day or two. I don't know WHY I am so stuck on this idea of not having the proper uniform. I think maybe part of it is that I feel like an outsider as I obviously standout from the rest of the class with my black workout clothes against all thier white gi's and obi. I tried to put myself quickly into a meditative state and at least get another few moments of focus. JUST as I hit that slow breathing, Terri (another senior student) hopped up and began the warm-up. You know... I will not say that warm-ups are getting easy as that is just not true... BUT today was a little easier than the day before. I was still heaving at the chest when we were done, but I was not NEARLY as dizzy as I was before. Actually I remember hearing in the back of my head Sensei's voice saying my rolls looked good. At one point I was quite dizzy and needed to stop I looked back and I was holding up the entire line of students... DAMMIT!!! I HATE holding up other people. I looked back at Matt and offered for him to go ahead of me. He smiled put his hand out for me to continue and said, 'At your own pace.' I am not quite sure how to take comments like that... Should I slow down as it looks like I might hurt myself? Should I speed up and try to increase my pace? Well, I did what Dustin's do. I pushed on and tried to keep pace with the rest of the class. Rolls are all fine and well, a little dizzy, but I know that will pass with time. Its the damn duck walk that gives me issues. I feel like I am the only one that cannot do these damn things with any efficacy. What makes it worse is there are people doing spins while doing this, showoffs... One day.
Class was very unique for me this time around. Mostly because much of it was VERY humorous. Tonight we were focused on entangling techniques. All the techniques were actually VERY familiar to me in slightly altered forms. I suspect that is going to be a very continual theme for a while. I was paired at first with a gentleman I didn't quite know. Actually it was the first time I had seen him. He stood about two inches shorter than I. I really wish I could remember the names of the techniques, but not know Japanese is making that a touch difficult. I remember in Kenpo all the techniques had very pretty names like Diving for Pearls(guess what THAT one is) Brush of Danger, Choking the Storm, or Dance of Death, and combat Karate they were fairly straight forward names that were easy to remember... Maybe I should look into some Rosetta Stone Japanese or some such. It seems like you have to speak Japanese to some extent to get very far in this art anyhow.
I do know that technique we studied tonight was to defend against an attacker grabbing you shoulder, lapel, chest or something like that. You take a step back with a block, wrap your arm around their in a big circle and lock your hand to their chest and extend. This technique is how shall we say... uncomfortable. Sensei DID make a point of saying, 'We must be careful with pairing on this one as you do have to make good solid contact with the chest...' The two girls in class giggled and shot off to one side of the room. Sensei laughed. Then it dawned on me what he was saying.... OOooooooohhhh... teehee... I think I may have blushed a little. Now this particular technique I actually learned in Kung Fu one of my first classes. Soon...We discovered very quickly that my partner was having an EXTREMELY difficult time finishing this technique. For some reason he could not wrap my arms up. Sensei saw the problem and tried to help... We then all sort of realized I have big arms and a barrel chest. Actually I have never given it much thought as I take my strength for granted most of the time and forget that I spent four years of highschool power lifting. Sensei chided my partner very jokingly saying you have to pick someone in similar size in class, we both looked around... I am the largest person in class tonight by far. Actually looking back, it seems I am the biggest person in the dojo besides Ben. We laughed and continued to flumox about. There really was not proper pairing for me. So with much struggle we were both able to work our arms into proper positions... and then we got stuck.Yeah this technique, VERY uncomfortable, even MORESO when you are STUCK to your partner. It took some clever manipulation but finally we unwedged our arms. I THINK my partner was glad to switch after this technique to someone a little less bulky.
The next technique I found myself paired with Matt and Terri once again. This was a similar technique but another direction and a slightly different ending... I was working through it with Matt and Sensei walked by and said something to the effect, 'Dustin you should enjoy this one, its a kill shot. At the end you draw your knife from your obi and (makes a striking motion to Matt's ribs) OR better yet you draw HIS knife and use it against him.' You know what... I LIKE Sensei, I really do. BUT, Do I really come off as the type that takes a certain amount of glee and knowing kill shots and gruesome ways to finish my enemies? Yeah I guess I do. If you bore witness to Jake and I's knife test for the SAFD that is all the proof you need. I digress. Matt and I continued. Now... looking back to an earlier episode, well actually the very FIRST day of class , I made mention of all the weapons on the racks, one stood out to me as I wondered what it was for... a particularly large large club... Hold that thought. So Matt and I were working and I catch Sensei walking up with what I can only describe as a small trunk of a tree with a Bokken handle carved in it and a smile on his face and a slightly devious look... I mean this is one of the biggest clubs I have seen. This... Can't ... Be... Good.
I swear there was a moment when I flashed back to some earlier body hardening exercises in Kenpo and Combat Karate and REALLY thought he might actually strike me with this small sequoia he is brandishing about like its a baton. I laughed,' I was wondering when that was going to come out. Eeeek.' Sensei laughed again and said, 'Its a training tool.' And took a big swing. Now, in reality I know I was not in danger, nor was he actually swinging this symbol of pure barbarism weapon AT me, but I did take a step back and was close to trying to hide behind Matt. Then Sensei explained further that is was indeed a training tool for sword technique and he called it his Bam Bam stick. He then proceeded to swing it above his head and in a downward cutting motion. He explained then that this was for sword training and that I should try and stop it using my core and body as trying to do the exercise with all arms was practically impossible OR in my case would make me VERY tired very quickly.
Then we were all told to make a circle. This is new. Sensei came walking into the circle with the Big club over one shoulder and a smaller version over his other. 'Okay everyone, this is Big Bertha and Little Bertha.' He went into detail how to do the exercise. If you have done other western sword techniques this was essentially a mullinet (no idea how to spell properly) to a downward cut on center line. This thing was NOT light. We went around the circle each person doing the small one first and then Big Bertha. Surpisingly enough this technique is quite easy if you let the sword do the work. I have this sinking feeling that this is going to be VERY important in sword training. I had another very small victory in my mind during this exercise. Even student that were far more expirienced than I were having a bit of trouble doing this without clobbering themselves in the head, hitting duct work, etc. Then just like that the FIRST class was over. We bowed, stepped off the mat, and I found myself to the water cooler and a towel. While I was drinking, Nekka came bounding over and very smiley asked if I was staying for weapons. I had a big grin and said YUP!!! Y'all got me addicted with the last one. She smiled and bounded off. I think I like Nekka, she has always been very smiley, helpful, and seems eager to make freinds. It is funny as she has been in the US for only about 6 months so her english is a little off but she barely has an accent. She is from germany and speaks English VERY well, but she does mix up conjugations of things quite often. It amuses me as Matt is always quick to correct her English. I take for granted sometimes that English can be a very difficult language to master since the way we say things is a little off on occasion. I laughed and told her that what Matt was teaching her was American and not nessecarily English. From what I gather she is Uchideshi or the personal student of Sensei Meido. I have a feeling she is going to become another good friend in time.
We lined up and sat waiting for the next class. There were only three people that stayed for weapons. I wonder why other folks aren't as inclined to stay for weapons when they are already there for class anyhow. I guess they all have real lives or something, or maybe they don't like weapons, or... well who knows. I just know this is the second weapons class of this size and I am getting the impression it is typically the case.
I learned one thing at the start of class tonight. Grab all three weapons as we never know which form is going to be taught. Tonight we put our bokken to the back of the mat and retained our Jo. If you are not familar, a Jo is a short staff that is approximately 4' in length. They are VERY sturdy and it seems like I will be able to generate a lot of power.
Tonights weapons class... taught by Matt this time. Jo basics involve A LOT of repetition of small movements. I think the weapons class was actually harder for me than the unarmed class was. The first thing we did was strike in a thrust. I can say that at this point it felt like I was shooting pool for the first 10 minutes. There is a littel turn of your backhand that I was having trouble with but I am sure it will come in time. I will spare you the details about most of the practice since we basically worked variations of a theme. Some important points though. There is one movement the is a overhead block with a slight step to the side that finishes in a diagonal strike. The step to the side is fine although it feels awkward and off-balance when taking it on the count given by Matt. there is also a small shuffle with the hands that takes place over the head just before the strike that was also a littel wierd to master. Once we spead it up and my instincts took over, the movment actually felt VERY good and powerful. There was a variety of ways to strike from either having the point of the Jo at the ground or from a ready stance. Each technique we did 50 times. 10 times on Matt's count, 10 times on each students count, and 10 more on matt's count again. Each time it was my count Matt was very clear... 'On YOUR pace.' I suppose this gave me leave to slow down and be very precise... I just felt so bad as though I was slowing other's progress... Everytime it was my count though, 'At your pace.' *sigh* I hate flundering on techniques. I have always had a pretty decent kinesthetic awareness and usually have been able ot learn techniques with only a few times of being taught. In this class... I feel like a moron sometimes. So many littel corrections constantly. I am VERY grateful for having such wonderful teachers that are willing to help me break bad habits and learn the ways of Aikido, but I also hate feeling like I am affecting others in a negative way. At one point I was asked how it felt. I replied that I like it but my other experiences were with Long Staff or Quarter Staff. Matgt laughed, thats a different set of mechnaics. Yeah, I agreed or a different set of physics.
Once we finished the practice... my arms were nothing but wet noodles hanging at the side of my body. Here I am finishing this post several days later and my muscles are STILL sore like it was the day after class. Wow. Who'd a thunk a 4' twig that weighs approximately 1lb could destroy my arms so much.
After class as I was returning my weapons to the rack Matt complimented me and said I did really well tonight. I smiles and thanked him... I really wish I beleived him. I laughed and said, ya know, this place is kicking my ass all over the place. He laughed and said, 'Good. then we're doing our job.'
As is now typical, we swept the mats very ritualistically and cleaned up. Then Nekka came up with a bucket full of water and several rags and said, 'Come on!' and beckoned me to the right side of the dojo. 'You know how to do dis?'(in her barely perceptible German accent.) Not exactly. She dipped the cloth in the bucket (which smelled like a swimming pool for the record), spread the cloth out over a little section of mat. and shot to the other side keeping the cloth in front of her with her hands. When she got to the other side she again beckoned me and said, 'Well come on.' I took a deep breath and went for it... step step step PLOP!!!! On my face. I tried again step step PLOP!!! Okay... so have you ever waxed a floor REALLY well and then tossed a tennis ball over to the corner for your favorite Golden retrienver, Black Lab, or just about ANY puppy? Yeah... I was the puppy. the problem with pushing the rag in FRONT of you is that mat BEHIND the rag (i.e. STILL in front of you) is now wet and slick. The other student had completed the whole of the dojo floor by the time I had made it back from my first trip. STEP STEP PLOP STEP STEP PLOP... I can only imagine how amusing it was to watch me flounder like a fish on a boat deck... As I arrived back Matt sadi in his very teacherly way,' You know this DOES server a purpose, right?' You mean beside the obvious disinfecting the floor? 'Yes. This is to help you learn balance. The idea is to learn to counter how much pressure you need on the floor, how fast to go, against your weight moving forward. Keep practicing.' I suddenly got the feeling that I was going to be disinfecting A LOT more mats in the days ahead. Hopefully noone is around to watch until I can learn to not slide like a puppy on rollerskates.
Tonight we all parted ways without much todo besides a quick goodnight and Matt reaffriming that I did well.
On my way the gravity of my arm situation quickly became apparent, I could barely get my wallet out of my pocket to get on the train. Instead I grabbed a cab as I was supposed to head a few blocks North to meet a bunch of theatre folks for trivia night. That is a story for another day though.
Looking back on Wednesdays classes I am can come up with a few quick reflections.
First, I am still out of shape... I am going to be for quite some time.
My arms are much larger than I have realized and prohibit some tecniques from being done on me. I suppose this is a good thing for real life scenarios, but this may become problematic for training in the future. Since I cannot really make my arms smaller, I am going to have to find alternate means to explore these tecniques.
third... my balance SUCKS!!! I am fairly graceful most of the time but doing something simple like cleaning the mats was a real chore.
Next, matt's weapons classes... are... hmmmm.... a good workout. I'll leave it at that.
Sensei is a very funny guy and I REALLY want to use big Bertha some more. Actually really when looking at things a littel more in detail I think I might want to start taking Iaido. I have always wanted to learn good Japanese sword technique... well here's my chance. Next class I will be able to attend will be Tuesday morning. The real question, does Dustin ACTUALLY make it out of bed for a 6:30 am meditation and a 7:00am Aikido class. My money is on that I will. Until Next time...
'D'
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