A Beginner's Point of View 26-27

Day 26:

Today is a proud milestone for me. I recieved my bogu in the mail, including the carrying bag. It all came together, but not laced up. There were no instructions on how to lace up the men and doh, so it was confusing. The kote had all the laces in them already. They seemed just the slightest bit loose, but they fit. I also got all my paperwork and fees together for the tournament. Right before class, I submitted all my paperwork and fees to sensei. I also ordered our club's custom zekken through him, too. The company that sold me the bogu also had a service to embroider a zekken for a fee. However, our club has a kind of "sleeve" type of zekken that is easy to put on and remove. That way, you don't have to tape up or otherwise cover your school's insignia. Instead, you just remove the zekken "sleeve" and you're ready.

Today had a larger class than usual, which was good. We each counted 1 to 8 in turn for warm-ups. This pushed us to do more warm-ups, which is good work for me. I need more endurance (and footwork, but that's a different story). This also reinforces the idea of unity within us. We are one school, no just 'several people wasting time'. Unfortunately, without instructions, I could not lace up my bogu in time for class, so I went without. I'll try tomorrow looking for a manual that shows how to attach the himo (strings) for the first time.

I know that sempai has a lot to deal with by teaching a class, but every once in a while, when there are new students, someone (sempai or sensei) needs to end class with a quick lesson on how to tie up, wear, take off, and maintain a single piece of equipment. Reading a manual by yourself at home may not work for everyone. I was lucky I got a manual that had several good pictures on how to tie the shinai tsuru knot near the tsuba, or else I would have had to waste my instructor's time doing that when I should be learning how to do it myself. Perhaps just a few minutes to show the piece of equipment and explain the proper use and care for it would be good. I remember my very first class. At the end, sempai took all of us aside and took apart a shinai in front of us to show us the inner workings and what to do to sand, oil, and rotate staves. That was very useful. It allowed me to read the manual and try it myself.

We quickly worked up from walking to swinging to charging again. I really have been working hard on my footwork. I can tell because my shins hurt at night and the next morning. Once some senior students put on their full bogu, the class split up. The newer students would practice men strikes while my group practiced kote/men strikes. We also practiced kiri-kaeshi, which was good for our sense of timing and for when we will be tested. The tournament is only 2.5 months away, but I really need to work up my endurance until then. I had to take 2 rest breaks to get my breath back. I have low ceilings in my house and no hardwood floors, so practice is hard to come by.

Day 27:

Today I brought my bogu to class. The bag I bought to carry my bogu was described as the largest model, but it's still difficult to place everything in the central space. I wonder if I would have been further ahead to buy a 'backpack' style bag instead of a 'suitcase' style bag. Maybe the doh just needs to be broken in before it will fit well. For now, I will bring my athletic bag for my change of exercise clothes and supplies and use my bogu bag just for bogu. They all fit in the trunk of my car just fine anyway.

I also learned that bogu must NOT be stored in the bogu bag, only carried. The bogu bag will trap the moisture from sweat and cause mold to grow inside the pieces. When back at home after practice, you take the bogu out of the bag and set it aside in a well-ventilated room to air out.

It was a good thing that I practiced tying the doh knots before I came to practice or else I would have forgotten them. The doh knots look like they are flimsy, but they are not. They are meant to easily tie and untie but they are strong enough to hold the doh in place. I also practiced the tying up the men, but that is not so easy, especially since you cannot see the knots. The cords try to creep around the sides of the men and move out of place. I wonder if there's a trick to it.

Practice was very good. Warm-ups went smoother this time. I only messed up the count once, but recovered better. We spent most of practice practicing drills that work up to a certain ni-dan waza. We step in, semin, strike kote, strike men, and pass on through. Eventually, this should be a quick, small, flowing, single movement. It also sets you up to collide with your opponent doh-to-doh, which pushes them back and lets you take their space and thusly control of the match. The advanced students practiced colliding with the doh, the rest of us passed by. I learned that when deciding which side to pass the opponent, the kote overrule the men. Normally, you pass on the right when you strike men. You pass on the left when you strike kote. If you strike kote-men, you pass on the left. This is because you strike kote first, thus putting yourself on the left side. It would be too complicated and too open to switch sides while trying to pass through. Passing through is a straight line, allowing you to use all your energy to pass quickly. Changing sides robs you of your energy and slows you down.