Monday, March 12, 2012

A Beginner's Point of View 351-352

Day 351:

In Iaido, I did my 1-12 again. I seem to notice that I can perform the entire routine three full times with some time to spare for listening to the instructor. If I find myself hurrying, I might complete the routine four times and really cut it close for attendance in Kendo. Some of my swings were wobbly because I was really tired. Still, I’m doing better with my feet.

In Kendo, I started tired. I was late to rei-hou because of Iaido. During suburi, I had to go through about a third of it with no voice. I just couldn’t get my voice back. I couldn’t finish the haya-suburi because of my lungs. So, I hopped back and forth with no sword. We did footwork drills with menouchi, big kiai (which winded me more; I nearly had to step out), and renzoku-men.

When, we put men on, I was still winded. The instructor was concerned for me, but I promised to watch myself. We did kiri-kaeshi, ji-geiko, and kakari-geiko. There was special emphasis on sashi-menouchi. The instructor was teaching sashi-men to all of the students in bogu. When it was my turn to practice, me encouraged me to add fumi-komi to it. Lo and behold, I did fumi-komi well! I guess the quick motion of sashi-men makes it more natural then oh-men strikes. I had to sit out soon after. My heart was just fine but I had no breath at all. I felt like my lungs were not pumping air in either direction.

Day 352:

In Iaido, I did my 1-12 like normal. My footwork is getting more stable. However, I am vey lightly sweating. I am getting a little better on the downswing for the fifth kata, so if I remember to do the new transition in the seventh kata from the first cut to the second, I should get better.

In Kendo, we did the warm-ups in a circle. We did a normal set of suburi, but did a hundred haya suburi. I could not do the last forty. There was a very nice footwork drill after that. We would move right-left-forward-back in patterns. Suddenly, we had to do at least ten of whatever strike the instructor called out. Then we went back to footwork patterns. Then a different set of strikes. We would interpose men, kote, doh, kote-men, kote-doh, kote-men-doh, all while waiting for the next footwork drill. That was good. It kept us mentally alert.

We put on men and moved into kiri-kaeshi, menouchi, and sashi-menouchui. I tried doing more fumi-komi with the drills, but I could only get the timing right for sashi-men. I guess I need to practice. The timing and movement of the foot is getting complicated. I think I’ll write the instructor after class and ask him for some advice.

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