A Beginner's Point of View 413-414

Day 413:

Today was more structure. After about one and a half sets of kata, the instructor called for us to come together. We concentrated on the second and third kata.

I learned this time to draw the sword halfway before turning around. Try to drag your left foot so that when you perform the final draw, you snap the foot to the left slightly.

I learned for the third kata that you must twist your wrist slightly to cause the ki-saki to spring up to almost horizontal.

Day 414:

Today was no structured class. Sensei and I were here, but no other ‘advanced’ students. There was a newcomer who needed to be taught the kata from the start, so the instructor spent all his time with the new student.

I took the time to incorporate the new ways to do the kata, including jo-ha-kyu. Sensei offered advice for turning my head to establish eye contact before turning the rest of my body. It sounds simple enough, but in practice it’s a lot of things to remember, especially if you’re trying to have no-mind. Well, I suppose practice will eventually make perfect.