A Beginner's Point of View 445-446

Day 445:

No practice today due to weather.

Day 446:

Today I felt run down. Perhaps it’s been the idleness. I went to class and practiced three sets of kata. Since I was the first to arrive, I also swept the floor. The floor felt different. At first I thought it was the new broom, but it was the floor. It did not slide as it once did. My feet almost felt sticky upon it.

After finishing three sets, I practiced a few spare kata until the instructor had a moment to spare. I asked him that during the fourth kata, he would raise the ki-saki up over his head before striking. Was that the new way of doing it (since he had just come from a seminar)? He said that no, it was a mistake and he’d have to watch that. It’s encouraging to know that sometimes, even higher-ranking Iaidoka can still make mistakes. I don’t have to be perfect; I just have to strive to be perfect.

After practice, I felt drained and exhausted. I inspected my feet when I got home. They’re dried out and cracked in multiple places. My left foot has a patch of dried blood in spots under the skin right where I push off for suri-ashi. I wonder if I should be putting lotion on them or letting them rough out.