Saturday, April 20, 2013

A Beginner's Point of View 467-468

Day 467:

Today was really warm. I was sweating while doing my three sets of Iaido kata.

In Kendo, I was late for warm-ups. After suburi, we did a different kind of suri-ashi. The instructor called it okuri-ashi. We divided up into two lines. We would cross the floor in alternating patterns relatively close to each other.

Then we would men-tsuke. It was a hard day of kiri-kaeshi, men-ouchi, kote-ouchi, and kote-men-ouchi. I really pushed myself to not sit down to rest. It turns out I’ve been twisting my left foot too much and that now I need to swing down with the shinai faster than I swing up. If I keep doing that, then the instructor says I’ll be closer to being ready to pass nidan.

He also let me know that there are different warm-ups for summer and winter. In winter, you have to run around before stretching out to avoid injury.

Day 468:

Today I did two and a half sets of kata. The floor still does not seem to be done. It only has the one coat of varnish and no sealant. The instructor said that the association that is handling the floor is planning on finishing the floor over the weekend.

In Kendo, I led warm-ups and suburi again. We did some more okuri-ashi and then men-tsuke. Today was an all-day men-ouchi focused study. We were trying to teach everyone, including three new students not yet in uniform, proper head strikes.

In helping others teach, I had a revelation!!! The instructor had another instructor hold their shinai above my head horizontally to block my swing going backwards at the overhead point. It turns out that men strike has been hard for me because I’m swinging it too far back. I’m twisting my right hand backwards while over my head, this twists my wrists awkwardly and makes a flat strike on the top of the men difficult. When I corrected this, my strikes were faster, crisper, and easier! I can wait to fix my foot and get much better.

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