A Beginner's Point of View 582-583

Day 582:

In Iaido class, our new student learned horizontal cuts, vertical cuts, and the twelfth kata. I was able to complete 2.75 sets of kata again. That seems to be my new quota during the humid summer.

In Kendo class, we did suburi and okuri-ashi. After that, we had a lot of lecture. It was a Kendo lab all about proper tenouchi. We got to practice tenouchi for most of the class.

Day 583:

Today, Sensei in Iaido class as well as our other dan are out for a seminar. He asked me to teach the new student in both classes.

For Iaido, we reviews vertical and horizontal cuts. We practiced the twelfth kata and made sure to draw the tsuba in front of our faces and above the head. Then I taught him the first kata. He was really awkward with coming up on his toes and sliding forward. I advised more practice.

In Kendo, I took the new student aside and we practiced kihon-waza. At first we cut the air. Then I had him strike my shinai held above my head and off to the side. Once we got comfortable doing that, then I put on my bogu and had him hit my men, kote, and doh. I made sure to show him issoku-ittou-no-maai. He struck well with that. Then I taught him most of kiri-kaeshi. One men, tai-atari, four sayu-men, five backward sayu-men. He took to it well, but he keeps twisting his feet sideways. He also twists his left hand and sometimes misses the target. I told him to slow down and it worked.