Yokomenuchi Tai Sabaki

T. decided not to go tonight. After warming up we started with the basic yokomenuchi tai sabaki - drawing back away from the attacking hand at a 45 degree angle. This lead to yokomenuchi shihonage. It also lead to a couple variations of kokyunage and sumi otoshi. We also did two entering tai sabaki that are hard to explain except to say it looks like you're taking dancing lessons rather than aikido. Fun!

Weight: 300

Miniclass

T and I went tonight and M.L. led class - it was just the three of us working out. We went through bokken suburi, the two bokken kata, the six kumi tachi and then worked on some parrying exercises. We switched to jo and did the jo suburi, two jo kata, kumi jo, some jo parrying exercises and ended with the paired six jo kata.

Out again!

My chest cold prevented me from participating again, dangit! T. went, though, and worked on many ryotetori variations. Interesting to watch but frustrating!

Weight: 300

A Bad Night

I felt bad and had to leave after warming up. Drag.

Shomenuchi Variations

Tonight we switched things around a bit. We warmed up with the hand art versions of the shomenuchi variations we practiced last night as tachi dori. Then we did paired stretching. The rest of the class was spent with more shomenuchi and ended with randori practice. T. seems to have lost her new blue belt. We can't find it in the house, the car or the rec center. Hmmm...

Weight: 299

Tachi Dori

Also known as bokken dori, these techniques involve neutralizing the uke who is attacking with a bokken. After stretching and warming up with some suburi (quietly so as not to disturb the yoga class next door!) Sensei worked us through nine (well, eight because koshinage would be too loud) techniques from kokyunage, kaitennage, ikkyonage and sumi otoshi to blade reversals where the uke has to let go and move away quickly to avoid getting cut by his or her own sword. Of course, with a bokken that's not as big a danger but it is part of training as an uke to be more than just a fall guy. T. and I really enjoy the weapons classes and we're glad that Sensei is continuing them on Monday nights.

Weight: 302

Big Class Tonight!

We had several visiting yudansha, tonight. They were passing through on their way to a seminar in L.A. After warming up we started with tenchinage then went into a henkawaza variant with a tenkan turn leading to a kaitennage. We also used an internal tenkan (not sure of the correct terminology for that) to move under the uke's arm ending up with kaitennage again. We finished up by using the same entrance but shifting to ikkyo at the end.

T. had rehearsal tonight so she couldn't come to class.

Weight: 303

Rokkyu Tests

T. decided that she was too stressed to go to Aikido tonight - not a good argument for Sensei on an election day! After warming up we went through all the rokkyu test techniques pretty quickly. After missing a week of working out I pooped out for about half an hour but was okay for the end of class. I got to be uke for P. for his test. L.P. also tested. Both did well (in my non-professional opinion) even in Randori.

Weight: 301

Gokkyu Awarded and More Basics

T. has been nervous since last Thursday because she wasn't sure she passed her gokkyu test. Tonight, Sensei promoted her to gokkyu and she was happy. Sensei gave her my old blue belt (the one that's too small for me and pretty big for her). After that the class worked on katatori ikkyo and katatori nikkyo in preparation for the upcoming tests. I was not healthy enough (cough, sniffle) to practice so I watched and took a few pictures.

Weight: 300 (Dang Halloween Candy!)