Aikido - Test Day!

It was a nice, bright, sunny day for a test. We had a good-sized Saturday class because we were holding three tests. I tested for sankyu and T.D. and M.L. tested for ikkyu. We had a short warm-up and class before the tests started. I was flagging half-way through the class - breathing heavily, getting up slowly. I settled down and caught my breath while we set up for the test. I went first. At first, it didn't seem like a very long test. I was tired and getting a bit shaky but I pretty much kept going. I received some helpful advice from the yudansha both during and after the test. M.L.'s and T.D's tests went well, too, and I got to participate in their tests, as well. Their tests were about 40 minutes long!

Aikido – Katatetori Variations and Test Prep

I was huffing and puffing in the shortened stretch and warm-up tonight. We practiced the side ukemi a bit before starting in on katatetori iriminage variations. We did the put-the-wrist-over-the-shoulder throw (almost shihonage) and a variant of that approaching kotegaeshi now named after a classmate, a put-the-elbow-down-behind (sort of a short sumi otoshi) and a tenkan-into-sokomen-iriminage.

We also celebrated M.K.'s and T.D.'s birthdays with birthday rolls. I had a pretty good randori at the end of class. Sensei tossed in a fourth uke part way through and he only does that when I'm doing well.

Aikido - Tantodori and Gokkyo Variations

Tired from the get-go, I struggled through stretching and aikitaiso. We started with yokomenuchi taisabaki and then to yokomenuchi ikkyo both with and without tanto. We worked up to gokkyo and tried a new variant where nage doesn't take the uke all the way to the ground. I pooped out when we got to koshinage variations. I did a decent randori at the end of class.

Aikido - Katatetori Variations

I arrived a little late (work, again) but in time for aiki taiso. It was a smaller class than usual. We worked on katatetori tai sabaki and then several kokyunage and iriminage variations including sokomen iriminage.

Gym 12/11

Lifefitness Elliptical: 16 minutes, level 6, cadence high 50s, heart rate: 154
Triceps pull-downs: 3x15 @ 65 lbs
Lat bar rows: 3x15 @ 70 lbs

Gym 12/7

Lifefitness Elliptical: 15 minutes, level 5, cadence high 50s

Aikido - J.B.Test

I arrived half-way through the class because I had to work late. We worked on katatori ikkyo and nikkyo - omote and ura - kokyunage and iriminage. At the end we had a test (rokkyu?) for J.B. I think he did well.

Gym 12/6

Lifefitness Elliptical: 15 minutes, level 5, cadence high 50-53

Weight: 308

Gym 12/5

Triceps pull-downs: 3x15 @ 60 lbs
Lat bar rows: 3x15 @ 70 lbs
Lifefitness Elliptical: 10 minutes, level 5, cadence 50-53, heart rate: 154

Weight: 308

Aikido - Ryotetori Variations

We worked on ryotetori - grabbing both wrists - and did kokyunage, iriminage, ikkyo, and tenchinage variations. I got pretty tired by the end.

Gym 12/4

Lifecycle: 10 minutes at level 5, cadence high 80s, HR 154