Sensei Maria, October 6, 2006

Sensei Maria, October 6, 2006

I'm back. Just taking 2 days off feels like too much. However I was suprised at how much my body is remembering movements and stretching easier. I used to workout before class mainly because I would be warmed up and my muscles wouldn't feel as tight, now I'm starting to feel like a rubber band. A really big heavy rubber band.

Keeping with the theme of previous classes I'm trying not to use any power, and I have noticed that there is a time and place for "muscle" but it's more subtle, for example, the twisting when throwing in ippon is a muscle contraction, the stronger the oblique, the quicker the twist, which will create a more powerful throw. Along with not using power, I added good posture per Sensei Coleman's suggestion.

With Posture Sensei Coleman showed me that if I imagine my shoulder blades trying to touch it will cause your body to be straight. I noticed a side effect of this is that everything tends to fall in you center, it just does, by leaning over things tend to get away from you...or at least they get away from me.

1. Notes on Atemi Kata
• First 5 punches are close punches with knuckles pointing down.
• Slide foot out and pivot for blocks
• Blocks are like "Close the Window"

2. Sidekick (shoba geri?) to Ikkyu from Straight Jab
• Side step to avoid knife, check knife hand with your hand
• Kick into knee to disable uke
• After rechambering kick slide into uke placing one hand on elbow the other on knife hand
• Straighten arms which will apply pressure to the elbow preventing uke to rise, or if they do they break their own arm, hooray!
• Drop to Lock uke

*Note : When I studied Aikido, my Sensei would tell us to imagine a rowing motion to bring uke into our center, though the motion is not of rowing. I think it has more to do with the rotating motion of the wrist, the same rotation that is made when rowing.

3. Kotegaesh 10, from knife
• Tai-Sabaki entry, place arm on uke's arm, control arm without grabbing
• Step back from tai-sabaki and pivot hips, keep uke's hand in center.
• As soon as uke hits ground, cup arm and hyperextend elbow turning uke over
• Lock, remove knife and step back

Sensei maria said that you have to do this technique as if "you didn't care if it worked or not," to me you just have to feel it. It is definitly a difficult technique.

4. Tai-Otoshi
• Tai Sabaki entry, take uke's arm and pivot
• When Pivoting place ankle above ukes foot, bend knee to protect leg
• Uke will come off balance and fall

Dixon is really really good at this technique, I suggest everyone grab him for uke. He has the movement down which seems to be a "whipping" motion. It's almost the pivot is like the crack of a whip. I have been scolded by both Sensei Coleman and Steven for trying to push uke over my foot with the arm, so if you find yourself grabbig the arm a lot that may not be a good thing.