January 5, Sensei Maria

1. Roll Out and Defend
So I roll out and defend...Close the window doesn't work. Which really isn't a surprise b/c I told myself before that I wouldn't use it because it is an advanced technique, but I did anyway. So alas it didn't work, so I switched to Ippon, which also didn't work, and since I was panicking I forced it. It wasn't bad, it was ugly. I shouldn't force technique especially because I really threw my should into it, and I could have hurt it. I didn't and was lucky, probably b/c Sensei knew I would have kept pushing the technique until one of us broke.

The moral of the story? Stop panicking about roll out and defend.

I knew that if Ippon fails, go into Morote Gari, but because I panicked I couldn't let it happen. So I'm going to just start my entry with an atemi, which may buy me a split second to adjust myself. So watch out!

2. Katana-Nage ( from face punch, from slash with knife, from slash(fail) and return )
• Tai-Sabaki shallow into uke
• Cut uke's arm low into your center
• Shoot through uke to project
• Keep their arm trapped to retrieve knife

I have to admit, I did not like Katana-nage. Did not, meaning past tense. I would do it, and it just wasn't my fave. Maybe because it seems passive. But tonight I think Katana-Nage was revealed in it's most hideous form, only to retreat back into it's passive dance-like-look, allow me to elaborate...

• Tai-sabaki shallow into uke
So I'm working with Sensei Stephen, and we are doing Katana-Nage, and of course it's not working correctly. I remeber when we do Tai-sabaki warm up that I usually drift off to one side or another. So I figure I would straighten out my tai-sabaki. OWWWWWWW! gasps Sensei Stephen as I wrap around for the projection. By getting the footwork right ( albeit inadvertently ) Sensei's arm was pinned as I brought it to my center. As I was saying that I was sorry and making sure everything was cop-acetic Sensei Stephen said "No that's good, that's the jist of it." As he said this I remember reading about an arm-lock that looks like katana-nage except that they grab the gi lapel. I wonder if this is where it is derived from?

• Cut uke's arm into center
Your arm = my center. My center meaning 1mm below my belly button. From here I can switch to Kotegaesh,Tiger lock or Iremi.

• Shoot through uke to project
Now working with Youval I remember Sensei Coleman telling me that when we shoot into uke, we shoot with a rib strike, like you are punching through their ribs. Even if you are not striking the image in my mind seemed to move uke unexpectedly.

3. Escape from the Full Nelson
• Drop and point to the ground, flex lats to trap arms
• Grab finger, pivot, elbow uke in face
• Step behind uke, and drop weight to lock in Ikkyu

So I was curious...wikipedia says the name full nelson comes from "The term "nelson" is derived from "full nelson", which dates back to the early 19th century. It is named after the British war-hero Admiral Nelson, who famously used strategies based on surrounding the opponent to win the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar."

4. Ikkyu from Cross hand wrist grab
• Hitch step and push uke's arm into their ear
• Grab the hand for Ikkyu as you guide opposite hand into uke's elbow rotating the elbow from ear towards ground
• Drop weight to lead uke's down
• Lock

As I started doing this technique I kept thinking about the throws like Sode-Tsurikomi-Goshi, that require the feeding of uke's elbow into their ear. It seems that this is what really puts uke off balance.

5. Freestyle with Knife
From Sensei Coleman
Work close to the body
Always lock them up, if you project and they keep the knife be ready for another attack

From Sensei Maria
Do not place knife directly in front of uke, put it off to the side so you can be ready for the next technique.