The weather lately has been pretty finicky lately. Hot weather, coolish weather, clouds, rain, winds, an assorted array really. Today wasn't too much different in the sense that it rained in the morning and was quite windy. The humidity was quite high and it was sticky and warm.
I went in early to do some work at uni for something because a previous session wasn't as successful as it was supposed to be, so I was re-doing it. Then onto Kendo training.
Todays training was a little unusual to normal. I was asked to lead warmup again by our instructor, and then we had our regular footwork/basics. Then we deviated a little from our usual. We had the bogu players who had Do on lined up, and the others facing us in lines to practice Do cuts. The Do cuts practice was pretty simple really, but it was just good for everyone to get much more basic cuts in. The way we practiced it was a kihon Do cut, but segmented. So, you stepped in, stop. Motodachi opens, then you cut and stop on cut landing. Then you zanshin past. Very basic, but also very important to get all of the aspects down correctly.
For the first time though today, I was asked by our instructor to lead the beginners. I had taken them before, but had been asked by the seniors, not our instructor. Also during lining up, I was asked to lead, so I got to do the Mokuso call, which was pretty cool, along with the rei calls. I almost feel like I am moving up in responsibilty but I think that might be too much inflation. On the deflation side of it, it was just that our senior players were away for Uni Games, so they couldn't do it, and I was the most senior that was still left.
Leading beginners was ok today because they had learnt the basics already. We revised doing one-step men, kote and do cuts because it is important for kihon cuts. Then we revised some of the basic steps that lead to a kihon cut. Working on the footwork, we did some lunges, and then pushing off with the left leg, which is where all the drive and power comes from for the kihon cuts. Then, we moved into combining the lunge and cut. Then pushing off with the legs and cut and the suriyashi to zanshin following. We covered these lightly, and I think that they now have the basics on how to do a kihon men cut. There is many things to polish in it, but it looks like they got it.
I didn't mind taking the beginners, but it was a little disappointing to miss out on learning gyaku-do cuts that the bogu players practiced. I probably wouldn't really use it much anyway, though having it as part of repetoire is always nice for the future. What I did miss though was just the physical exercise component of training that I would have liked to have. Oh well. I'll just have to get my exercise elsewhere for it =)
After training, the rest of the day was pretty ordinary. At least it's cooler tonight, 21°C and 69% humidity at midnight.
I went in early to do some work at uni for something because a previous session wasn't as successful as it was supposed to be, so I was re-doing it. Then onto Kendo training.
Todays training was a little unusual to normal. I was asked to lead warmup again by our instructor, and then we had our regular footwork/basics. Then we deviated a little from our usual. We had the bogu players who had Do on lined up, and the others facing us in lines to practice Do cuts. The Do cuts practice was pretty simple really, but it was just good for everyone to get much more basic cuts in. The way we practiced it was a kihon Do cut, but segmented. So, you stepped in, stop. Motodachi opens, then you cut and stop on cut landing. Then you zanshin past. Very basic, but also very important to get all of the aspects down correctly.
For the first time though today, I was asked by our instructor to lead the beginners. I had taken them before, but had been asked by the seniors, not our instructor. Also during lining up, I was asked to lead, so I got to do the Mokuso call, which was pretty cool, along with the rei calls. I almost feel like I am moving up in responsibilty but I think that might be too much inflation. On the deflation side of it, it was just that our senior players were away for Uni Games, so they couldn't do it, and I was the most senior that was still left.
Leading beginners was ok today because they had learnt the basics already. We revised doing one-step men, kote and do cuts because it is important for kihon cuts. Then we revised some of the basic steps that lead to a kihon cut. Working on the footwork, we did some lunges, and then pushing off with the left leg, which is where all the drive and power comes from for the kihon cuts. Then, we moved into combining the lunge and cut. Then pushing off with the legs and cut and the suriyashi to zanshin following. We covered these lightly, and I think that they now have the basics on how to do a kihon men cut. There is many things to polish in it, but it looks like they got it.
I didn't mind taking the beginners, but it was a little disappointing to miss out on learning gyaku-do cuts that the bogu players practiced. I probably wouldn't really use it much anyway, though having it as part of repetoire is always nice for the future. What I did miss though was just the physical exercise component of training that I would have liked to have. Oh well. I'll just have to get my exercise elsewhere for it =)
After training, the rest of the day was pretty ordinary. At least it's cooler tonight, 21°C and 69% humidity at midnight.
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