Last night at the Shibu Dojo we continued with the theme katate-dori kokyu-nage, and completed a further six variations taking the count up to 20. This series is shihonage based.
15 (shihonage based) same as basic
16 (shihonage based) arm break
17 (shihonage based) head lock
18 (shihonage based) tenkan right angle arm
19 (shihonage based) half tenkan arm break over shoulder
20 (shihonage based) reverse ikkyo nasty lock
I guess technically you could argue that some of these are actually pins and not throws so should they really be called kokyunage, perhaps not but that's semantics.
This morning Nemoto and I went over the Ken-Tai-Jo, so in effect that completes the entire weapons syllabus, which has taken about 20 days, at 1.5 hours per day, or 30 hours. It is easy to see why if you only train bukiwaza once a week it takes so long to get through the syllabus, and by the time you get back round to the beginning you have forgotten at least some of it.. Which is why I am so lucky to get the chance to come out and train intensively like this, especially one on one with one of Saito's top deshi. Which means I am one step closer to having the kumi-jo and kumi-tachi well cemented in my brain and body so that I can make the most of the training when we do cover it.
I have found that videoing myself has been a really useful way of seeing what is happening, its just as easy to criticize yourself on camera as it is to criticize somebody else. Which I definitely want to do more of, well at least until I cant see anything which I don't like, and that could take a while, which is good, because a while is all I have got. It is really useful way of seeing where you are going wrong, and picking up your own mistakes. I think that the ability to self correct is paramount to successful development. It's mostly little things, like slight hip mis-position, bad foot alignment, stuff like that, but these all add up.
It think it would be good for some of the other people back home to give it a try too, once you see yourself from a third person perspective that critical eye can be put to good use, rather than wasting it on other peoples form.
Not sure what bukiwaza we will do from now on, if I get the chance I'd like to go over the kumitachi-henka again, but will be happy to do anything. Only 6-7 more sessions to go !!! Then back to reality, the old grindstone.
Aikido Iwama Uchideshi
This Blog originally tracked a three month period during which time I undertook training in Iwama under the supervision of Nemoto Sensei. We also trained at the Shibu Dojo, O'Sensei's Dojo in Iwama located in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan.
I have returned this time for a shorter three week stint in January 2011.
