Special session with Jeremiah Sensei, who was on travel in California and came to visit us. Hiroko, Ivan and myself were in attendance. Some others were invited, but none made it. We reviewed Standing Iai 1 – 8, One Steps 1 – 10, Free Fighting 1 – 2, and he instructed on Free Fighting 3 – 5 and the Jo Staff Kata, as well as the partner drills. At the end of the session, he granted Ivan his Green Belt rank, and surprised Hiroko and I with a rank of Brown Belt.

Partner Drills are a scenario based set of progressional attacks and counters. First the two partners determine the setting (against a wall or cliff, low ceilings, beach, etc), then they start with (step 1) a single (unblocked) technique, (step 2) an attack with evasion, (step 3) and attack with evasion and second attack, (step 4) an attack with evasion, and a second attack with a preemptive counter, and (step 5) an attack with evasion, followed by the start of a second attack with an attempt at preemptive counter that is its self blocked or preempted and a successful attack completed.