Kendo class canceled today due to no students.
Category: Uncategorized
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Class with Ivan. Practiced the kendo-adapted Cutting Pattern 1 and 2 to warm up, then worked on one-step techniques 1 – 4, 7 and 8.
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I have produced seven new swords of hickory to support my new WCoS Redding Dojo. Following are a couple pictures of them, along with a few other practice weapons.
Six of the new hickory swords are all on the left, and the seventh, another two handed sword, is not shown. The other clean two handed shown is of popalar and the remaining weapons to the right are older ones that have been around a while.
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Class tonight with Sabrina, Nivalis (Ash), Nate and Don. We reviewed basic cuts and added thrust, then covered head and neck blocks. The second half of class we did awareness training with Blind Man’s Boffer.
(Conditions: Clear, High of 101)
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Class with Ivan. Kihon, then taught him Cutting Pattern 2 adapted to the kendo strikes and blocks. Finished with one-step techniques 1 and 2.
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Class with just Hiroko today. Warmed up with Cutting Pattern 1, then worked on standing iai. Quickly reviewed 1 – 5, then worked on 6 and 7 extensively.
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First class of Western Circle of Swordfighters Redding Dojo tonight. My four students are Sabrina, Nate, “Nivalis” (Ash) and Don. I began with a brief seiza introduction to the new class. For the first half of class I instructed on defensive stance and basic cuts. After break, during which I set up a balance course, we practiced Balance 1.
(Conditions: Clear, High of 101)
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Class with Ivan. Standing Iai 1 – 5. Open Parry (attacker makes undetermined number of attacks, generally from 5 to 20, moving as desired, then calls “switch” to change roles). Cool down with Kneeling Iai 1 – 5.
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Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Standing Iai 1 – 5.
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Class with Hiroko, Ivan and Lynette. Kihon, cutting pattern 1, cool down with standing iai.
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Class with Ivan
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Class with Ivan
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Class
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I journeyed to the Half Moon Bay WCoS dojo today for some personal training. Kaiden’s Aaron and Brennan were also there and, after Gad went through steel parry with me, I did armored steel parry with Aaron and then sparred 5 matches with both Aaron and Brennan. Later, Gad worked with me on a few questions I had and some new techniques. I demonstrated four practiced moves that I have previously observed and he approved them: Casper, Lighting, Dragons Tail and Defense Cut. He reviewed Advanced Blocks, adding two low advanced blocks and the advanced head block and he also reviewed the six deflections. I asked about variances for one-handed technique and we covered the basics so that I will be prepared to pass on instruction for one handed students.
The steel combat today is my first as a Red Rope with the Western Circle of Swordfighters. It was exhausting and I was very slow, over-controlling my blade to avoid causing injury. I was also much more defensive and leary of my opponents blade, the heightened level of fear causing poor blocks and bad movement. I have much to learn and improve. As Kaiden Gad and the others said, moving to steel combat is in some ways like returning to square one again. -
No other students today. I reviewed standing iai 1 – 5, then focused on standing iai 6 – 8.
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Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Started with kihon repetition. Moved on to one-attack parry, then multi-attack parry (essentially WCoS Centered Cuts, i.e. attacker makes between 3 – 5 attacks, then the defender must sieze the offensive as soon as the attacker pauses). Finished with kneeling iai 1 – 5.
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This evening I tested for and earned the rank of Red Rope with the Western Circle of Swordfighters. Upon receiving my new rank, I requested the right to start my own WCoS dojo in Redding and was granted a limited Kaidenship to train a maximum of five students up to the rank of White Rope.
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Best of the Best competition today with 16 sword fighters. Details later.
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Class with just Ivan. Cutting Pattern 1 to warm up, then kneeling iai 1 – 5.
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Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Started with kihon repetition including blocks. Then did some combinations, starting with adaptions of Mantis, Jumping Tiger 1, and a combination of Lighting and Dragons Tail. Then had Hiroko and Ivan each construct a combination. I modified Ivan’s combo and we tried it some more, then finished with shinai applying the modified combo.
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Just Ivan and myself today. We warmed up with Cutting Pattern 1, then spent the rest of the session working on One Steps 1 – 4.
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Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Started with kihon repetition, then got into men and kote protection (helmet and gloves). Black Sensei arrived then, so we reviewed One Steps 1 – 4 and then he helped us with 7 and 8. Black Sensei left and we finished with some two-attack parry with the protective gear.
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Class with Ivan and Hiroko. One Step Techniques 1 – 4 and Free Fighting Techniques 1 and 2.
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Class with Hiroko, Lynette and Ivan. Repetitive kihon, then some awareness training. One person in middle, the other three arrayed to all sides equally. The center person defends as the others attack at random. First target was head, then the second time through everyone it was either temple. A little more space would have made it better (we were in a raquetball court), but it was an okay drill. Finished with Cutting Pattern 1 several times with each of the others.