Special session with Ross (Hayward Dojo). Steel only as we're both steel ranked. Went right into our requirements, he using one handed due to a somewhat recent arm injury, I with my two handed mostly, though I switched to one handed occasionally to aid in demonstrating technique, etc. As we went through requirements, I paused us to analyze and discuss various points, providing him a variety of feedback that he can take back with him to his primary Kaiden.
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Class with Bryce, back at Multnomah Community Arts Center (for the summer at least). I talked a little about using the right tool for the situation, differentiating between different sword combat styles based on blade and opponent types. Stretch and once through his requirements, then some focus work on his neck and thrust blocks, and some discussion on movement with foot and body alignment. After a break, refined strikes, 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), then donned helmets and gloves for remainder, doing lightly armored advanced response training, Add-on, and Switch parry.
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Class with Bryce, started off talking about angles and geometry. Stretch and both our requirements. 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), Refined Strikes, and a bit of unarmored one-attack parry.
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Class with Bryce. Reviewed his white rope requirements, with additional focus on cutting pattern 2. In the second half, did 100 full circle cuts (myself with steel), some advanced response training, and light unarmored 1-attack parry.
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Class with Bryce. Went through his white rope requirements, Cutting Pattern 2, and got in 15 one-on-one matches.
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Class with Bryce. Both of our requirements full through, went over Cutting Pattern 2, did 100 full circle cuts (myself with steel), and some drills.
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Class with Bryce, and Rob watched a second class. Full requirements through for both of us, took a break, then did 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), then some rounds of Add-On, followed by some balance 1+ roaming the curbs and benches in the area. Finished with a brief review of Kata Ich, then a preview of Kata Ni (had intended Cutting Pattern 2, but misdirected myself).
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Class with Bryce, and Rob observed his first class. Bryce's requirements once through with me matching, then spent some time working more in-depth on Kill the Tiger. Break for a bit, then a few rounds of Refined Strikes. Got into armor and had 20 one-on-one matches. For me, my regular two hander broke around the 12th match, so I switched to my long sword boken for 4 matches, then back to an alternate two hander for a couple matches, and for the final, I faced him with two daggers (I've been thinking a bit about double long dagger technique).
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We ended up with another extended break due to illnesses and scheduling issues. Picking back up class with Bryce today. Full requirements for both of us and unarmored parry.
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First class of 2019 with Bryce. Full requirements for both of us, some refined strikes and unarmored parry.
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Bryce and I traveled up to Tacoma for a special combined class, lead by Kaiden Brennan and with myself as guest assistant Kaiden. We paired off, Bryce with Kaiden Brennan, myself with Patrick, and went through our respective requirements. I went through all of mine, so Patrick got to repeat his seven moves a few times each, and he got an introduction to a few upper moves that he may not have been exposed to previously.After a short break, I lead a short bit regarding movement, focusing on good control through the use of our quads and hips. Kaiden Brennan then moved us into some pell and gamut work with a couple posts he has that offer several leather tabs and a slot. After another short break, we round-robined sparring, facing each of the others for 10 matches each (thus 30 total, and Brennan and I wielded steel with each other), and finished with 5 multi opponent matches (not enough to call it a melee).
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements. Focus session on The Illusion and how to improve closing with an opponent, or entering the ma. Break, then helmets and gloves for the second half. Started with one attack, then three attack light armor parry. Moved into Centered Cuts, then some very light sparring that, with the light armor, I said we'd not log and treat more as advanced parry.
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Class with Bryce, back at CHRC. Stretch and once through his requirements. Focus session on Jumping Tiger 1. Break, then Refined Strikes, 100 full circle cuts (myself wih steel), some Add-On, and finished with some 3-attack Parry.
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Class with Bryce at my house. Either Bryce or I couldn't make the last few, but finally got class back on schedule. Stretch and went through our respective requirements. Took a break to setup for pumpkin cutting, then spent the second half targeting a couple pumpkins set up slightly under head level, and then cutting pieces tossed at us, with the final few rounds including Dodging 1 as we cut.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements. We then did an in-depth on Kill the Tiger, adding it to his set of practiced moves. After a short break, we got in 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), a couple rounds of Refined Strikes, and several unarmored one-attack parry rounds.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through both our requirements. Short break, then 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), and then spent a while creating combos and trying them out.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements. Spent a little time on Kata Ichi. Took a short break, then did 100 full circle cuts (me with steel), followed by a few rounds of two-attack add-on, and one of three-attack add-on. Finished up with a short bit of unarmored light three-attack parry.
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For the second day of the event, the morning melees were 10 steel and 10 boken, and the afternoon was 10 steel after which we had some one-on-one boken since there was only one boken-only fighter remaining.
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I travelled down to Redding for Kaiden Sal's public exhibition event at the Shasta Renaissance Faire. For the morning melees, we had 5 steel, 5 boken, 5 steel, and 5 boken. For the afternoon we had 10 steel and 10 boken. In the evening, after the feast, Head Kaiden Gad gathered many of us to play Hide the Belt.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch followed by both our requirements. While doing my upper practiced moves, I had him repeat just his two new ones. Took a break, then did 100 full circle cuts (me with steel) followed by a couple rounds of Refined Strikes. We then did some Balance 1 for a bit and finally finished with a few rounds of Add-On.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements. Instructed him on The Illusion and Akira. Finished with some light armor parry (3 attack, Switch).
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and 50 full circle cuts, then he took his Green Braid evaluation, earning his rank. We then covered Basic Strikes, adding the two chop cuts and advanced thrust to his techniques, spending some time on repetition (during which I practiced all my cuts with steel), as well as covering Warrior Stance. We also spent time reviewing Kata Ich. After a break, we did armored parry (1 attack, 3 attack, and one round of Switch). I finished with a couple time through synchronous Kata Ich.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and full requirements (his and my full silver chain reqs). Focus session on Jumping tiger 2 and the Mantis. 100 full circle cuts (mine, steel). Unarmored parry (3 attack).
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and requirements, etc
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Roughly hour and a half hand to hand grappling class led by Head Kaiden Gad. He covered several techniques for joint locks and choke holds.