Class with Hiroko. Started with 100 cuts, then switched to shinai to go over all the one step techniques, 1 – 10.
-
Class with Chris. Stretch and then a focus session on combat movement. Full requirements for both of us, with a focus on key areas he needs to work on, then a short break. Refined Strikes followed by light armored (helmet and gloves) parry – 3 attack and open attack.
-
Class with Sal and Chris. Stretch and a brief focus session on Jumping Tiger 2, then requirements. I then worked individually with Chris on several of his requirements, then with Sal on a few of his moves. After a break, we had 26 matches of 1-on-1 sparring.
-
Class with Hiroko and Ivan today. We started with 100 continuous cuts, then switched to shinai. I reviewed the Lighting and Defense Cut for Hiroko, and touched on Dragon’s Tail and The Samurai, then we did some 3-attack and open-attack parry.
-
Class with Sal, Chris called out. We covered all our respective requirements, then went over Cutting Pattern 2 a few more times. After a break, we started with Refined Strikes, then I introduced dagger and knife fighting, covering the differences in blade types, the different kill zones, and some of the stance and posture choices, after which we did Refined Strikes with long daggers. I next introduced the axe and how it varies from the sword, and last we looked at the use of an off-hand dagger, doing several quarter speed 1-attack parry rounds with sword-and-dagger to get a sense of the flow and possibilities.
-
Class with Ivan. We warmed up with 100 continuous cuts, then switched to shinai. I introduced four techniques adapted from my Western Circle training to give him some new perspectives: lighting, dragon’s tail, the samurai and defense cut. We finished with some three-attack and open-attack parry.
-
Class with Chris. Stretch and full requirements, followed by a focus session on kata ich. After a break, we had 21 light to mid contact matches.
-
Class with Ivan. Standing iai 4a, 4b, and 8. One steps 5 – 8.
-
Class with Sal and Chris. Medium rain and mud, and cold temperatures. Stretch and requirements, then I did focus sessions with each of them, going over Cutting Pattern 2 and their newest moves and other material. During the break, I setup a combination speed mud gamut with a hurdle and Balance 1 and 2 course with a thrust target.
-
Class with Hiroko. Focused on one step techniques 5 – 10.
-
Class with Sal (late) and Chris. Worked with Chris on Kata Ich, finishing with both of them performing the kata a few times. We then worked on Cutting Pattern 2 a little before breaking off into requirements, Sal and Chris paired and myself on my own. After a break, I covered Warrior Stance and spoke about the requirement of The Story for White Rope, then we worked for a while longer on Cutting Pattern 2. Chris was instructed on Double Chop and I reviewed Sal’s Whispering Wind, then we finished with a final few Kata Ich, with an emphasis on precision, control, and restrained power or “feeling”/”Chi”.
-
Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Started with 100 continuous cuts, then focused on the one step techniques 1 – 8, working on the details from Master Shaw, and I briefly introduced/reviewed 9 and 10, per Master Shaw’s video notes.
-
Class with Sabrina, Sal and Chris. Requirements twice through (Me/Chris, Sal/Sabrina::Me/Sabrina, Chris/Sal). During the break, I gave Chris his Green Braid evaluation, which he passed. After the break, we had sparring (Sabrina sat out, logging). Total of 27 matches (9 per opponent), plus three matches of 3-person combat.
-
Class with Hiroko and Ivan. We covered standing iai 1 – 8 and one step techniques 1 – 4. We also discussed a new recording of our current training status, and possibilities for a group trip out to the Virginia dojo, or pooling resources to host an instructor.
-
Class with Sal and Chris. Talked about goals for 2010 (dojo improvement, new training stations, dagger throwing bales, etc). Stretch and requirements, then I worked with Sal and Chris individually, going over Whispering Wind with Sal and a few moves with Chris. After a break, we did unarmored altered terrain parry.
-
No other students showed, so I worked on my own on cutting form and a few standing iai and one step techniques.
-
Class with Sabrina, Sal and Chris. Requirements twice through (Sabrina/me, Sal/Chris; Sabrina/Sal, Chris/me), then a break. After the break, we started with a machinegun drill with head or neck cuts. I then had each of them take up one of my steel and do 30 continuous full circle cuts, followed by once through defending Cutting Pattern 1 with steel. We moved back to wood, having three unarmored light contact multi-opponent melees, then finished with one round (once each) of single-life Blinde Man’s Boffer, then a second round in reverse order with three lives. This concludes classes for 2009. There will be no class next week, resuming on Monday, January 4th.
-
Class with Ivan. 50 continuous cuts, standing iai 5 and 6, One Step techniques 1 – 6.
-
Class with Sal and Chris. Stretch and requirements. I then worked with Sal on Akira for a bit, then Cutting Pattern 2. Worked with Chris on Kata Ich a little, then reviewed Cutting Pattern 1 and The Mantis. After a break, we armored up and had 30 one-on-one matches and three 3-person matches.
-
Class with Hiroko. Continuous Cuts (50). Kneeling Iai 1 – 8, Standing Iai 1 – 5.
-
Class with Sal and Chris, Don called out. Began with 50 full circle cuts (myself steel), then requirements, the two of them paired, myself on my own. I then reviewed one of their moves each, and followed with individual break out sessions; with Sal to instruct Cutting Pattern 2, with Chris to review Kata Ich. After a break, we did several drills. I started with a multi-opponent drill with one person in the middle with an opponent on either side. One side attacks once which the center blocks then counter attacks three times, at the end of which the other side attacks once, starting the pattern over, going back and forth between the two opponents. The next drill placed both opponents side by side where they worked as a team to make a total of three attacks, and the defender then countered with three attacks total to either opponent, mix-and-match. The third drill placed all three in defensive stance in a triangle with sword tips an inch from each other. One one person was allowed to attack at a time, and could do so to either of the other opponents. The goal was to use awareness to avoid trying to go when someone else was going, and to block any incoming attacks. The final drill was a line of four 6×6 in a line on the ground which we proceeded down with basic cuts, then one thrust at each of the three decreasing size rings, and back to the beginning.
-
Class with Sal and Chris. Stretch and 100 logged full circle cuts (myself with one-handed steel), then requirements: Chris with Sal, myself solo with steel. We then did a focus session on Mantis and Thorn. At the end of the break, Sal took and passed his Green Braid evaluation, then we armored up and had 32 one-on-one matches and three rounds of three-opponent matches.
-
Class with Sal, Don, Chris. Stretch and 50 logged full circle cuts (me with steel, them with wood). Requirements twice through, first me/don and chris/sal, then me/sal and don/chris. After the break we did continuous opponent unarmored parry (twice each with an opponent and then they step out and the next steps in immediately attacking, cycling through each of the available opponents). We finished with balance 1 and 2.
-
Special Friday evening session with Hiroko and Ivan, plus Jerimiah joined us. Instructed Jerimiah on head and temple strikes, head blocks, kneeling iai 1 and standing iai 1. The rest of us also went through kneeling iai 2 – 8 and standing iai 2 – 8 and finished with parry.
-
Class with Sal. 100 logged full circle cuts (me steel, him wood). Requirements. Refined strikes, unarmored parry, and balance 1 and 2.