No other students today. I reviewed standing iai 1 – 5, then focused on standing iai 6 – 8.

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.

Class with just Ivan. Cutting Pattern 1 to warm up, then kneeling iai 1 – 5.

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.

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.

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.

Class with Ivan and Hiroko. One Step Techniques 1 – 4 and Free Fighting Techniques 1 and 2.

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.

Class with Hiroko, Lynette and Ivan today. Began as usual with high repetition kihon, then had each of us create a 3 – 5 technique sequence which we repeated a number of times. We then took up shinai and paired for Cutting Pattern 1 repeated many times. To end the session, we performed Standing Iai 1 several times.
During the Cutting Pattern and Iai, I stressed that now that they are comfortable with the patterns, the attacks need to be more alive. When the blade is brought back and then the cut made, it should be like snapping a rubber band, rather than a “1,2” count.

Class with just Hiroko and I today. We went through Kneeling Iai 1 through 6 and Standing Iai 1 through 7, then finished with some two-attack parry.

Class with Hiroko and Ivan today. We started with the usual four lengths of the court per target (head, temple, wrist, waist), then switched to shinai and did several rounds of Cutting Pattern 1 with each partner. I then switched us back to boken and we did attack patterns down and back the length of the court. The first was an adaptation of the WCoS Mantis: L. Temple, R. Temple, L. Temple, R. Waist. The next was an adaptation of the WCoS Tradition: R. Head Block, step in with L. Waist Cut, Head Cut. I then asked Hiroko to design one, which was R. Wrist, Head, L. Temple. After our two lengths, I added footwork, moving left off the line of attack on the wrist attack and right for the temple cut. We practiced this last combination for a few passes and then I paired off with Hiroko and Ivan individually with shinai to try the combo with a partner a few times each so they could get a better feel for going around the opponents guard and seeking out openings.

Class with just Ivan today. Warmed up with kihon cuts and blocks across the gym, then worked on One Steps 1 through 4.

Class with Lynette and Ivan today. We started with high-repetion kihon, then I devised a new drill.

We stood in a triangle and person 1 would attack 2, 2 defends and counter attacks 1, the pattern is then repeated as 2 then attacks 3 and 3 defends and counters, etc. For today, I limited the initial attack to men (head) or temple cuts only though the counter could be any target. The goal was to work on combining blocking with an immediate counter, and to improve combat fluidity, being able to directly from one opponent to the next without pause.

I ended with a little more high-repetition drilling, first with some block-attack-attack patterns, then with some faster 2 – 4 attack patterns.

Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Primary focus today was One-Step techniques. We covered 1 through 3 in detail and introduced Ivan to the 4th before time was up.

Class today with Hiroko, Lynette and Ivan. Started with high repetition kihon followed by several rounds of Cutting Pattern 1, then did some machine gun drills, starting with just “men” (head) cut, then a choice of head or temple cuts with the defender making the block and then dropping and making a “do” (waist) counter attack.

Class with just Ivan. Warmed up with Cutting Pattern 1, then focused on Standing Iai 2.

Class with Hiroko and Ivan. Warmed up with high-repitition cutting, then worked on combat movement and closing the distance to an opponent.

Class with Hiroko and Lynette. Primary focus today was One Step techniques 1 – 4.

Class with Hiroko and Lynette. We did high repetition basics for a bit, including block-counter-counter patterns and the Cutting Pattern 1 sequence, then I had us do a drill where one would stand in the middle (wearing kote in this case) and the other two would stand at opposite sides and alternate attacking. It was a pretty good drill, though I think it would be better with four people so the attackers could form a triangle and either the hind right or left could attack as the center completes their defense against the currently forward opponent, thereby training awareness and response.
I found that turning was best accomplished with either an aggressive jodan stance with the sword over the head, or a defensive chudan with the blade held vertical in front of the body.