Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Ferocitas, Dalton, Ryan and Michael. Jessi and Seannah both observed their second consecutive class. Stretch and requirements. I worked with Michael, covering the rest of his blocks and how to go through his full set of requirements. I also touched bases with Sal and Ryan on one handed decap blocks. I finished the first half with a review of Thorn (a new move for Michael). After the break, we had one on one matches and a single melee. I had Steven marshal for the night. Conditions were quite muddy, but no rain during class.
Tag: steel
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Dalton, and Michael. Stretch and requirements. I worked with Michael, covering decap and leg cuts, reviewed The Lightning with Sal, Steven, and Joshua and then worked with Steven and Joshua on Kata Ni (a first for Joshua). After the break, we had 38 one on ones.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Dalton, Mike, and Ferocitas showed up for the second half. Stretch and requirements for the first half. I instructed Mike on defensive stance and full circle head and neck cuts. The second half we had one on one sparring and a couple melees.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah and Dalton. Mike observed class. Stretch and requirements. After the break we had one on one sparring. There was a bit of mud, but everyone handled it pretty well.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Dalton and Ryan. Stretch, some warmup jogging (temp in the 40’s), and requirements. I supervised Dalton and Ryan on their requirements, then finished with the whole class reviewing a few tips on The Tradition.
After the break, we took a short jog up the road and back, about a half mile, then did 100 full circle cuts. We then followed with several rounds of Refined Strikes and finished with machinegun drill for head or neck. -
Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Dalton and Ryan. Stretch and requirements. I supervised Dalton and Ryan, and finished by instructing them on The Tradition. After the break, we had one on one matches.
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I competed in the Best of the Best for 2013 (it was held a little late). I achieved a 54%, taking fourth place out of ten competitors.
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Class with Sal, Elijah and Dalton. Stretch and requirements. After the break, I did armored parry with Dalton, then we all had one on one matches totaling 32.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Elijah and Dalton. Datlon finished up his first boken before class (he’s been coming early the past four classes or so to make his boken). Stretch and requirements initially, then I reviewed The Illusion (a new move for Elijah and Dalton). After the break, we had 27 one on one matches.
Conditions: Muddy with intermittent light rain.
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Class with Sal, Ryan and Dalton. Stretch and requirements, followed by covering The I Move, a new practiced move for Ryan and Dalton. After the break we started with refined strikes, then did 200 full circle cuts with steel, drilled on stance and movement, and finished with Ryan and Dalton doing head blocks with steel while Sal and I attacked.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Elijah, and Dalton. Stretch and requirements. After the break, we had 27 one on ones.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Elijah, Dalton, Renee. Stretch and requirements, a break, and sparring.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Mary Ann, Dalton and Renee. Stretch and requirements. I reviewed the basic cuts for Dalton and Renee and added thrust, and instructed Elijah on advanced thrust block and Cutting Pattern 2. After the break, I did armored parry with Mary Ann, and then there were 31 one on one matches and three melees.
Conditions: hot (90+ degrees), dusty
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Class with Sal, Steven, Ferocitas, Chris, Elijah, Jesse, Mary Ann and Ryan. Stretch and requirements. I worked with Ryan, reviewing his cuts and blocks and then adding Cutting Pattern 1. I worked with Mary Ann reviewing her three practiced moves. After calling the class back together, I we reviewed Thorn (including instructing Ryan on it).
After the break, we had 51 one on one matches. -
Class with Sal, Steven, Elijah, Jesse and Mary Ann. Dalton and Renee watched their second class and said they’ll be back (though they will miss next week due to being out of town). Stretch and requirements. I instructed Steven on Kata Ni, reviewed Mary Ann’s practiced moves, and finished with reviewing Jesse’s cuts and blocks. After the break, we had 36 one on one matches.
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Class with Sal, Ferocitas, Elijah, Jesse, Mary Ann, and Ryan. Renee and Dalton observed their first class. Stretch and requirements. I worked with Ryan, reviewing and then adding leg and thrust block, then worked with Mary Ann reviewing her cuts and blocks and cutting pattern 1.
After the break, we did evasion training, then I instructed on Gad’s sword disarming technique, and we finished with 100 full circle cuts (myself and Sal with iron sword). -
Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Ferocitas, Chris, Elijah, Jesse, Mary Ann and Ryan. Stretch and then I worked with Ryan on his stance and basic head and neck cuts, while Sal took Mary Ann and I paired the others off together. After the break, we had 60 one on one matches.
Conditions were very hot, roughly 105 degrees when class started (high of 116 earlier in the day).
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Class with Sal, Steven, Chris, Elijah, Jesse, Antonio and Mary Ann. Ryan observed his first class, and Antonio came early to work on making his first bokken (he has been using his own store-bought katana bokken). Stretch, and then a focus session on Jumping Tiger 1, after which we started on requirements. I worked with Mary Ann and Antonio, reviewing their requirements, including instructing Mary Ann on The Tradition.
After the break, we had 33 one on one matches and 3 melees (of six fighters). -
Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Elijah, Antonio and Mary Ann. Stretch and requirements. I worked with Steven and Joshua, instructing on chop cuts, then worked with Mary Ann and Antonio, reviewing Jumping Tiger 1 and Thrust Block. After the break, we had one on one matches totaling 31.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Jesse A (Ferocitas), Jesse B, Antonio and Mary Ann. Elijah observed due to injury. Stretch followed by some frog burpies (one pass was a large forward leap, two pushups, the other pass was a large forward leap and lat twist and extend both sides). Requirements, with myself working with Antonio and Mary Ann to review their progress and add their first move, Jumping Tiger 1.
After the break, we had 44 one on one matches, including steel for Sal and I. -
Day Two of the sword fighting exhibition went much better. The weather was mostly overcast which cut the sun and temperature a lot. Kaiden Brennan had left Saturday evening, but Joshua was able to join us. We had a good morning and afternoon set of steel melees, followed by bokken, followed by a few more steel. Generally, everyone seemed to agree it had been a good event and weekend.
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Today was the first day of the Ravenswood Faire at Hawes Farm in Anderson, CA, which I arranged for the Western Circle to provide a sword fighting exhibition in the style of previous Arata Farms events. I could and should have been better prepared. It was very windy so we were unable to erect the canvas walls for the blind nor the awning to cut some of the copious Redding sun, and the fighting arena was not actually ready when we arrived, nor anyone in charge available. None the less, we got the hay bales arranged and started the fighting, running a set of steel melees, some wood, and a few final steel matches for the crowd that had gathered. Brennan, Dave and Faith had come in the day prior, and most of the Redding students were present. After the first set, Head Kaiden Gad arrived with Vea, Steel Wind, and Kris, bolstering our steel numbers to 8 (with Sal and myself) for the afternoon sets of melees, and for the bokken melees we had Steven, Jesse A, Jesse B, Elijah, and Chris join us. Faith, Sabrina, Mary Ann and Antonio helped out with logging, video, cameras, and crowd management.
After the exhibition, we returned to the Redding Dojo for a feast and to recoup. -
Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Jessa A, Elijah, and Jesse B. Mary Ann observed her first class tonight, and Sabrina observed as well. Stretch and requirements, then a break. After the break, we had 61 one on one matches.
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Jesse A, Elijah, and Jesse B. Stretch and requirements once through, plus I worked with Elijah and Jesse B a little once they finished their requirements. After the break, we had one on one sparring totaling 57 matches (Sal and mine were steel).
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Class with Sal, Steven, Joshua, Jesse A and Jesse B. Requirements for the first half (I worked with Jesse A). After the break, we had balance 1 and 2 plus a mud zig-zag and hurdle. It was a challenging course; Sal made it once or twice, Steven a few times, and only myself multiple consecutive times (all but two). After I closed up the formal class, I did some more steel cutting practice with another pumpkin, and Joshua, Jesse A and Jesse B stayed for it as well.