35 passes on a four target gambit. Took some time to work with sword and dagger, examining Needle as I understand it and experimenting with combined block-and-counter movements. Returned again to The Samurai some more.
Tag: sword
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Solo practice. Requirements full through, some focus for a bit on Kata San, then spent a while working on Akira with variations on foot work. 150 continuous full circle cuts. All primary steel.
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35 gambit passes on four target dummies, then continued spending time on combat movement, reviewing Dragons Bite, The Samurai, and Phantom. Finished with some additional free form advanced cutting against a single target dummy, working on soft target precision. All primary steel.
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150 continuous full circle cuts with my primary steel hand-and-a-half
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150 continuous full circle cuts with my steel
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Class with Bryce and Jesse B (guesting). Stretch and then paired them for requirements while I went through mine solo and observed them. Focus session on The Illusion. After a break, I had three stations of two targets each, and we went through a number of rounds of Gambit (3 sets of 10, myself, as we rotated). I then reorganized the six targets into a Gauntlet Gambit where we did several or more passes through it (definitely more than 5, though I forgot to count exactly how many). We finished with Balance 1 & 2. All steel for me.
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Set up a four target zigzag gambit and went through it 35 times. Spent a while on movement by working on The Samurai, Phantom, and a bit of Kill the Tiger. Reviewed my Cutting Pattern 4 more, as well as some Cutting Pattern 3. Finished with once through Kata San.
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Solo training, stretch and my Silver Chain requirements. Focus on my Cutting Pattern 4, evaluating if there are any adjustments I should make to it (ultimately, I determined no changes at this time). Also spent time on Cutting Pattern 3, double checking the footwork. 150 continuous Full Circle Cuts. Also reviewed my other moves: Dragon’s Bite, Kodiak (one-hander), and Hidden Phantom (sword-and-shield, a variation on my move Phantom that I first noted several years ago during Arata’s Farm combat). Everything performed with steel, as usual.
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150 Full Circle Cuts with steel
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Solo training because Bryce called out ill. Stretch, my Silver Chain requirements, some focus on Cutting Pattern 3, 100 Full Circle Cuts, and some Refined Strikes against one of the targets. All steel.
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Solo training (open dojo, technically). I took a little time first to prep the dojo space for my impending start of training contract this coming weekend, then went through my requirements, spent some time on the cutting patterns and katas, did 100 Full Circle Cuts, and finished with 10 passes on a three-dummy gambit (minimum of four strikes). Steel for everything.
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Solo training (Bryce called out). Stretch, my requirements, focus on cutting patterns 3 & 4, 100 Full Circle Cuts. Focused on slower movement to examine quality and precision. All steel.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through Bryce’s requirements. Focus sessions on The Illusion and Jumping Tiger 1 & 2. After a break, we worked on multi-opponent gambit passes for a bit with two targets at 30 — 45 degrees, then going through the middle of four staggered targets. Finished with 100 Full Circle Cuts. Used my steel throughout.
Rakta Nadi has let me know he will be unable to attend for a while due to work.
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Class with Bryce, callout from Rakta Nadi. Stretch and we both did White Rope requirements, after which we did some focus work on The I Move and on The Tradition. A key focus was speed and movement, getting in and out of ma/measure effectively. After a break, we started with two-target gambit at 90 degrees, then a left-hand line of four-target gambit, and last a left-right staggered gauntlet-style four-target gambit. Next we did cuts and blocks while balancing first on end-wise retainer blocks, then on end-wise bricks. We finished with 100 Full Circle Cuts. As per usual, I used my new steel for everything.
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Solo training, warmed up a little with some Shotokan kata review, then stretched and reviewed my Silver Chain requirements. Spent some time doing some focus on The Samurai, both two handed and one handed, looking at footwork, distance, and speed. Also briefly looked at Whispering Wind a little, I’ve been noticing an awkward pull on the second cut and I’m trying to find how to improve so I’m not fighting the sword. Finished with 100 Full Circle Cuts.
My petition for Silver Chain training and testing was accepted a few weeks or so ago and my evaluation period official began March 1st. I had sent a draft training contract proposal and at the end of last week I received it back with my testing council’s changes. I’ve arranged to meet with Kaiden The Severer in a couple weeks for a final discussion before the 4/4 start date for the training contract, which will run to 8/1. I have a lot to accomplish over the next several months.
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Class night but no students. Rakta Nadi no-show, call-outs from Bryce and Risa. I stretched and reviewed my Silver Chain requirements, after which I set up three targets in a triangle and spent some time on multi-opponent gambit/Refined Strikes. I finished with 100 Full Circle Cuts. Everything performed with my new steel.
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Open Dojo by myself. 30 minutes to stretch, review all of my requirements, do a little focus on Whispering Wind and Phantom, do 100 Full Circle Cuts, and set up a couple targets for a multi-opponent gambit/Refined Strikes. I used my new BKS Slayer for everything tonight. The balance point is a couple inches or so from the guard, compared to my old BKS Slayer where the balance point is within a half inch of the guard. I miss the agility and ease of use, but the new sword is straight and has a good clean feel to it, and I’m already starting to get used to the difference.
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Class with Bryce. Call-outs from Rakta Nadi and Risa. Stretch and full through our respective requirements. Focus session on Akira. After a short break, we used the new free standing targets along with a couple of the previous targets such that we were both surrounded by four “opponents”, allowing for several rounds of Multi-Opponent Refined Strikes. We then did 100 Full Circle Cuts, and finished with Balance 1 & 2.
In addition to the new targets, this class was the inaugural night for the new free standing sword rack and an additional light array opposite the current strand of lights to cut out the severe shadows from the previous one-sided lighting.
I performed everything with steel except the Refined Strikes.
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Class with Rakta Nadi. Stretch and a review of his requirements. Focus on Kata Ich and The Lightning. Also worked on how to better incorporate his off-hand dagger. After a break, worked on stance and movement, then incorporated the sword back in for 100 Full Circle Cuts. Finished with Balance 1 & 2.
As usual, I did everything with steel, mostly two handed, but occasionally switching to one handed to match Rakta Nadi for a particular demonstration (and adding off hand dagger, too).
This was the belated final class for 2020, regular class will resume maybe late January, probably early February.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements. Focus session on Jumping Tiger 2 and The Mantis, then a bit on Kata Ich. Break, followed by 100 Full Circle Cuts, some Move Builder, and finished with Balance 1 & 2. I used steel for everything (one handed for Move Builder to match with Bryce).
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Class with Rissa. Stretch and once through her requirements. Focus on thrust, advanced thrust, and Dragon’s Tail. Discussed how we present, through force of will, training ourselves to not telegraph when we know we’ve made a mistake, so an opponent cannot take advantage of it. After a break, 100 Full Circle Cuts, followed by Move Builder (we took turns creating a 3 — 6 technique sequence, teaching it to the other, and trying it out), and Balance 1 & 2.
Everything I did was was with steel.
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Class with Risa. Stretch and then a couple times through her requirements. Tonight’s theme was “Full Circle Cuts”. Took a break, then started in on a focus session on The Mantis. Next was a few rounds of Refined Strikes with the targets, then 100 Full Circle Cuts. Finished with a focus session on just combat movement, taking it slow and working on awareness of quad and glute activation and weight transfer. Worked in a very brief primer on front punch & front lunge punch.
Entire night was steel for me.