Class with Jesse B, Risa, and Chris. Stretch and requirements (paired Jesse with Chris, I matched Risa on White Rope requirements). Did a study session on Thorn, emphasizing aggressively closing the distance to interrupt the opponent’s technique. After the break, we did 100 continuous full circle cuts (Jesse and I with steel), and a couple rounds of Refined Strikes. Next we had several passes through a gauntlet, first just the wooden pel dummies, then added us in amongst the pels as additional targets. We finished with some multi opponent training, putting one person in the middle with the other three arrayed around them, announcing their attack and then making only head or neck attacks with the person in the center only blocking.
Tag: sword
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Class with Jesse B, Risa, Chris. Stretch and requirements, paired Chris with Risa while Jesse and I went through ours. Reviewed Jumping Tiger 2. Got into protective gear during the break and for the second half had sparring. There was only a brief spate of rain, but their were a number of slippery, mucky, soft areas within the sparring boundaries. Jesse and I did about half of our matches with bokken, half with steel.
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Class with Risa and Chris. Stretch and requirements. I reviewed Chris first, then paired Risa with Chris to go through their requirements while I soloed mine. We took some time to do a focus session on The Mantis then took a break. We started the second half with 100 continuous full circle cuts, then a few rounds of Refined Strikes. Finished with Balance 1 & 2.
It was a steady rain all class with a good bit of soggy, mushy areas throughout the dojo making for uncertain footing.
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Class with Risa. Stretch and our respective requirements full through. We then did a focus session on The Tradition. After a break, we did 50 continuous full circle cuts, Advanced Response Training, and finished with one round of Add-On.
(I was back to two handed tonight. Last week class was cancelled due to no students.)
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and White Rope requirements (myself matching, one handed). We then did some focus work on Akira and Thorn.
After the break, we had 30 one-on-one matches with some variety of weapons. Both started one-handed (9 matches), then sword and buckler (9 matches), then he returned to single one-handed and I went two hand axe (6), and the last set I went back to single one-handed as well (6).
Conditions ranged from light rain to spritz.
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Class with Risa. Stretch and we both did White Rope requirements (me two handed long sword bokken). Took some time to apply some temporary repair to Risa’s pommel, then we went over Advanced Thrust, a requirement she didn’t have yet. During a break we got protective gear on and then in the second half we had a total of 9 one on one matches (I used 1 handed for six, then the 2 handed long sword for the last three).
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Class with Risa. Stretch and we both did White Rope requirements (myself one handed). Did some study on Dragons Tail and Double Thrust. Took a break. Did 50 continuous full circle cuts (bokken), advanced response training (boffer), and Refined Strikes.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and White Rope requirements through for both of us. We did a focus session on Thorn, and then on Kill the Tiger. After the break, we did refined strikes, first with bokken, then with daggers. We then did Advanced Response Training and finished with a round of Add-On.
I worked all one-handed.
The last couple classes were cancelled due to call-outs.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and then we both did White Rope requirements, myself matching him in one handed. We reviewed Akira and The Tradition then took a break. Afterward, we resumed with 100 continuous full circle cuts (bokken), followed by refined strikes, and then we donned helmets and mitts for Advanced Response training, switch Parry, Centered Cuts, and finished with a round of Add-On.
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Special one-on-one session with Jesse B to work on his Red Rope requirements. We started with a one hour hand-to-hand session in Shotokan karate, covering stances (front, back, side), punches (lunge, jab), kicks (front snap & thrust), and blocks (down, up). It was a lot of material, but a good foundation, and we discuss a lot of how it could apply to combat situations with respect to the Western Circle.
We then moved to the sword and did a few rounds of Refined Strikes, focusing primarily on controlled force.
Donning helmets and mitts, we did a round of Centered Cuts.
Finally, we finished with some bokken Advanced Response Training while we had the gear on.
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Class with Bryce and Risa. Stretch, some leap frog and kneeling advance warm up, and requirements once through. Focus session on Akira, then a break. 100 full circle cuts (bokken), Several passes through pel gambit, refined strikes, and finished with Move Builder.
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Class with Bryce, Risa, and Chris. Stretch and had the students go through requirements once, after which we then did a focus session on The I Move. We got our protective gear on during the break and logged 39 1-on-1 matches (myself all 1-handed).
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Class with Chris. Stretch and requirements, then focused on Thorn. Break and then combat movement, 50 full circle cuts, 1-attack unarmored parry (aka silent sword), and balance 1 & 2.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and requirements, sparring for 25 matches.
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Class with Bryce and Risa. Stretch and had them go through requirements while I solo’d my own (steel). Reviewed one of their practiced moves then took a break. Afterward, did 100 full circle cuts (mine steel), refined strikes, advanced response training, and pel gauntlet.
(missed a few weeks due to back to back travel)
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Class with Chris. Stretch and requirements, focus on some of his practiced moves, then sparring 18 matches total.
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Class with Bryce and Chris. Stretch first, then I reviewed their respective cuts and blocks individually before putting them together for requirments while I soloed my own requirements. We then took some time to work on The Mantis, including examining variations in application. After a break we did 100 CFCC (myself steel), a few rounds of Refined Strikes, and finished with Balance 1 & 2.
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Class with Chris. Stretch and his Green Braid requirements once through (myself matching him). Did a focus session on Dragons Tail. Took a break and get into protective gear. After the break, had 21 one-on-one matches. I did 9 with my two handed style, 9 with one handed style, and the final 3 with a two-sword style.
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Class with Rakta Nadi and Chris. Stretch and had them go through requirements while I soloed mine (with steel), after which we then did a focus session on Jumping Tiger 2. Took a break, then started the second half with a roughly half mile jog, after which we sat in seiza for several minutes to take a moment to take in the evening and let all students regain their breath. We continued with Refined Strikes, then a pel gambit, and finally some Move Builder.
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Class with Bryce. Stretch and our respective requirements, him repeating his once. We did a focus session on Thorn, focusing on clean movement using our quads and core, not leaning into it. After a break, we had 24 one-on-one matches. I used two handed for 9, one handed for 9, and two sword for the last 6.
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Class with Bryce and Chris. Stretch and had them do requirements while I soloed mine. We then did a focus session on The Tradition. After a break, we did 100 continuous full circle cuts (myself steel), a few rounds of Refined Strikes, and some Pel Gauntlet.
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Class with Chris. Stretch and our respective requirements, with him repeating his practiced moves a few times through. Focus work on one of his moves, then a break. After the break, we did just 50 continuous full circle cuts (myself steel), then a couple rounds of Add-On, then we donned helmets, mits, and legs for armored parry ( 1-attack, 3-attack, and switch- ).
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Class with Rakta Nadi. Stretch and went through his requirements, then reviewed Dragons Tail a little and did a focus session on The Tradition. After a break, we did some Move Builder, followed by Add-On, and finished with 100 full circle cuts (myself steel).
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Class with Bryce and Chris. Stretch and requirements, first reviewing their cuts and blocks individually, then paired them for their full requirements while I soloed mine. We then spent some time studying Jumping Tiger 1, a new move for Chris. After the break, we did 100 full circle cuts (myself steel), refined strikes, and move builder.
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Attended the annual Best of the Best tournament, held in Half Moon Bay again as typical. There were 18 competitors including myself. Master Gemini took first again, Kaiden The Severer took second, and Daniel took third. I had made some adjustments to my armor so I had some better mobility, but I still need more work, particularly on my grill and bevor. As usual, I had some good matches, and some matches where I should have done better, but in general I felt reasonably good about the day.