Open Syllabus Thursday

I was stiff all over. It felt like every muscle in my upper body had contracted a centimetre. Sleep has been a bit of an issue with which is probably the hottest heat wave we have experienced in decades. I passed out on the couch for a bit and dosed in and out of consciousness for about an hour after which I got dressed and grabbed my stuff and hit the road, hoping to do some stretching before class.

I got to class and found some of the new students outside. We chatted a bit and shared a couple of ideas, while I warmed up with the bokken. I did the nine cuts kata a couple of times before the Sensei joined in and we did it together. We were a little out of sync but the rest of the students watched intently as we decapitated our would-be enemies.

We did the plank and a couple of push-ups and I was expecting to do the normal stretching routine, but our Sensei had other plans for us. We were going to do tens. With each count you do the amount of open hand strikes against the bag and then follow with the same amount of push-ups. Very few students get to do all ten push-ups in the end. Fitness is definitely on the top of the agenda and with six levels to grade in less than a month, I could use every little bit of stamina training I can get.

We did a couple of combinations against the bag before we went over to Syllabus work, but with a twist. Each level would use their level to do seventh Kyu. It was fun to use the Jo while taking down my opponent. By applying a shoulder lock the opponents body cascades to the floor in spectacular fashion. I felt good and my movements flowed well into each other and my partner seemed to be on the same wavelength as he bruised me with the key ring. Our weekend workouts are definitely paying off and the Senseis were noticing.

We rolled out the last half hour of class with a bit of ground work drilling. The idea was to use your legs and trip the opponent up while on your back after were taken down. This is quite possibly the difference between a ground and pound and your careful recovery back into a manageable position. By locking up your opponents legs you can at least control his movements and at best take him down into a wrestling position. There is always the kick in the groin and perhaps a knee break, but you have to be aware of your surroundings and try keeping his body between your feet or legs. If he gets next to you, you will be in a world of pain with his knee in your ribs or worse so keep your position square. We fooled around with getting out of a guillotine choke and the verdict is to go for pressure points and try and un-settle your opponent, then using the initiative to get the grip off your head. Remember to clench your teeth when wrestling...

We ended the evening with the kata dante and we all went on our marry ways. It was a fun class and  really enjoyed a bit of freedom to experiment

Embrace the shadows.