Syllabus Thursday

I got to class early as usual and was hoping to spar a little, but I didn’t get a chance as the mood seemed a bit more social than usual. Soon the class was called to order and we did our warm-ups. We did a bit of body conditioning and a couple of combinations before we got stuck into more serious syllabus work.

My partner suggested we do my level again as we train over the weekends and revise his level. I was happy to take the tonfa again and got more comfortable with it as I tried to find a pattern in its applications. The pattern started to reveal itself and I asked the senseis questions about my style and applications as I discovered more. The free style grip on the tonfa seems to afford the most versatility, but it requires a bit more training to use the tonfa in this grip and I will need to practice to get it right.

I also did a bit of Jo as the time ran thin and again I was amazed at the simple yet lethal approach this weapon affords its wielder. Locking and breaking elbows is easy as pie and I felt the same flowing motion as I did with the key ring. I enjoy the Jo due to it’s compact nature and conceal ability.

We ended of the class with a bit of Kiai-jutsu and afterwards one of the juniors came to me asking to spar a bit with the Eskrima sticks. We almost got into the rhythm of it, but I had to run as I had work to do before bed and as I left the dojo my regrets about having to go was replaced with excitement. They carried on training; I hope this is a sign of things to come.

Embrace the shadows.