Iaido today

I finally managed to get to Iaido today after several weeks of absence. Sensei kindly let me attend in a different location due to difficulties in making the Friday classes.
I have to say that I am aching a lot, but I had a great time. Did NOT know where the dojo was, thank goodness for GPS! I am hurting a lot, but that will go away by tomorrow.
I have 6 weeks to prepare for my first testing, so I am now going to attend 3 times a week.
In 6 minutes you have to complete 5 katas and include your bowing in and bowing out. I have my work cut out for me.

Not much happening

Life, work and a crazy schedule have conspired to keep me out of the dojo. So there is nothing new to talk about just yet.  I have two jobs so sometimes it can be a little hectic, and my time is tough to prioritize. Add the seasonal flu bugs into the mix along with kids, and you get the picture. Still, life would be boring without theses challenges and I’ll be back to the dojo as soon as humanly possible. I can feel the stress levels rising the longer I am away.

Oh, I forgot to mention…

I did not wear my tabi to my Iaido class. Two reasons, one, it felt funky. Did not like my toes being constricted. I own indoor tabi that my Japanese friend brought home with her from visiting her grandmother on the islands, and they are the most comfortable things I ever owned. This style of tabi, I did not find as comfortable. Two, I wanted to see if my feet would callous up and then I won’t need them.

The result. It was okay. You don’t move your feet in the same fashion whilst practicing Iai, so I got away with it. Lifted the skin very slightly, but not much. Glad I left it open.

Iaido 11/13/09

As usual, it took great effort to get home from work and be home for a couple of hours, then make myself leave again. And as usual, I’m glad that I did. Today I practiced Ippon Me Mae along with everyone else. Once they all had moved on to other things, I continued to practice. It’s amazing how quickly you can get into bad habits, it’s almost like squashing a partially filled balloon, you press on one side to perfect it  and a bubble pops out of the other. Such is my experience of my training. as soon as I feel that I have gained a better perspective of one movement, another goes out the window.

I only stabbed myself in the webbing of my thumb a few times today. Not bad, I feel an improvement [literally]. I’m very clumsy at drawing the sword and at returning it to the saya. I’ve developed a weird habit of turning my saya over without realizing it, and then of course, trying to return my sword to a saya that is upside down. I’m in serious danger of cracking my beloved sword, so now I am trying to feel for the sageo knot with my left palm as an indicator that I have it the right way. How did this happen? It does seem that as you progress 5 things to think about become 10. 10 become 20 and so ad infinitum. You are your own worst enemy. Complacency certainly has no place in Iaido.

As promised, I looked up the specs of my Iaito. “It features a set brass Fuchi/Kashira that is nicely oxdized for the antique look with dragon theme. The blackened iron Tsuba features the lily flowers theme and the Menuki features the dragon theme. Tsuka is wrapped with purple cotton over a genuine rayskin. The saya is Kuroishime (black matte finished lacquer). A sand-casted, a bubble-free zinc/aluminum alloy blade  2.0 shaku. Approximately 630 gram without the Saya.”  What does this mean? Not much to me right now. But I have to say the proportions and weight are perfect for me. I have very small hands and often have to buy children’s sizes in gloves. It was important that it be small enough for me to grip properly, yet the tip should be just off the floor when my arm is relaxed downwards. My sensei cannot fit his hands on it properly, yet he confirmed it is a perfect size for me.

800px-Katana_(common_shema)Above is a picture of the parts of the sword. Courtesy of

From : Image:Katana (shema).png (deuscht version)

Beschreibung: Bestandteile eines japanischen Schwertes (neue Version)

Autor: Jarok (eigene Zeichnung, gemeinfrei)

Part of my training today was to learn some etiquette, such as bowing and the proper way to handle the sword during beginning and ending your interaction with the sword and class. I found out that in testing 50% of the mark is given for performing the ritual etiquette correctly and with meaning. Sensei has requested that we practice this as part of our daily routine. 20 just became 100.

I have to say that Iaido is so complicated and yet so simple that it could become a philosophy of its own. You suddenly become aware that in general, you don’t move with purpose. You don’t retain awareness of your space unless someone intrudes upon it. It is great to be in an atmosphere where knowledge is shared with you for the pure task of giving you knowledge. Not for the aggrandisement of the giver, but to help you attain your goals, and to further the experience of the dojo as a whole. It’s amazing how you can feel that you are part of a group and yet have said only a few words to each other. That’s it for today, off to soak my knees.

No kendo for me today

Unfortunately, a seasonal cold got me in it’s claws. Stuffed up, not the best condition to be in when in restrictive armour. Time out to spend at home with hot honey and lemon and big screen tv. Totally off topic of Kendo, but a really handy tool to have during this particular flu season – the cdc official document on the differences between colds and flu, and h1n1

http://flu.gov/individualfamily/about/symptoms/index.html

The usual rules apply to those who interact regularly with others. Sneeze into your elbow, wash hands often, carry a hand sanitizer [they even come with a helpful little carabiner attachment now] in case you forget and sneeze or cough into your hands. I’m not a person who panics over these things or even a germaphobe, but having worked in pharmacy for years, I saw it all the time, people coming in to collect meds and coughing and sneezing over everyone else. Not only bad manners but pretty gross too.

Well, back to the Law & Order marathon. Enjoy your weekend!

Two days later….

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Quick update

Bruises have faded to nothing. Arms are dull ache not loud roar, only injury that remains is a chunk missing from my big toe on the left foot. Totally my own fault that it got to be so sore as I was aware of the blister forming and should have taken the time out to wrap or tape it. Pride it seems, is one of the first things that I have to learn to let go. It hurts = fix it now.

I have ordered tabi [protective footwear] to utilize in future sessions. They take about 10 days to get to me, so this week it will be tape that saves the day.

I did receive an email from a member of the class who gave me words of encouragement, which meant a lot to me at this stage. He had responded to some comments that I had made and wanted me to know that he felt I had worked hard and to let me know that everyone found it tough to begin with. He also took the time to explain some of the etiquette and mindset of the dojo. It was very much appreciated.

First time in armour….

I went to the Iaido class and when I told the sensei that I had amour already, he told me to go ahead and bring it and he would show me how to lace it all up. I should point out that the class I attend is not a lesson, it is a practice session held for local kendoka who attend a dojo in MA, and I have been allowed to attend by the sensei as a favour. [for which I am very grateful]

I dutifully arrived with bogu. I have not bought a bogu bag yet so I arrived with it in a shopping bag, which prompted a comment of ‘nice bogu bag’ from a student I had not met before. I explained that it was new bogu, and the bag was next. It did cause much humour.  We chatted for awhile about cross training for Kendo, and how cycling became addictive.

The karate class finished and it was our turn to go in to the dojo. Sensei arrived and I went downstairs to get changed in the ladies restroom. Back upstairs, three people laced up my bogu and explained what they were doing and why, and so far so good.

Sensei instructed class to continue on and then took me aside to instruct in how to put on the bogu. Assuming seiza, put on tare, and then do. Then I rejoined the class and we warmed up and started drills. It is essential to warm up thoroughly as injury can easily occur, especially in the achilles tendon.

It came time to don the men, and this is where things got tricky. Firstly, I wear glasses and can’t see without them, unfortunately they don’t fit inside the men. Ergo, no glasses and now I am vision impaired. Secondly, my face is in a mask and I am looking through a grillework of metal, adding to my visual issues. Thirdly, I am now deaf, as the men covers your ears. Lastly, I am new and have no clue what to do, cannot hear, and cannot see. Doh! I have researched online and you can buy glasses frames that bend to your head, so I will buy some and have just single lenses put in as  don’t need to read, just see.

I did feel a bit stupid, as I couldn’t hear what was being told to me, and this made me slow to respond. The armour made me unable to tell where my shinai was, and I was peering at things like Mr Magoo. Nerves make me talk, and I found myself asking a lot of questions. Yet, paradoxically, unable to respond immediately to instructions as two of my senses were impaired.

Breathing also became difficult as my men is not broken in and is stiff, when I move my shoulders the flaps push the men upwards, and my mouth is too low, a couple of times I felt I was going to throw up. At one point I asked for a break, and took time out to remove the men, wipe off my face, and drink some water. After 5 minutes I joined back in.

The first time I got hit, I blinked, the second and third time, the same. After about five hits to the men, I got used to it, and the shock value was gone. Now I also felt better about striking others as I knew what it felt like. It also gave me a good gauge of how hard I should strike. I did get body checked a few times because I didn’t move out of the way in time to avoid the follow through of my sparring partner. As the session progressed I did start to feel that the others were becoming a little tired of babysitting me, but that was just paranoia, at no time did anyone treat me badly.  At the final sparring session, the sensei really pushed me to move fast, strike faster, and yell louder. Basically, when you get to that point you stop thinking and just act, there’s kind of  a sense of panic. Class was over. I removed my armour along with the others, in ritual fashion, and finally gulped air. I felt good.

 

In summary, I would say that it is hard to move and coordinate well in the armour, it is a learning process. Your senses have to adapt to the feel of everthing. Your agility is changed. Your tactile senses change, for instance the gloves [kote] also need breaking in and are a little stiff. This makes feeling the shinai a little muted. Getting used to looking someone straight in the eye and then hitting them with a stick takes a little to overcome too. Years of  ‘be nice, don’t hit’ and now here I am, ‘hello, good to see you, whack!’ All in all, a great experience.

I am counting the bruises I have today, I have seven. I have one split toe and 5 blisters. I carry them proudly.

Using my new Iaito…

I’ve got to say it. I’m in love! My Iaito arrived from Tozando and not only was it exactly what I wanted, but all the proportions were just right for me.  I’ll take pix and post them later. The specs I will look up from my order as apparently 36 inches is not a relevant measurement :-) !

Off to class and things had changed dramatically. A new class member, so I’m not the newest noobie any more [yay!] and I had to forget everything I had learned with a bokken. Yes, I stabbed myself in the webbing of my thumb about a million times, and now I have a saya to deal with. Not to mention, how the heck do you do the thing with the sageo? And I broke about 6 sword etiquette rules in the first 5 minutes. The sensei is a very, very patient man.

All that aside, the whole feel of the Iaito changes the way you hold yourself. Little by little I found that the sword was telling me when I was not quite in the right spot, or that the angle was wrong. I had always thought that when people said ‘you are one with the sword’ that they were referring to a mindset that allowed your focus to be smooth, but I’m not so sure now. The week that it sat on my sword stand it remained just my new Iaito. After my class, I got home and I placed it with reverence and more than a little possessiveness. It seems awake now. Crazy talk? Well, I will see.

Ipponme Mae

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Lesson 1: Ipponme Mae

Here’s the scene: You are facing your opponent, both of you sit in seiza [kneeling position]. You realize your opponent is about to attack you. You draw your sword. In one move cutting across your opponent’s temple , and to finish your opponent you drop your sword from above for the final stroke. You shake the blood from your sword (chiburi), return your sword to the saya and maintain zanshin (state of readiness) as you watch to make sure your opponent is not able to move or attack you.

This is the Kata I am working on now. One of the things I find hard in learning is positioning and placement of my bokken. I need to practice in front of a full length mirror or to webcam myself so that I can see what I am doing. A lot of the work in practice is repeating the exercise/move and squeezing the muscles so that you can train muscle memory. Once I have the positioning right, I can work on placement and technique.

As a beginner the thing I found upon assuming seiza, was that I would gracefully lower my body and then ruin it all by flumping down the last two inches. Like a sack of potatoes. It does strain your unused muscles so there is almost a sense of relief to finally be on your knees, hence the flumping. It took me great concentration to overcome the urge to sink down, and change it to a controlled descent, that last inch was wicked. After about the 100th time, I finally managed to look like I was in control of my body, and not just relying on gravity. I found it helpful to think of my legs as hydraulic pistons and visualized the actual mechanics of doing the move. Now I just have to get up again.

Note: I have found it helpful to practice some yoga stretches for the legs, because you need to really get them strong and be able to control them in a balanced way. Wobble is the enemy. It does take lots of practice to look as if you just sink and rise as if on strings. I notice that on the more experienced Iaido-ka that you don’t really look at their legs. They have your attention with their eyes and the sword. Of course, this is just my feelings and opinions, nothing technically supported.

To see it done properly go Here

Okay here’s what I know so far…

…and this is still mainly Iaido as I’m a brand noobie to kendo.

  • It’s really hard to balance with a big belly.
  • It might be a wooden sword, but they leave bruises when you hit yourself
  • Again, it might be a wooden sword, but they feel heavy after two hours.
  • Boobs get in your way when you want to strike downwards.
  • It IS possible to get blisters on your knees even with pads on.
  • It IS possible to get friction burns on your elbows from cotton clothing.
  • The first time the sensei says ‘good’ you feel like you won the lottery.
  • Beer is standard after practice equipment. [yay!]
  • I have no idea how to fold hakama.

The first equipment: From e-bogu.com

After two weeks I bought keiko-gi and hakama Hakama [lower body wear]Hakama are the lower body wear, sort of a cross between pants and a skirt. The ones in the picture are in a junior size. I went to lots of websites before I decided on buying mine. I’m very fat in the waist and only 5′2″ tall, so I was worried about size. But I went to e-bogu.com and they have an excellent size chart to help you work out the best fit. I bought some Tetron hakama, along with a keigo-gi [the top] this pic is actually the one I bought. Then I needed a bokken of my own so I could practice at home. DAV-KEN-KEI-SUMMER-NAVY-ALL-2TI did a lot of research in forums and other places about the right size to get as I am short, and I decided a junior length would be fine.  Eventually I will be upgrading to an Iaito [blunt sword] for my practices and that will take a lot more thought and much questioning of other people, before I make that choice. They run at about $500.00 US for a good beginners one. It sounds like a lot, but it is a weapon and it’s very important that it is safe for everyone around me as well as myself. All in all, the clothing and the bokken cost me just under a hundred dollars, and should last me a couple of years at least. Not bad at all for such specialized equipment.

Oh, before I forget. Lots of women wear white, but I initially bought white and I hated it. Now I save the white outfit for practicing at home and the blue outfit for the dojo. One, everyone else wears the blue/indigo and I feel more connected if I am the same. Two, my fat makes me look fat in the white. Three, it’s grubby really quickly. Four, I just don’t like it. So in my opinion, just wear what the guys wear.

Images reproduced from www.e-bogu.com with kind permission of Taro Ariga

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