Springfield Class - 5/8/2006

I didn't get any training done at all last week and was excited for this class. Due to heavy traffic I was about 40 minutes late so I couldn't do my usual warm-up. When I got there they were still rolling so they either started late or I missed something unique. I found what I missed was two promotions and some tree scaling. Brian from Brian F's class got his yon kyu and Brian from Jong's class got his shodan. Congratulations to them.

In attendance was Brian, Brian, Brian, Chris, Jong, Gino, and myself. It was good seeing Brian and Brian again since I stopped going to the Round Hill class for a while. It was even better actually training with them which I didn't really get to do in Round Hill. Sorry for breaking your glasses Brian.

Doing things with a shinden fudo ryu feeling was the topic of the evening as it will be for the rest of the year. From what Jong is saying this feeling is doing everything with less; less movement, less effort, a sort of less is more attitude. Sometimes its described as laziness. That's nothing new. What was new though were punches from the side. We were never facing the uke for the first two or three things we did.

1. 
   Uke: Straight punch to the face/head. The punch is blind sided.
   Tori: Shizen to the side of uke. Shift to the outside past the blow and strike to the body. The other hand is up as a guard or for an additional strike to the kidney or ribs. Jong stated the feeling to this is chi no kata. We also practiced it with footwork like chi no kata. That obviously changed the striking.
   


2. 
   Uke: Round/hook punch to the head. The punch is blind sided.
   Tori: Shizen to the side of uke. Rotate into hira no kamae or ichimonji no kamae facing the uke depending on the distance and strike the bicep with a fudo ken or shuto ken. You must get low to avoid being clocked. The timing of your strike is something I want to investigate.
   


3. 
   Uke: Round/hook punch to the head. The punch is blind sided.
   Tori: Shizen to the side of uke. Rotate into hira no kamae and get below the attack. You're basically ducking beneath the punch and striking upwards to the face. Take the balance and enjoy. Remember to keep your other hand alive!
   


4. 
   Uke: Straight punch to the gut.
   Tori: Shizen facing the uke. Receive the punch and "catch" it with one hand while throwing a fudo ken to the face. The "catch" is passive meaning you're hand is like a bucket and the fist lands "in" it. Scoop the hand out to the side, strike the arm upward, move underneath and continue the kata. I forget which one it is exactly. One from the first level of shinden fudo ryu.
   


5. 
   Uke: Lapel grab then punch to face.
   Tori: With the same side arm trap the hand with the upper portion of your arm and put your hand up in their face. This blocks their path for punching you. Do whatever.
   


6. 
   Uke: Straight punch to face.
   Tori: Immediately bring your arms up, one receiving the blow the other with a fudo ken to the face. Do whatever. We did this last time I believe.
   

Training was fun and I had a good time. It was nice actually training with Brian and Brian. I hope they start coming more often.

Gambatte.