Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu (Again)

In today's Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu class I reviewed some basics and learned some important fine points.  I received a good review of wrist locks, attacking the hand and fingers.  I practiced techniques after the take down, leaning on the attacker's side, bending the wrist.  My favorite was inserting my knee behind the attacker's arm and pressing my knee down on their shoulder, applying my weight on their shoulder and locking up their arm tight.  This technique leaves my hands free for additional techniques.  The knee around the arm and applied to the attacker's shoulder is very effective.  I look forward to practicing these techniques.

Sempai Jim

Weekly Journal 189

Inch by Inch

Dandan (little by little in Japanese)

I remember as a kid trying that experiment whete you would put the volume of the stereo one notch nigher every 5 minutes and in an hour it would be full blast and make your parents crazy...but I would not even notice...it was done in an incremental fashion. I never noticed the change. I find this happens often enough to me. I turn around and things changed far more than I had noticed...most of the time deceptively so. When we take the time to be aware of what is happening, we notice alot more. This tends to be a motivator to me. Some call it spring cleaning...some say change the wardrobe...change of scenery et al. Recently, I needed to make some extra room in the house for some of Len's stuff. I ended up cleaning most of my computer area and bookshelf. Wow there was a bunch of stuff I really never use and truly do not need...these things snuck up on me due to my unawareness. I felt a great sense of accomplishment after that activity was completed...plus I have alot more room.
This is not to say that we don't need to make these adjustments for a plethora of other reasons. Sometimes we need to have radical adjustments to shake us up and give us some motivation. At the Dojo we have called things like this testing, UBC etc. We also have these incremental changes like stripe tests and every morning being a new start for each of us. These things help us leave our comfort zones and look and be aware of somemething bigger and better.There is always the example of the temple in Japan that is purposely burned to the ground ever 30 or so years...just so it can be rebuilt. Now that is a great lesson to learn.
What do you need to "clean?"What is something you need to "burn down?"What can you look at incrementally to make ling term more palatable in the short term?
39,Sempai Mark
PS Short term pain leads to long term pleasure. Short term pleasure leads to long term pain. Figure it out...

Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu

Saturday's test (2/18/12) was a lot of fun.  Each time I learn a little more.  I was a bit nervous so I froze for a few seconds, thinking of the next technique.  But I snapped out of it and moved forward.  If I ever get into a close quarters self defense situation, I know I can defend myself with Daito-Ryu and end the attack.

Sempai Jim 

Weekly Journal 188

"Polish"

So I finished my last journal with a slightly sarcastic, tongue in cheek, or symbolic about coming back tomorow and taking a file to one (or more) of these bokken.

So I had this one that was in such bad shape that is virtually fell apart from me staring at it. I was concerned because each little piece that broke off brought with it numerous extra pieces. It was basically "ruined" in my feeble estimation. It was "unworthy" to fulfill its job of being a training tool. It's job "life" was done. It was too "frayed and frazzled" to continue. Then I thought of that story we often hear at the Dojo about knowing how high a building will be built after we seeing how deep the foundation is. Where we being is a clue to where we will end up.The foundation of this bokken was not exposed. Maybe the foundation was stronger than I gave it credit for? I though it would be a good idea to find out. I had little alternative in my attempt to allow this venerable bokken to continue to serve its purpose as a training tool. Files in hand and 5 grades of sandpaper later and the bokken shows some bumps, but for the most part of pretty smooth. Even if it is never used as a "bokken" again...I am sure it is still a training tool.What special training tools have you used recently?
39,Sempai Mark

Weekly Journal 187

Sharpen the Saw

"Polish"

Dan dan - Little by Little

 

So I am sitting there getting the notches, splinter, cracks, splits, holes, and whatever else you want to call it out of these Dojo bokken. (bokuto/wooden practice sword)

Wow is this ever like training!

So I start out with a knife to "shave" the big pieces off so the wood is smooth. Some of the bokken have little wood to remove...others need chunks taken out. This reminds me of white belts. They come in all shapes and sizes, prior experience and willingness/ability to apply oneself. Next I get out some #60 sand paper. This takes away some of the excess wood, but in no way am I close to finishing. The takes away much of the wood with little finesse...like a beginners challenges with gross motor skills and that whole which is left foot/right foot thing. To be blunt...a white belt just showing up to class is a major accomplishment. Dojo is a big change for students. Remember...a black belt is just a white belt that did not quit. In the same way, I am making big changes to this wood...good in the long run, but to see the wood now would be uneventful.

I sanded too fast and/or was not paying attention and cut my hand up and did some splinter surgery to clean it up. This reminded me of how it is almost harder sparring a new student than one of the Sempai. The new student is wild and had trouble controlling themselves...this is hard to defend against. This kind of wildness got me these splinters...unfocused energy can be harmful...

So I use different sandpapers of increasing numbers and after each one I am sure it is smooth enough...until I use the next higher number. My POV/paradigm changes and I start each new sandpaper fresh and "polish" as Tung Shihan often says. Maybe the higher number sandpapers are analogous to higher belt ranks...a green belt is certainly more polished than a white belt, but compared to a black belt...there is still room for improvement.

At times I needed to go to a lower number sandpaper to makeup for something I missed earlier. Kind of like the higher ranking students needing to just do extra reverse punches to get "back to basics." Or like a person rehabbing an injury, or relearning something they have been doing wrong for years. (I am always doing that!)

I realized that even after using the highest number sandpaper I had, this one bokken was still not right. So next I will take a file to it and start all over again. Ahhh to think like a white belt who is full of humility!!!

How can you relate your Dojo world to the outside world?

 

39,

Sempai Mark