We have a new jodo partner. Alow me to introduce Woodreaux.
This afternoon I installed a makiwara for jodo striking practice outside the dojo. I used an eight foot 4X4 and sunk it 2 feet into the ground at the edge of the concrete slab. I backed it with bricks turned 90 degrees and tamped clay and pieces of brick around it and watered it. It still has a little give at the top, but I figure that as people use it they can walk around it and tamp it with their heel and pretty soon it should be pretty solidly planted. I wrapped the top 2 feet with 1/2 inch hemp rope soaked and stretched. I plan to get another length of rope and wrap it all the way down to knee level so that it doesn't take bites out of the jos that hit it.For a while tonight I struck the new makiwara with a dymondwood jo. I got to practice honteuchi, gyakuteuchi, hikiotoshiuchi, tsuki, and suigetsu in sets of 25 left and right. The feel of actually being able to stab an inch round piece of dymondwood into a stable target is indescribably exciting!
Domo arigato goziamasu, Woodreaux-san.
I decided that Woodreaux needed a lesson in stance, so I took a 2 foot long 2X4 and split it diagonally with a hatchet into a wedge shape. Placing it back-to back with Woodreaux, I used a maul to hammer it almost into the ground. It firmed up Woodreaux's wobbly front stance nicely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your link. I will add you to mine. I would love to see a picture of the makiwara!
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