2015 is officially here - 2014 is a thing of the past. Over the course of the past year, we had a baby born and a sensei pass away. Last year I posted a list of several technical emphases for my practice in 2014 - sort of like budo resolutions. Like any resolutions, some worked out and some got sidetracked.
2014 TECHNICAL EMPHASIS
- Ukemi - esp. wrt. Nagenokata
- Kito ryu aiki-jujutsu - Koshiki no Kata esp. Y.Kono's students'
- Nanatsu no Kata & Hirano's rhythmic uchikomi & his students' & more of his students' work.
- Koryu Dai Ni & Daito & internal strength
- Non-dominant seoi, osoto, hiza, and ouchi
- Kuzushi upon contact and throughout the encounter
- Jodo, Aiki-jo, Tanjo, Role of tanto in aikido
We did have a definite emphasis on Nagenokata, and particularly on uke's role. The kids did a demo of the first 9 of nagenokata in the Spring and it really worked out well. In September I got to go to Union University and show those guys some of what I've been working on wrt Nage no Kata. Later in the Fall, three old heads from Union University demonstrated Nagenokata for Shodan and Nidan ranks.
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We also did a goodly amount of Koshiki no kata, and I recently had the honor of leading some classes at Windsong in OKC on some exercises that bear at least some superficial resemblance to Koshiki. This was well-received, because these forms are ...
- ...good ukemi practice for both partners
- ...good introduction to the structure and attacks and basic form of Koshiki
- ...good intro to both aikido and judo ideas
The other Patrick (P4) is currently working on Koryu Dai Ni for his next rank promotion, so put a check mark beside that one.
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I have continued my aiki-jo studies throughout the year. Jack has been hammering kamae and honte this past year, and Eric has recently shown me a good many holes (get it?) in my knife defense work, so we'll put a check on that one and move it forward to next year for continued study.
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We did get to work some of Tokio Hirano's ideas on and off throughout the year, including his Nanatsu no kata. Much of what Matl sensei showed at the recent Windsong Winter shindig reminded me of Hirano, so we will be revisiting that in much more detail this coming year.
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The non-dominant throwing and the contact kuzushi ideas got put on the back burner. they're still back there simmering.
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So, I present to you, our Mokuren Dojo
2015 TECHNICAL EMPHASIS
- Return to my personal yoga practice, which I had forsaken some years back.
- Koryu Dai Ni - P4 Nidan demo
- Judo and aikido kihon - Whit Sankyu demo
- Kamae and honte in jo - let's fix that so Jack doesn't have to correct that particular thing again.
- Role of tanto in aikido, and of Tanjo
- Nanatsu no Kata & Hirano's rhythmic uchikomi & his students' & more of his students' work.
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Patrick Parker
www.mokurendojo.com
