Random #52: Picton Grading 2010

Today was a nice and cool day to start with, but the afternoon warmed up quite nicely by the time Grading was over.  The drive down was fairly eventless except for the massive stretch of roadworks where nothing was being done because it was the weekend.  That slowed the trip down somewhat since it was a 110km/h zone reduced to a 80km/h for the roadworks, with cops parked there watching at some points of the highway.

Speeches, and warmup aside, there was a long Red and White battle, where our team, Red, lost by 4 people.  I scored one ippon to beat my first opponent, and then had a dou cut scored on me by the next (they were ippon shoubu matches).

After the battle, it was grading seminar.  I chose to partake in the kata section taken by Master Choi, as Paul Rixon Sensei told me that what they would cover in the Dan section was the same as we covered the Saturday before when he had visited during Womens Training.

Master Choi loves kata, and is good at teaching it, but he is a little bit wordy and his English makes it difficult to get across the points easily sometimes.  That said, he still teaches it with a passion and I am grateful for him doing so, because in the hour, I picked up a few things that I think helped me when I came to do kata for the actual grading.

Lunch break and Grading registration.  I was 1D5, with a total of 7 in the Shodan group.

Then the grading itself.

Watching the Ikkyu group go through their kirikaeshi and jigeiko, I was pretty nervous about it.  Once I got onto the floor, I was really jittery and was bouncing on my toes, find it really hard to stand still.  When my turn came along, I had plenty of energy there.

Kiai.  Don't do it straight away mind you.  Stand from Hajime.  Strong step forward, establish yourself, your posture, your center, your Ki.  THEN kiai.  Bang. I actually saw my opponent flinch when I did it.  It had to have been the most satisfying thing that I had done all day.  Thank you Paul Rixon Sensei.

Two minutes is how long you get for each jigeiko.  Which makes it four minutes of swordsmanship that you have to show the panel of Sensei's watching that you have got what it takes to be a Dan.  What did I show them?  I wonder.  What did I do, that I can say.

Kamae and center.  I was commented on my many people afterwards at how strong my kamae and center was.  I held it well enough that both my opponents (1D4 and 1D6) tsuki'd themselves on my shinai multiple times during their two minutes each against me.  At one point in the first jigeiko, after the second time it happened in about five seconds, I though I had actually broken my shinai.  It felt really loose in my hands, and very flexible.  I kept going though since it seemed to still be together and you simply don't stop a grading unless you know for sure.

In any case, someone told me that I didn't seem to attack enough.  I disagree on that.  I attacked.  But I didn't attack blindly, I took my time, tried to pick or create my openings instead of blindly rushing in.  One of the things Rixon Sensei said was to not turn jigeiko into kakarigeiko when it comes to grading.  If they want kakarigeiko, they ask for kakarigeiko.  Show them your normal playing style but with good Kendo.  My playing style is much more reserved, so thats what I showed.

After that, my throat was really aching, so I know I definitely was using kiai.  We sat and waited for the Nidan candidates and the Sandan candidate to complete their jigeiko component.  The assistant for the grading then told us we had all passed the jigeiko component, and to prepare ourselfs for Kata.

My palms were so sweaty.... I thought I'd drop or fling the bokken upon making the cuts, thankfully it didn't happen.  My partner, 1D6, was a little stiff I thought, and his eye contact was a little off, he kept looking at my chest, not my eyes, but I believe was so he could keep my bokken in his field of view.  This was because I was the Uchidachi, and had to initiate the movements first.  Our distance was slightly off in one of them (Yonbonme) but I was taught by someone earlier how to correct for that as the Uchidachi, so I did, and it turned out fine.  ~Phew~.

We ended sitting for about ten minutes after handing in our exam question answers, before we got told to relax and wait for the results to be collated.  Probably about 15 minutes later, we got called to gether for the results.

Putting it in perspective, last year at Burwood, 50% of all Dan candidates (Shodan and Nidan) failed their jigeiko component.  All of those called to do Kata passed, so that was good at least.  This year, the standard was much better, and everyone who graded on the Ikkyu and higher, passed.  100% pass rate is pretty good.  The Kyu must not have fared so well as Itakura Sensei said, those who didn't get their grade, come see him about it.

Well, so the end result is that I am a brand new Shodan.  Once again, the little fish in a big big pond.  It is a little daunting to think about that now I will be in direct competition at competitions with people who are world championships material and so forth.  But, on the other hand, as a Dan, there is some sense of achievement in the four plus years of work gone into my Kendo, what I have been able to put in.  In addition, tsuki and Jodan.... hehehe.

Well, my hands ache from tenouchi.  My body is sore.  But, it was good result today.

Random #51: 2009 NSW State Championships

Well, it's been a week since I actually competed at the 2009 NSW State Championships.  I didn't post earlier as circumstance kind of got in the way, but I will plink out a few details here.

The event was held at the Campus Sports Centre at the Lidcome Campus of Sydney University, otherwise known officially as Cumberland Campus.  The same location as the Friendship Cup was held, and will be held also in 2010.  The event was meant to start at 8:30am for registration and shinai weigh-in, but when people turned up, the building was still locked and no-one had any way of opening it or contacting someone to opening it.  In the end after some considerable delay, they managed to convince security services to unlock it for us I think.

The rather large crowd piled on in.  For me, I was already changed into my gi and hakama from home since the venue is very close to home for me and driving when dressed has never been an issue for me.  The registration and weigh-in went without a hitch, my favourite shinai at the moment clocked in at 529g, clearing the 510g minimum with no problems at all.

They needed some volunteers, so I helped out being a table head for the juniors matches, were my court hosted the U12 and U16 events.  Some rather flimsy kendo from juniors, but I guess it's to be expected considering how young they are.  And how small some of them are too...  Though, some of them displayed great tenacity and I predict we will have some future champions soon who have started at the tender young age.

With the juniors over, my match was in the 2nd pool of the Kyu event on Court 2, so I quickly got myself ready by putting on my Men and Kote.  In the first pool, there was only 1 match since the 3rd person of the pool was absent.  Unfortunately, the person who lost was from out club.

For my pool, I had one person I have never seen before, and another that I had heard of.  I was a bit daunted, but I was told to use debana kote on both of them for the win.  Well, since I was in the top of the pool order, I would have the first match, have a rest, then play the last match.  First match, Hajime, straight off I noticed my opponents kote was wide open, so I came in with a small kote cut, and scored the ippon.  Nicely done.  Came back to the middle, niponme, hey, his kote is open exactly the same.... hmm, lets do that again, pop!  Owari!  Two kote cuts, well under a minute, I'd estimate perhaps a ten second match.  My neck was really stiff from being tense and nervous beforehand, so when I stepped off the court (after finishing properly etc), I reflexively tilted my head and neck to the left and right and hear a vertabrae pop, but it felt much better.  My juniors in our club then laughed, and I why, which they said, it looked like that I had done the match so easily and then stretched my neck as it was nothing, just warming up... It seemed a very "cool" and collected action as if I didn't even have a match.

My second match was a bit harder, but it went in a blur also.  I *think* my first point was a kote, but I can't be sure, I went for something and the flags went up.  We did rotate around a lot, and there were cuts exchanged, and my strongish center was working effectively against him as he mune-tsuki'd onto my shinai once which stopped him short very firmly, before I finished the match with a solid men cut.

I had a little bit of a wait since the other pools had to go ahead before the elimination matches.  I unfortunately lost in the elimination round.  The shiai was actually pretty intense, but I was playing it cool and slowly, keeping mainly in the center of the court when I could, forcing my opponent to move around me, and he was getting really puffed at pushing against me.  We had a draw at the end-time, but because it was unlimited encho, we continued on.  It was a pretty long match with the encho, and in the end, he scored what was a hiki-dou on me.  Afterwards, one of our club coaches told me it was a rubbish cut, and he believed that the shimpans were bored with the match and just gave it to him.  Personally, I also did feel a little jilted as the cut didn't have any power behind it, and there really wasn't any timing involved either.  He had made the cut, I stood my ground and didn't acknowledge any cut since I didn't think it'd actually be a cut, but the flags went up.  Oh well, thats just how things are.

My opponent who won, lost in the next round to someone in our club in another marathon encho, with the total match lasting 11 minutes apparently.  They had different shimpans, and none of his cuts were ippon obviously.  Interestingly, both of them were given a warning, but not a hansoku, for using their shoulders to push, tsk tsk, taiatari is with your stomachs, and tsubazeriai is with your kote and tsuba, no shoulders in there boys...

In any case, I was pretty happy with the results,  It did give me some sense of satisfaction how I had done considering how little training I have had recently.

In the final results, we got a 2nd place Kyu, then two equal thirds in Dan, third in Womens and the Fighting Spirit Award.  Not a bad haul for our club.

The next goal will be Grading at Picton in 2010, January 30th and 31st.  My fear is I may still fail it due to lack of training since I no longer have weekday trainings.  I must take the time to learn my Kata somehow from the other seniors after trainings and learn it well.  I can do it!

#74 Relaxing

Relax relax relax.

I haven't been able to train much and by the looks of it due to work, I won't get to train much more in the future either.

I went to training today after work and was talking to one of our members who was  severely fatigued on their right shoulder and arm, and really, I thought it was they were too tense and used their right too much.  My advice was to relax, relax relax.  Balance out the use of the arms, and put more into the left as leading with the right means that you will naturally apply more power with the right when you make cuts.

Then we spoke to one of our sempai's annd he gave virtually the same advice as I did, so it's good to know that my own thoughts were not in the wrong chain of thought.

So, relax, reset yourself after each cut, return to kamae, and relax.  Being tense stops you from moving smoothly and fluidly.

So, once again, relax.

#73: Keeping Kamae

Itakura Sensei came and trained with us again one afternoon the other week, and after playing with him during jigeiko, he gave me some comments on keeping kamae afterwards.

As I have been working on maintaining a strong center/chudan no kamae, it is often that my opponents will run onto the kensen or mune-/tsuki themselves.  However, that said, Itakura Sensei told me that what I am doing is not effective because of two things.  I move backwards as I extend, and my posture does not indicate confidence because I am attempting  to avoid the incoming cut.

To hold a strong kamae, I should not be afraid of the cut coming, and my posture should be strong and upright/straight, and when I hold kamae, I should not retreat at all but hold my ground and seme forwards into them.  My only concern with this is the breaking of my shinai, but I guess it is part of Kendo, and the price to pay for being a kamae user.

So, I have been trying this, and along with fudoushin, I have found that it is working but slow progression as reflexes and instinct cause me to want to duck and weave, dodge and move around when that cut comes.  But, one step at a time.

#72: Kirikaeshi comments

Master Choi visited our training yesterday and watched us train before providing some input to our training.  After watching our kirikaeshi, he made some comments.

For kirikaeshi, we do it because it has all of the elements of Kendo.  Kihon cuts, footwork, sayu-men, ki-ken-tai and so on.  But, what can you learn from it?  It is important to get distance.  If you can master distance during kirikaeshi, it makes a huge difference since you can cut any opponent height at the right distances.

In addition to this you do not have to go fast, but have good posture.  The key point to making the cuts is keeping center with your left hand.  Young people are more energetic, and you must control the left hand to retain center.  In correct application of the sayu-men, the kensen should not leave the width of your shoulders on the backswing.  The swing should be big, so that the kensen also has a wide arc.

Other than that, Master Choi mentioned that he likes the training at our club because we always train hard.

#71: Post kote/mune-tsuki action

I played against a Sensei today visiting from another club, and a situation happened which I sometimes often have occur from my style of play and chudan no kamae, which is where they self-tsuki on the kote or on their chest/shoulder because I maintain my center.

I did this twice to the Sensei, and asked him what I should do, because in both situations, I hesitated and got struck by him. Usually, in this situation, I should have the upper hand and advantage to the situation since I have halted their momentum and attack.

What he told me was, close the distance by going into tsubazeriai distance immediately in both situations to prevent them from making an attack if I do not have the ability to make my own.

If I am able to make an attack, I should observe briefly if I can by their reaction, if they come back to guard position immediately then pressing an attack would put me into their space, where as if they also hesitate, then press the attack, but striking their shinai out of the way as I make a cut to ensure that I still dominate their center.

I understand the theory, and I tried it later on when I had jigeiko against someone else, but I find that I was ending up too close and cutting too deep on the shinai, but now that I know how it is possible to action afterwards I will try to use it more often.

I also managed to score a cut on the Sensei where he acknowledged the cut, so I was pretty happy with that. Post training when I went to thank him, his further advice to me was to slow down and not rush into my attacks. Hmm.

#70: Shodan Jigeiko Advice

I spoke to someone who is of a higher level today during training. They had come along with their family because their wife and daughter were part of the State's Women's Training program, and him and his son joined in on our regular training.

He is a regular who is involved with grading, usually on the Kyu side, but I asked him about the aspects for Shodan jigeiko since I have heard some different things about it.

In the jigeiko I should:

• Maintain correct posture at all times.
• Cut from chikama or kensen-kensen distance, do not cut from too close, which is a common mistake.
• Have 2-3 waza well practiced, generally Straight men cut, plus one or two more, such as kote or debana kote, or harai waza etc. Do not try to be too fancy.
• Move with intent.
• Do not be blocking the entire time.
• It is okay to take your time, but ensure you display that you are moving such as shinai play or footwork instead of being at a standstill.

Generally, do not panic and play with spirit and energy.
I think after that little talk, it was good because now I feel more confident in what I am able to do for my jigeiko.