I was filling up my water bottle after training when one of the advanced players, someone I respect greatly asked me how the training went for me. I replied that it was alright but I was really tired. he then asked me "What did you learn?"
It is a very valid question, and perhaps sometimes it is hard to answer. Maybe even sometimes there is no answer. However, it is a very good question, and I think at the end of each session, it should be asked. As part of mokuso (meditation), you are meant to internalise whatever you learnt during the session. If you don't know what you learnt, how can you internalise it to remember it....?
For me, today, I learnt that I am getting faster. My muscles, strength and training is slowly showing improvement. He told me that our dojo training is one of the most physically demanding ones in our area and that is what makes it different. We do more waza rotations and a higher energy output required compared to many clubs that focus more on doing less but better level practice (or in theory).
In todays waza training, we did some waza where the motodachi makes a men cut while the shidachi steps into the men cut with a dou cut. It isn't quite a nuki dou cut because in nuki dou as I understand it, you step sideways only to avoid the cut allowing them to run across your shinai themselves. In this, we did a few rotations and my last rotation was with a Ni-Dan player, and for some reason, my last cut, I turned it into a nuki-dou and the execution to me felt perfect. The speed and timing (in my opinion, biased of course) went brilliantly.
Then in jigeiko, I found that I could do a particular blocking then sweeping cut to the men that I couldn't do before. The speed in which my cuts came whipping around from the block were much better and faster, allowing the timing to click. I also managed a solid hiki gyaku-dou cut which was something I couldn't do before also because of missed timing from opportunities.
After dinner, I asked my kouhai the same question to hear their comments, and I was glad to hear that they were able to answer it. One said he learnt he used his right arm too much, another said that she was still unable to follow through after fumikomi (i.e. after fumikomi from the cut, she doesn't have the footwork to zanshin through the opponent but instead has to end up standing and then suriashi through) and I forgot what the other said but he did say something also.
Once you reach the point where you can not say you learnt anything then perhaps you need to assess yourself deeper. I am sure that even the Hachi-Dan Senseis' learn things when they train.
So, ask yourself, what did you learn today?
It is a very valid question, and perhaps sometimes it is hard to answer. Maybe even sometimes there is no answer. However, it is a very good question, and I think at the end of each session, it should be asked. As part of mokuso (meditation), you are meant to internalise whatever you learnt during the session. If you don't know what you learnt, how can you internalise it to remember it....?
For me, today, I learnt that I am getting faster. My muscles, strength and training is slowly showing improvement. He told me that our dojo training is one of the most physically demanding ones in our area and that is what makes it different. We do more waza rotations and a higher energy output required compared to many clubs that focus more on doing less but better level practice (or in theory).
In todays waza training, we did some waza where the motodachi makes a men cut while the shidachi steps into the men cut with a dou cut. It isn't quite a nuki dou cut because in nuki dou as I understand it, you step sideways only to avoid the cut allowing them to run across your shinai themselves. In this, we did a few rotations and my last rotation was with a Ni-Dan player, and for some reason, my last cut, I turned it into a nuki-dou and the execution to me felt perfect. The speed and timing (in my opinion, biased of course) went brilliantly.
Then in jigeiko, I found that I could do a particular blocking then sweeping cut to the men that I couldn't do before. The speed in which my cuts came whipping around from the block were much better and faster, allowing the timing to click. I also managed a solid hiki gyaku-dou cut which was something I couldn't do before also because of missed timing from opportunities.
After dinner, I asked my kouhai the same question to hear their comments, and I was glad to hear that they were able to answer it. One said he learnt he used his right arm too much, another said that she was still unable to follow through after fumikomi (i.e. after fumikomi from the cut, she doesn't have the footwork to zanshin through the opponent but instead has to end up standing and then suriashi through) and I forgot what the other said but he did say something also.
Once you reach the point where you can not say you learnt anything then perhaps you need to assess yourself deeper. I am sure that even the Hachi-Dan Senseis' learn things when they train.
So, ask yourself, what did you learn today?
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