Training today was a bit mixed.
Good things were doing different waza, different training exercises.
Not so good things were people doing poor cuts, while I'm not blaming them, there really is a kind of limit in what people should be thinking when doing. Kote cuts do not come down at 45° angle like dou cuts. Don't hit so hard, tenouchi. Simple things. I had ringing in my ears today from a men cut which did not hit my megane, it was *that* hard. I also got clobbered on my elbow, on the bone, by an attempted dou cut *when there was no opening*. One of my biggest grievances in regards to some people and their playing in jigeiko is, they have no idea of openings. Yes, as a beginner, you should be attacking, and attempting to take advantages of openings and creating openings. This does not mean you randomly cut where you think you should be. I have no problems with people missing kote cuts and hitting my arms, I have no problems with mis-cuts to my men, but a pet hate is where people swing for dou cuts when they shouldn't. I'm not talking about when I have been drawn by a feint to block, and then dropped my arms to defend, I'm okay with that, but when I'm standing there in Kamae and I don't move, and you swing straight into my elbow, ok, I *do* have a problem with that.
Bad things, warmup that is too quick with not enough stretching. Exercises that strain muscles that were not warmed up properly. Too dry skin on toes and feet leading to cracking and pain.
Less than a week to grading and Founders Cup. Who knows if I'm really ever mentally ready for either. Just have to see I guess. It's kind of tragic to see that someone goes to Japan for a year, and comes back as a Ikkyu when they were of lower grade than you before they left.... Though I ponder what their skills are actually like, as someone said to me, there are Shodan, and real Shodan players. The difference is, a real Shodan actually has the skill to be a Dan player, while the other type is just someone who passes the exam because they have done Kendo for long enough.
Good things were doing different waza, different training exercises.
Not so good things were people doing poor cuts, while I'm not blaming them, there really is a kind of limit in what people should be thinking when doing. Kote cuts do not come down at 45° angle like dou cuts. Don't hit so hard, tenouchi. Simple things. I had ringing in my ears today from a men cut which did not hit my megane, it was *that* hard. I also got clobbered on my elbow, on the bone, by an attempted dou cut *when there was no opening*. One of my biggest grievances in regards to some people and their playing in jigeiko is, they have no idea of openings. Yes, as a beginner, you should be attacking, and attempting to take advantages of openings and creating openings. This does not mean you randomly cut where you think you should be. I have no problems with people missing kote cuts and hitting my arms, I have no problems with mis-cuts to my men, but a pet hate is where people swing for dou cuts when they shouldn't. I'm not talking about when I have been drawn by a feint to block, and then dropped my arms to defend, I'm okay with that, but when I'm standing there in Kamae and I don't move, and you swing straight into my elbow, ok, I *do* have a problem with that.
Bad things, warmup that is too quick with not enough stretching. Exercises that strain muscles that were not warmed up properly. Too dry skin on toes and feet leading to cracking and pain.
Less than a week to grading and Founders Cup. Who knows if I'm really ever mentally ready for either. Just have to see I guess. It's kind of tragic to see that someone goes to Japan for a year, and comes back as a Ikkyu when they were of lower grade than you before they left.... Though I ponder what their skills are actually like, as someone said to me, there are Shodan, and real Shodan players. The difference is, a real Shodan actually has the skill to be a Dan player, while the other type is just someone who passes the exam because they have done Kendo for long enough.
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