Thursday, October 14, 2010 - Session Ten

We had another new person drop in for practice this evening! She approached me before class and asked whether or not it was a drop-in class, and I told her that it was. She had told us that she would need to leave after the first hour but she joined us all the same, and I think she was into it. She was also so tall! Maestas Sensei had us practice striking at men on one another, with one of us providing an opening and the other striking, and back and forth and so on. It was fun! Oh, and Sensei even complimented one of my swings which - though it was only one good swing among many others that were who knows how clumsy - means I am improving! Once the time came for Sabrina to leave, she told us that she is going to get her boyfriend to join the class as well. Since women usually only try to share things with their boyfriends when they like those things, I think that means she will be back. Sensei also mentioned that a woman who trained with the Yamakage Dojo in the past will be rejoining the class in a week or two, so hurrah for having more people! And so many women. So cool.

But after Sabrina left; Maestas Sensei started teaching me the first kata, which was a little difficult for me. Mostly because I still drift toward one side whenever I move backward. I have a hard time holding that straight line with my stride, and it looks like there are several different reasons for this. Sensei pointed some out for me. My feet do not point straight ahead. My right foot drifts toward my left foot when I step backward. My forward steps do not cover the same distance as my backward steps. I swing with my wrists rather than my arms. I was also able to figure out a few corrections on my own. It seems like pivoting my left hip slightly inward and toward the right corrects at least some of the problem. It also helps to keep my torso from pivoting toward the left whenever I strike. So there are some new things that I can practice at home! On the way home; I told my roommate (Eli) that Kendo does not only make me feel good. It also makes me feel good about who I am. In my day to day routine I tend to feel absent minded, unfocused, and often unable to manage my own life and circumstances. But that all reverses when I am doing Kendo. I feel like I am making progress even when I am making mistakes or getting things wrong. I feel competent, whole, and grounded. I suppose I cannot ask for better motivation than that.