Thursday, April 7, 2011 - Session Twenty-Five

So I was ready to die for Kendo this evening, with practice looming before me after having barely even done any suburi for the last week and a half due to the Lung Plague Which Would Not Die but my own death was not on the menu. Sensei was still feeling unwell though he did come by tonight just to let us know - in person because he is awesome even though he totally should have been home in bed - that there would be no class tonight. So it was just Amaury and I tonight. We started out with an attempt the kihon but it wound up going the same way as it did the last time we attempted it on our own. Without real direction we end up second guessing too much. Something about having Sensei present really steps up our game so much. But we did bring out the training dummy - Good Ol' Bob - and spent two hours working on fumikomi men and running through.

Oh man. Something was on tonight (and not just the wonderful beautiful fan which kept the room cool) and my feet were sliding super well. Maybe it was because we were never standing in one place for long so my feet had no time to sweat and stick to the ground. Whatever the reason? I was very pleased with how it felt to be able to run through. Just practicing fumikomi men over and over also felt good. But I still take that little half step forward with my left foot before going into fumikomi and - even when I really mindfully tried to not do it - and I kept on doing it over and over again. Emily, meet your newest bad habit! So that is something that I will need to really focus on grinding into oblivion. At least until I am at a level where I am doing tsugi-ashi in an intentional way, rather than a way that is so obviously unintentional. Biggest problem? Launching into fumikomi makes me feel as though I am about to lose my balance and the little half step forward seems to be an attempt at becoming more steadied.

Ah yes, and I also decided that I will not be attending the Nabeshima Cup in Dallas this season. I would like to be able to go but finances make it a little prohibitive. I could probably afford to make it down there and participate but I would be broke upon returning home and - since I am saving for my own bogu - it is best to be frugal. But there will be more opportunities soon! I am certain! Oh Emily, thy name is responsibility, or somesuch.