Torn Wrist Tendon

As I mentioned in my previous post, i've managed to injure my right wrist (fnarr fnarr). For once this was outside kendo and can be blamed on lugging heavy boxes around during my house move. I'm able to move my hand up/down and side to side, but if I try to rotate (like twisting a door handle) I get a stabbing pain in my wrist below the little finger.

I visited the doc earlier this week who said the tear should clear up in 3-4 weeks. I did't tell him about my kendo habit though!

Thursday's practice passed without incident. However, I managed to whack sensei on the nipple twice - dunno how the hell I managed that! It was a bit embarrassing.

Friday on the other hand proved more painful. I was uchiotoshi'd twice which zapped my wrist... it's been aching pretty bad all weekend. I really don't want to take time of AGAIN! These last 2-3 months have proved very frustrating.

On the upside, I practiced with Katsuya sensei for the first time in about 4 months. He said he noticed an improvement which is nice.

Lovin'it

At last! My first practice of the year after a month away... loved it.

I've been tied up over December with uni work and unfortunately Kendo had to give, only 9 more months and i'll be free of studying. After 5 years it can't come too soon!

During practice I suffered the usual rustiness and my cardio was shot to hell, but it was great to be back in the saddle. There was also the bonus of a few new faces, one is a new Japanese 6th dan visitor who started attending before xmas. I gave him a shot and he proved a very difficult customer, breaking my distance and hitting me with quick suriage men when I reacted. I got a "nice men" thumbs up when I thanked him at the end of the session.

I have another enforced break this week as i'm moving house, so instead of swinging a shinai i'll be packing and lugging boxes of crap about. Should be back on it next week though. Can't wait.

//Edit: 23.02.11

Well... I was planning to edit my post to report a wrist injury incurred during my move, but I recently heard that a bloke who I met though squad has sadly given up Kendo on health grounds. News like this makes my pains and niggles seem pretty trivial, it's also made me contemplate what life would be like without this activity which we devote so much of our time to. I wish him the best of luck with regaining his health.

aghh!

Stuck doing uni work every night so no practice since mid December.  I'm pining for teh kendo :(

Happy xmas!

I've managed to pick up another cough/cold (third in two months!), which ruined my chance of attending the last practice of the year. I'm a bit concerned why my immune system is shot to shit, i'm wondering if it's due to the increased stress/poor sleep i'm suffering due to uni studies? These colds seem to coincide with periods of heavy training (i.e. squad), apparently the immune system dips after intense exercise.

Looking forward to 2012 which is shaping up to be a big year. I am planning to take my sandan grading in July and I'll hopefully graduate with a degree in September.... a culmination of 5 years study (nearly as long as i've practiced kendo).

I hope everyone has a good xmas, here's to successful kendo in 2012!

Birmingham Squad Training Weekend

I missed November squad so was keen to get back into it.

Unfortunately, the day didnt start well. I was late into the dojo so my mind was switched off, combined with a drop in stamina (lack of practice) resulted in me blowing after 3 rounds of kirikaeshi. I really struggled during kihon. I did manage to sort myself out for motodachigeiko at the end though.

Goodwin sensei's aim for the day was to concentrate on engaging the back leg/foot to be ready to cut at all times, while maintaining soft arms and wrists. This should present the ability to strike for ippon even if the body is bent or out of position - However, the resultant posture MUST be perfect forKi-ken-tai-ichi and zanshin. I was pretty pleased that this was our focus as i've been working footwork for the last few weeks.

During the session we performed exercises intent on engaging our back leg, sharpening our concentration and developing seme. Including basic seme-men, seme ai-me/kote and 'fighting for centre' ai-seme men. The aim was to try and cause a reaction then capitalise. Blake sensei reiterated the fact that we need to maintain centre when engaging our opponent, spinning away or running at a tangent means we are not ready to attack again.

After kihon we had an hour of motodachigeiko . This was Mano sensei's farewell visit so we had a number of sensei from around the UK turn up (including O'Sullivan and Blake sensei). I managed jigeiko against Goodwin and Starr sensei but just missed out on Mano sensei, I was next when time was called.

The second day dealt with the shiai league. I fought in five matches with varying success:

Match 1: I was against a lad who seemed pretty inexperienced. I scored a quick men then tempted him with a kote - nuki men for the second. Felt good.

Match 2 : My opponent was much wilier and my attempted seme + men attacks proved pretty ineffective. I did notice he was straying near the shiai-jo edge, so attempted to keep him penned in to worry him and maybe grab a hansoku. Didn't work... I merely switched to pushing mode which must have looked pretty shit. Bad kendo. Finished in a draw.

Match 3: The guy knew exactly how to fight taller opponents. I telegraphed and he scored two sweet degote - no complaints.

Match 4: Managed to give as much as take against a more experienced opponent. In spite of this, I switched off near the end and she moved in and took my men. Arse. My fault.

Match 5: Lost to two degote again. Strange match, dunno what to say about that one.

Overall, not a great performance again. I tried to maintain my new footwork, my left calf and arse cheek ache so I must be doing something right. Nevertheless, I found I fell back into old habits when the pressure was on. This means much more kihon before it automatically sticks.

A Bit of Progress

Not updated for a while.

I've had a horrible month with lots of things in my life kicking off at once. Combination of increased university studies (Graphic Design degree), buying/selling our house and busy time at work as eaten into kendo time. I've had to accept the need to re-prioritise which wasn't easy as I hate missing practice... still been managing at least one session a week though.

On the up side I think I've managed a major step forward. For the past 12 months something's not felt right.. I've managed to improve my waza during kihon but struggled with imposing myself during jigeiko. I've been scratching about, changing my kamae, posture and weight distribution with little success. I could never put my finger on it.

However, 3-4 weeks ago Geoff Salmon sensei observed that I break/bend my left leg and raise my heel too much when I seme forward and/or cut, this occurs before the cut and during hikitsuke (drawing up of left foot) . As a result, my fumikiri (launch from back foot) is very weak as a lot of the forward energy is taken by my bent left knee and raised heel.

I took sensei's advice and tried to keep my heel down as much as possible. I initially found it impossible to do and concentrated on it so much I was getting mullered. Yet after a few weeks something clicked during a random jigeiko. From somewhere my leg and back straightened up and I seemed to be able to launch forward quicker than before, I began to feel much more mobile moving forwards and backwards. I tried to remember how this 'epiphany' felt so I could repeat it again.

Over the last few weeks I've been attempting to work this into my every day kendo. I still fall into old habits and have to mentally check myself. Yet, I feel this has been one of the biggest leaps I've enjoyed for the last 18 months. It has been working well for men cuts but I now need to re-engineer my kote and do.

Still lots to fix but pretty pleased over all.

Finally, two of my teachers Geoff Salmon and John O'Sullivan sensei passed their respective ZNKR Kyoshi and Renshi shogo exams. Pleased for them.

Posture Problems

First day back after two weeks off with a chest infection, it hurt. It's gutting how fast you can lose cardio fitness.

Anyways, back to Mumeishi for another dressing down by the locals... my main fault of the day was my posture. Holt sensei observed that i'm leaning back too far which is slowing my reaction time. I was instructed to straighten up and place slightly more weight on my right foot than my left (but not too much), I should be ready to "pounce like a tiger" as he put it. I found it hard to break my bad habit so this will be my 'thing to fix' over the coming weeks.

In addition, he also instructed that when I cut do I should turn with zanshin before the shinai completely moves past the opponent's do (I should have turned as the shinai 'lets go' of the do). This means I will be ready to cut again if the opportunity arises. If I run through in a similar way to a men cut that opportunity will be lost.

Visited Tora on Thursday which was fun. Its the first time i've been there for a while and there were lots of new faces, they've managed to generate a good atmosphere at that club. Impressed.

Back to Nenriki on Friday and managed to practiced with Mansfield sensei (6d Kendo, 7d Iaido, 7d Jodo), who's a very generous teacher. He immediately highlighted my hesitancy due to 'thinking too much' and tried to draw me into cutting instinctively. He had his work cut out!

Sensei explained that I had to 'feel' my opponent rather than seeing -> thinking -> reacting as this makes me 'jump' to my opponent's pressure and react slowly. I understood what he was saying but damn, how the hell do you 'feel' an opponent? When he opened a target my body just seemed to freeze, I could see it but couldn't immediately attack, it was very frustrating.

By the end I managed to achieve a few 'instinctive' cuts but I don't know how the hell I achieved it.... will I be able to reproduce them again on another night?

Again this all seems to come down to self confidence and taking on a forward positive attitude.

It's the Mumeishi 3's in two weeks, I hope I can regain some sort of form for then.