London Cup '12

My uni project deadline is this Friday which means i've been kendo-slack for the last few weeks, only managing a couple of practices. After my hand in I'm planning to take advantage of the short inter-module break and make a few additional weekend practices.

I fought in the London Cup team event a few weekends ago. Nenriki entered two teams this year and I felt ours was pretty strong, three of us are similar grade/experience and the final two are old hands at shiai.

I was fighting Jiho (second) and our first match was against Mumeishi B. Due to my regular practices at their club I knew my opponent, he's an Ikkyu so was less experienced than I. Nevertheless, he proved a tough guy to break down. I managed to beat him with a kote nuki men before the final bell.

Like previous years, people commented that I didn't 'claim' my points enough so most of my opportunities were not scored. This is a reoccurring issue I need to rectify, otherwise fighting in competitions will be a waste of time.

Our pool only contained two teams so both went through to the next round, where we faced Team GB 2. Again, I knew all our opponents due to squad training and faced their Jodan fighter. I knew this guy was quick and aggressive so set my stall out early to try and unsettle him, I chucked in a few rubbish tsuki just to let him know I was willing to give that target a go and tried to maintain a forward positive attitude. He kept working away at my kote and was told after I was in for a shout for a nuki men... however, at one point he managed to clip the bottom of forearm when I was lifting for a cut which was scored by the shinpan - I could tell it missed my kote due to the pain! My opponent then followed up with an identical cut which hit kote plum, no complaints about that one.

At least I put up a good fight and didn't disgrace myself. The final score was x KK x x x, which mean my result lost it for the team. I was gutted. GB 2 went on to win bronze.

Regarding general practice, i'm still struggling with posture. I'm over compensating my leaning back by leaning too far forward, leading to my back leg flicking up. O'Sullivan sensei says my posture is still looking a bit ungainly and awkward, i'm unsure if this is due to my leaning forward/backward issues or something different.

59 days until grading....

Good luck to those grading at watchet this weekend!

It's Tough Finding the Time

Wow.. its been longer than a month since my last entry.

Nothing major to report really, my life is still under the jackboot of uni work. I'm trying desperately to shoehorn kendo into any available time but its proving difficult both physically and mentally. I find myself exhausted after only 4-5 hours sleep some nights (i'm up for work at 0550) .....generating enough energy for kendo can be a struggle. I keep telling myself I've only got until Feb next year and this nightmare is done.

I also visited the physio about my wrist. She said that the injury has improved and what remains is residual pain. Apparently this pain doesn't mean i'm 're-injuring' my wrist, I simply have to work through it until it gets better. This can potentially take 12 months. I explained that I practiced kendo and she advised that I should ease myself back into training, the unnatural bending of the wrists during chudan means I'll feel discomfort. I'm taking paracetamol before practice which can just about get me through a 2 hour session, I think it will be a while until I can attend two day squad training again.

On the kendo front, Holt sensei has highlighted my posture as I'm still bending too far backwards. Therefore, I'm attempting to straighten up and lean forward a few degrees. Work in progress.

I'm also working on zanshin and turning effectively. This is bloody hard work because I have to maintain concentration and not take cheeky breathers. I've also discovered, like Zoolander, I'm not an ambi-turner - I can't turn right. More work in progress.

On a positive note, Salmon sensei commented that my footwork has improved slightly over the last few months.

Finally, I'm entered into the team comp of the London cup. I feel we've got quite an experienced team this year, I hope I can keep my end up as my shiai record is ubergash. I've had to duck out of the singles comp due to uni *yawn* work.

81 days until grading

Grading buildup now on...

Just realised i've not updated for a while, been very busy with uni work. Couple of things of note over the last few weeks....

I attended a Fuji sensei mini kata seminar. We managed to work though all 10 forms to a reasonable degree, I reckon i've got the basic kodachi kata movements sorted now. However, i'm still pretty raggy. I have four months to clean them up before grading in July.

My weekly practices are an up and down affair. I've managed a few weeks of three sessions but they swing from absolute toilet to feeling good, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. E.g. last Thursday I felt very secure in my seme and concentration yet the very next day I was all over the place and couldn't 'switch on'.

I've been continuing my practice with abdominal breathing. I'm kind of getting it to work at times, but when I start to breathe hard I'm unable to maintain it.

Salmon sensei commented that i'm leaning too far backwards again. He advised that I straighten up, then seme with the feeling of attacking my opponent's left eye with my lower abdomen (hara). This feeling should carry me forward seme -> men without breaking it into a two step process (which can leave me vulnerable). I also need to think "forward, forward, forward" and immediately take an opportunity. I think i'm currently creeping forward with a backwards mind, which means I hesitate if my opponent flinches and provides an opening.

I practiced with a Japanese lad at Mumeishi who recently finished third in the Paris taikai. He was shit hot with the stamina of the energiser bunny. He noted that i'm not turning into zanshin fast enough so missing opportunities to catch my opponent off guard (but be careful of the debana kote!). On a similar note, I recently watched a few sandan shinsa vids from last weekend's Glasgow grading. The guys that impressed all possessed straight, powerful seme (e.g. no bending over for kote), all turned quickly for zanshin displaying focus and control.

Something to note for myself.

On the injury front, im still battling with my wrist problem. I saw the doc again last week who has booked me in to see a physio. The only problem is I have to wait four weeks. Its squad training again this weekend but i'm unsure if I'll manage two full days. It currently aches after just two hours of practice.

Fitness Fail

I know this is starting to sound like i'm making it up but I managed to pick up another cough/chest virus late Jan/early Feb. That makes three since the end of November... i've never picked up so many illnesses in such a short space of time before.

One a happier note i've been practicing without an ankle support so at least that injury is on the mend (touch wood). My wrist is improving but i'm still wearing a support during the day.

Last week was the first time I managed three practices since the start of December. It was horrendous. My cardio was virtually non-existent, the cough has done a proper number on my lungs. My visit to Mumeishi was also horrible, i've not felt that out of breath since my beginners days and I felt a bit of a dick gasping in front of the locals. My thursday and friday sessions were also very uncomfortable but what upset me the most is i've lost the 'mobile' feeling I'd discovered in December. Gutted, hopefully I can find it again over the next few weeks.

Mumeishi last night was another difficult one. Holt sensei was out of armour and observed my jigeiko, he pulled me up on a number of worrying fundamentals, many are very familiar:

• Attacking far too close;
• When I try and maintain distance I don't engage with my opponent;
• Too much right hand, practice tenouchi;
• No zanshin;
• Weak attacking presence;
• More confidence!
• Dont flick my kensen about; and
• Work on getting my fitness back.

One crucial point he raised is that I seem to treat jigeiko as shiai (i.e. I don't want to lose). This is worrying as I didn't realise I was doing this. Sensei was kind enough to explain that losing is part of learning and to view it as a necessity.

Other than that everything was ok.. Ha!.

So much to fix it's hard to know where to start. Sensei suggested I work on my distance to begin with as it's my biggest advantage. I've been pulled up about my distance so many times over the years but I never learn, will I ever get it?

//edit: After an improved end to the week I was planning to visit squad training in Birmingham. Unfortunately, soreness after Friday training convinced me that two days of hardcore training wasn't the best method of recovery. Fingers crossed I can attend in March.

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 :(