Notes of a training camp - Day 2

Tuesday was the first complete day of the camp.

We had weapons training in the morning. It was announced that every other day we would practice with bokken, otherwise with jo. The first training was with bokken. It was a shomen based training, so first we warmed up by cutting shomens very slowly and focusing on our breathing and that this cut should be straight and vertical. Then we practiced the cut several times more in different versions: with right hand, with left hand, left foot forward, right foot forward, stepping forward and backwards. There were shomen based exercises for pairs, e.g. one cuts a shomen then the other steps aside and cuts the attacker's bokken with a shomen then thrusts him, etc. There were funny exercises where we needed to move the wooden swords around in a circle: you grab your bokken in the middle, pass it to your left hand and then pass it to your partner's right hand but at the same time she passes her bokken into your right hand, and when the instructor (Zoltan Vass, 3rd dan Aikikai) claps his hands the direction of the movement has to be reversed. I liked it a lot. Tomorrow will will practice with jo.

There was a special warm up session held by one of the sandans (Laszlo Toth, 3rd dan Aikikai). We warmed up and stretched every muscle and body part I could imagine, from scalp to toes and fingers. The session was very much needed to wake up the casualties of last night (too much beer until too late in the night) and to prepare us for the 'speedy' training.

The speedy training was held by Elsner sensei who showed us the same techniques as the night before, but this time there was much less time for explanations unless they were really needed and there was much more counting: ichi, ni, san, chi, etc.. When sensei counts, you need to try your best to do one technique for each number, so ichi is one kotegaeshi, ni is another one, and there's an uke-tori swap, usually after ten. I think it's a great way to memorise what was explained the previous evening. I was also called out once which I still find a very good exercise.

 
Left: Sensei (middle of the picture) observing the aikidoka; Right: Vass sensei demonstrates cutting with jo.

We returned for another two-hour session in the evening where sensei went on with the uchi-tenkans and irimis. Yesterday we were moving towards the rear of the attacker, this evening it was the front of uke, that is why it's 'uchi' and not 'soto'. There were a lot of versions, mostly kokyunage and kotegaeshi but ikkyo also. Tomorrow morning we will practice these and then, according to sensei, we move on to shihonage and possibly many versions of it and maybe other techniques as well.

Group photo

It seems that Chris and me are given special attention, probably because we are the only ones going for 1st kyu on Saturday. When we don't know something well, sensei often comes to us and correct our technique or one of us gets called out. This is quite useful and we learn a lot. However, the special attention has another side as well which I don't quite like that much. We decided with Chris that, in order to make sure that we have harmony for the grading and that we practice these new versions together, we would train together at every third technique. We thought this was also a good way to show our determination and that we are conscious about our exam and that we need to practice together before it. It turns out that this is not really appreciated as we are training 'too much' with each other. We were encouraged to go to others and chase yudansha and not train together too often. I see the point but I'm dissapointed that our training tactic didn't get accepted. Now we will go to the side of the room where the hakama people tend to be more frequently and train together at every fifth technique.