This post is part of the First Year of Budo series

Jodo

Sensei seems to be going through all the students and having them issue the commands during the warm up. In order to try and ensure that they learn the names of all the techniques. Us new students have been warned that our time will come when we are placed on the spot, so be prepared. I’ve almost got counting to 10 figured out but all the commands.. I doubt it :). Sensei was keen on the fact that the punishment for mistakes today will be that the ground opens up beneath your feet and you fall into a chasm over the usual financial penalties which didn’t seem to be having effect. It always amazes me how funny he is.

Nothing fancy to mention in jodo today. We did warm-ups, paired hikiotoshi practice and finally kata. I enjoyed the kata, gave me practice at being full on with intense concentration and presence on the opponent. Not a backwards step in the face of adversity, once again, something you don’t get to practice in a safe environment usually.

Iaido

Iaido was also rather normal with it’s consistent polishing up on techniques with Sensei stopping us to get us to focus on particular issues. Of particular note was the fact that cuts come out and hit a target at maximum speed, then the blade is allowed to move through the body in what vaguely resembles a follow-through but it is a bad analogy on my behalf.

After basic warm-ups we spent a lot of time on kata 1 (It is the first kata we learn but everyone still has so much to go before reaching perfection) and kata 3. Then after touching on kata 6 we went on to free training. During this I helped demonstrate the pain that is kata 4 (due to the somewhat painful tatehiza kneeling position) and then proceeded to practice kata 5 in particular on my own.

I really enjoy the upside down draw followed by the blade spinning in your hand and then speeding down along the same line as the first cut as your other hand reaches it. When you get it smooth it feels very nice. A bad draw on this kata (5) makes it all terrible though. Something I need to work on is my chiburi (flinging off of the blood). I have make sure my wrist is still firm, not allowing it to brake as I’m doing a little at the moment.

As a side note, the attention, presence and discipline that is required to execute a good move(and eventually kata) is hugely different compared to the extent one exerts themselves during the day. Not even 1% of what is required for an action is generally requested from you in the regular educational settings of school and university. This art really helps to build character and confidence.