Merry Christmas all
Joyeuse Noel! Et bonne année!
Bénédictions à chacun.
It'll be a small gathering for us - just family. The clan will have dinner at mom and dad's. Kelli is away and Jill did not make it this year. My grandma is totally losing it so it will be interesting. She's as healthy as an ox, but, as they say, bat shit crazy. She's one of those who nothing satisfies.
Well, I did not get the job. I was disappointed, but it went to the better applicant. My time will come. I didn't want the, "she got it on gender or her family connections." If it happens, it will be meant to be. One good thing is that I had assumed most of the tasks of command and now I can give those up and have more free time. I had been wearing two hats for some time now. We'll say goodbye to Commander Lasagna and Colonel Five Iron with a big blowout golf tournament.
I defeated sensei, 3-2! Ei ei ei oooh! I landed one Men (head) cut after a back and forth, parry/counter/parry/counter phrase. I had just jumped back causing him to miss a wrist cut and I jumped back in, landing a head cut before he could bring his blade back up. If I score a hit on sensei he really turns up the heat, but I was able to hang in there and keep the fight even, 2-2. Then, with less than five seconds to go, I scored a Do (flank) cut. It was a clockwise bind and then cut.
We had a really good Iaido round. I got good marks with Iwanami - you're sitting besides someone you're assigned to assassinate (I guess there could be another explanation, but you're really attacking someone who is unaware of your impending strike). You rise and draw silently with a minimum of movement. Tsuki and then kirioroshi (finishing cut). The beauty of this waza is the draw which is very stealthy and the tsuki is delivered before you can even figure out what is going on. Our version is slightly different than this one. The draw cut for ours is horizontal while Nagae Sensei's has a slight downward arc. Each ryuha within Iaido has these subtle varieties. I think the style seen here is Shinden Ryu. Even within my ryuha, Eishin Ryu, there are subtle differences such as how far back you swing, where you place the back of the blade on your left hand for noto, the angle of the blade in chiburi (shedding blood from the blade). Some ryuha even say chiburui which is the ancient term for the technique.
The other one I like is Takiotoshi, which is very dramatic and athletic. This time someone tries to disarm you by grabbing the back of your saya (scabbard). You rise and push the handle back and down to weaken his grip. Then you pivot and pull the handle back to remove his grip. You draw as you whirl 180 degrees and then tsuki to the solar plexus. As he falls back you step in and deliver kirioroshi. Our version has us pushing the saya back and up instead of laterally and then kneeling with the kirioroshi cut. I love Nagae Sensei's zanshin as he performs noto (resheathing). It's smooth, yet intense and alert.
Here's a really long, but beautiful video of the Eishin Ryu Okuden Tachiwaza set (advanced standing set). It even features the bunkai or rationale of the waza where it shows who you're attacking and why. It covers the waza from Ikitzure, Tsuredachi, So Makuri, So Dome, Shinobu, Yukichigai, Sode Surigaeshi, Moniri, Kabezoe, Ukenagashi, Itomagoi and three of the four Bangai secret set (Hayanami, Raiden, Jinrai). They don't show Akumabarai. I guess not so secret now, huh? :P
Well, I think there will be mochi pounding for New Years with Evan's family.
Bénédictions à chacun.
It'll be a small gathering for us - just family. The clan will have dinner at mom and dad's. Kelli is away and Jill did not make it this year. My grandma is totally losing it so it will be interesting. She's as healthy as an ox, but, as they say, bat shit crazy. She's one of those who nothing satisfies.
Well, I did not get the job. I was disappointed, but it went to the better applicant. My time will come. I didn't want the, "she got it on gender or her family connections." If it happens, it will be meant to be. One good thing is that I had assumed most of the tasks of command and now I can give those up and have more free time. I had been wearing two hats for some time now. We'll say goodbye to Commander Lasagna and Colonel Five Iron with a big blowout golf tournament.
I defeated sensei, 3-2! Ei ei ei oooh! I landed one Men (head) cut after a back and forth, parry/counter/parry/counter phrase. I had just jumped back causing him to miss a wrist cut and I jumped back in, landing a head cut before he could bring his blade back up. If I score a hit on sensei he really turns up the heat, but I was able to hang in there and keep the fight even, 2-2. Then, with less than five seconds to go, I scored a Do (flank) cut. It was a clockwise bind and then cut.
We had a really good Iaido round. I got good marks with Iwanami - you're sitting besides someone you're assigned to assassinate (I guess there could be another explanation, but you're really attacking someone who is unaware of your impending strike). You rise and draw silently with a minimum of movement. Tsuki and then kirioroshi (finishing cut). The beauty of this waza is the draw which is very stealthy and the tsuki is delivered before you can even figure out what is going on. Our version is slightly different than this one. The draw cut for ours is horizontal while Nagae Sensei's has a slight downward arc. Each ryuha within Iaido has these subtle varieties. I think the style seen here is Shinden Ryu. Even within my ryuha, Eishin Ryu, there are subtle differences such as how far back you swing, where you place the back of the blade on your left hand for noto, the angle of the blade in chiburi (shedding blood from the blade). Some ryuha even say chiburui which is the ancient term for the technique.
Click to viewThe other one I like is Takiotoshi, which is very dramatic and athletic. This time someone tries to disarm you by grabbing the back of your saya (scabbard). You rise and push the handle back and down to weaken his grip. Then you pivot and pull the handle back to remove his grip. You draw as you whirl 180 degrees and then tsuki to the solar plexus. As he falls back you step in and deliver kirioroshi. Our version has us pushing the saya back and up instead of laterally and then kneeling with the kirioroshi cut. I love Nagae Sensei's zanshin as he performs noto (resheathing). It's smooth, yet intense and alert.
Here's a really long, but beautiful video of the Eishin Ryu Okuden Tachiwaza set (advanced standing set). It even features the bunkai or rationale of the waza where it shows who you're attacking and why. It covers the waza from Ikitzure, Tsuredachi, So Makuri, So Dome, Shinobu, Yukichigai, Sode Surigaeshi, Moniri, Kabezoe, Ukenagashi, Itomagoi and three of the four Bangai secret set (Hayanami, Raiden, Jinrai). They don't show Akumabarai. I guess not so secret now, huh? :P
Well, I think there will be mochi pounding for New Years with Evan's family.