We were mock testing today and I got to the the caller (first time actually). This gave me a really good seat right up front where I could see everything.
As I was watching the senior students run through their tests, I realized something. When we step up to that line and were are ON, we become better people. We are intent, focused, confident, ( Read more... )

Yesterday we had all member training in East Lansing. It was a 4 hour session in which we listened to opening speeches for the New Year, worked on focus exercises interspersed with questions of death, followed by the 4 new assistant instructors walking us through the first five kata followed by KenShiBu practice.
My favorite part was the focus ( Read more... )

Slowly slipping back into school mode. I'm waking up at 6:30 am (but still going to bed at 12 -got to fix that).
My Mom got me a light box for Xmas since she worries about me being affected by SAD in the Winter. So I'm sitting next to it this morning trying to rewire my circadian rhythms. Awfully BRIGHT for this early in the morning.

We finally ( Read more... )

I read a Psychology Today article that suggested a good way to bring in the new year was to make a list of the accomplishments and pleasures and things that I overcame ( even if they didn't turn out the way I would have liked) in the previous year.
I agreed that revisiting the last year in such a way would be a good way to set goals and have a ( Read more... )

Those of you who read my FB update this morning know I didn't get much sleep last night.  By the time my school day was over I was really dragging ( Read more... )

We had a good class on Friday - those of us who showed up.  Only half the class was there.
Was it because Sensei pushed us so hard in the heat Wednesday?
Was it because it was our first class on Friday night instead of Saturday morning?
Was it because several people are on holiday?
Yes.
 Sensei worked with the five of us who were there, starting the ( Read more... )

I feel the need to post something and the easy way out would be to just catch people up on what has been going on the past week or so.

Yesterday in iai, it was HOT!  In the low nineties and the gym we practice in has no air conditioning.  Sensei said "Excellent! This will be a great training opportunity!" and then he turned off the fans and turned ( Read more... )

Well, Saturday was the shinsakai. I tested for Shodan and passed. Yay!

Look at the wear on that iaito! I REALLY need a new one. I was waiting until I got Shodan so maybe now I can finally put in the order.


( Read more... )

Today Sensei videotaped each of us as we went through our shinsa sets ( Read more... )

I'm not sure what has been up with me lately but I don't seem to want to do ANYTHING I normally want to do. By this time of year I am usually hard at work puttering around in the yard.  I have beendoing some yardwork but it has been sporadic. I also don't feel like working on research or writing or even prepping my summer class.  I haven't even ( Read more... )