Day at the Dojo
So, I originally thought today was going to be pretty relaxed: hang out with Doria, make curry, get work done afterward. Instead, I found myself eating lunch at Matsuri with James and Ethan (4th Saturday at Matsuri in a row!) and then hanging out with Yaveth from about 4:30 until almost 1am.
First we went to kill two hours in Ikea, which is my new favorite specialty store: Swedish furniture. XD~ That sounds pretty dull, but some of their setups were amazing, and you could get a whole room full of stuff for less than a thousand dollars. I believe Chelley would fall in love with it.
We went to Yaveth's former dojo in Weston, where I expected to watch a double iaido and kendo practice, first for research and second because I really miss kendo club.
Well, I did get a good fifteen minutes of watching in. And iaido, as little as I know about it, is really a beautiful art form. I watched the students drawing their swords over and over again, and each time the movements were so graceful and sophisticated... I really loved it. I want to include at least one scene incorporating that into Lavender.
Well, I watched as far as about the 12th kata before the two senseis called me into the practice floor. Apparently, a Japanese girl had visited the dojo a few weeks ago and introduced the naginata to them, but as it's a weapon traditionally used by females, they wanted to see how I would look/fare with it (I was the only female in the place). And so I was given a free lesson on a simple routine, though I didn't feel quite ready to take on Yaveth and his shinai with it. Then Steve-sensei showed me a couple of basic grope-stopping techniques, in which I actually did get to beat Yaveth up. >^_^<
He was also pleased to hear that I had basic knowledge of kendo, and taught me the dou (side of the waist) attack, then set me up with a wooden opponent and let me go. By the end of the night, both the senseis had me beating the crap out of all the guys in armor. XD (They seemed especially happy to make me pick on Yaveth, with which I had no problems.)
The naginata is probably the coolest weapon I have ever encountered. While I was a little overwhelmed by how fast Steve-sensei put me through the moves, and though I wasn't sure what to do with my elbows at first, once I had it memorised it was just so easy to wield. The length gave it a great balance, which made spinning it a lot of fun. And the sequence I learned made use of both the blade end and the pole end.
Long story short, it is now one of my goals to learn the way of the naginata. Steve-sensei apparently knows of a place near FIU that I can probably find one cheap. I would love to have a wooden one like what I used tonight, since a real one is likely heavier, more damaging, more expensive, and just not very practical in general.
I'm going to try and get Yaveth to take me again before I leave. Steve-sensei even invited me back (knowing I could never become a paying student) to learn some more self-defense techniques. He and everyone I met there were so incredibly kind, and patient, and just so much more mature than what I see every day in Miami. I really wish I could become a student there.
~Chippie
First we went to kill two hours in Ikea, which is my new favorite specialty store: Swedish furniture. XD~ That sounds pretty dull, but some of their setups were amazing, and you could get a whole room full of stuff for less than a thousand dollars. I believe Chelley would fall in love with it.
We went to Yaveth's former dojo in Weston, where I expected to watch a double iaido and kendo practice, first for research and second because I really miss kendo club.
Well, I did get a good fifteen minutes of watching in. And iaido, as little as I know about it, is really a beautiful art form. I watched the students drawing their swords over and over again, and each time the movements were so graceful and sophisticated... I really loved it. I want to include at least one scene incorporating that into Lavender.
Well, I watched as far as about the 12th kata before the two senseis called me into the practice floor. Apparently, a Japanese girl had visited the dojo a few weeks ago and introduced the naginata to them, but as it's a weapon traditionally used by females, they wanted to see how I would look/fare with it (I was the only female in the place). And so I was given a free lesson on a simple routine, though I didn't feel quite ready to take on Yaveth and his shinai with it. Then Steve-sensei showed me a couple of basic grope-stopping techniques, in which I actually did get to beat Yaveth up. >^_^<
He was also pleased to hear that I had basic knowledge of kendo, and taught me the dou (side of the waist) attack, then set me up with a wooden opponent and let me go. By the end of the night, both the senseis had me beating the crap out of all the guys in armor. XD (They seemed especially happy to make me pick on Yaveth, with which I had no problems.)
The naginata is probably the coolest weapon I have ever encountered. While I was a little overwhelmed by how fast Steve-sensei put me through the moves, and though I wasn't sure what to do with my elbows at first, once I had it memorised it was just so easy to wield. The length gave it a great balance, which made spinning it a lot of fun. And the sequence I learned made use of both the blade end and the pole end.
Long story short, it is now one of my goals to learn the way of the naginata. Steve-sensei apparently knows of a place near FIU that I can probably find one cheap. I would love to have a wooden one like what I used tonight, since a real one is likely heavier, more damaging, more expensive, and just not very practical in general.
I'm going to try and get Yaveth to take me again before I leave. Steve-sensei even invited me back (knowing I could never become a paying student) to learn some more self-defense techniques. He and everyone I met there were so incredibly kind, and patient, and just so much more mature than what I see every day in Miami. I really wish I could become a student there.
~Chippie