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Sunday dawned humid but cool.
I spent some time searching for something I thought I needed,
and so I missed the sunrise, and found a lesson in that. I
walked down our dirt road, doing what I believe the Zen
Buddhists call "kinhin" or walking meditation.
I counted breaths and paid attention to the quality of them.
I did that a lot over the weekend, as I had a flock of
enthusiastic butterflies in my stomach, and I kept trying to
blow them out.....by breathing.
I found that lying and reading with my little black cat on my
stomach was soothing, kitties are energy sinks.
And my spouse remindeded me that cats eat butterflies.
My chosen uke's husband called to say she had a crick in her
neck and couldn't play today. She was in some real pain, I
could hear her in the background.
So I called listka Kregg Phillips, my backup uke, and said,
you're IT. Whatta guy.
We headed into town, and I indulged in my favorite pre-test
ritual, going to our Oriental Gardens and rose gardens and
doing more kinhin, as well as inhaling rose fragrance deeply and
playing in the herbal gardens.
I made an offering (incense) in the open meditation shelter to
the kami of those who I consider to by my influences.
I also sat and meditated by the statue of St Francis. I always
repeat the prayer engraved on the statue, "Make me an
instrument of Thy peace".
I recollected my spouse, who had ridden in with me, ate a
Power bar and drank some Gatorade, and off we went.
Still pretty buzzy as I got into the dojo and greeted my
friends. My old sempai Dan was there and we played a bit. He
can put up SO much resistance! He messed with me and got me
warmed up. Former listka Ross Robertson got the rest of us
warmed up, and I got to work with the spouse and Dan and Kregg,
when Ross came over and told me to go get a drink of water.
When we started, our 6th dan asked me to define "aiki" . I
said it was two forces that come together and make something
greater than what it was.
That was very much the theme, this guy is amazing at that.
I proved how stupid I could be, and they helped....
instructing on shiho-nage was a great mess, as Kregg knew what
they wanted and kept putting himself in the right position and I
kept ignoring him so that I wouldn't be faking an answer I
didn't understand. I still have no idea what was up with that.
I'll ask.
Kregg was SUCH a good uke. I highly recommend him.
I did okay until we got to knife stuff which I still suck at.
Forgot the convention of putting the knife down and backing
away, and I would hand the knife to Kregg, who would immediately
just rip me up with it.
Messy.
On to jiyu waza, I get Sempai Dan and my judoka mentor.
Shit!
I got pounded a couple of times, but they got a lot of air
time, I kept wondering about the people flying at my elbows.
I was still panting from that, and it was time for weapons.
Blessedly, they asked for my two fave weapons forms, the first
jo and second bokken forms. I was told that my form on the
bokken was, er, aggressive...by the man who trained me as
such.... dunno why. CYA, maybe. Maybe wants me to mellow out.
I'm sure I will never get him to tell me.
On to randori, they said, and began to pick me some ukes.
Dan, judo-man, another Dan (a bigger one) and my sempai Lisa,
who is rather small but energetic.
When they rushed at me, I tossed Lisa, tossed a Dan, and ran
the F*** out the door of the room into the hallway.
I just wanted to see if I could.
The senseis and the entire room fell out laughing, and sempai
Dan followed me out, grabbed my shoulders, and proceeded to
march me back in. Halfway down the hall, I reversed him and got
him in a chokehold, and marched HIM back into the room,
whispering "this'll look better" I think he was laughing too
hard to fuss about it.
And I might have been choking him a little.
Okay, we start over. I've had better randoris, I'm the
contusion poster child today. My hip aches from being kicked
repeatedly, and my forearms are bruised from preemptive strikes,
I landed some hard ones though it was not my intention to be
hitting per se, just taking initiative. Sente?
My judoka friend was LURKING! I would touch him on the way
by, but he never launched an attack until I was engaged with
my back to him (so they say, so he says). Next thing I know, I
am airborne, trying to get a hold on him, and we land with a
thud, I land on his head, turn over on my back with an arm
around his neck in what I hope is a choke or immobilization but
mostly just hoping that my 175# on his pointy head is deterrent
enough, and realize that my legs will not move.
I'm fine, just bushed, so it was take knees or stop the
randori, and I said, "that's enough".
Sensei stopped it.
I was told that his eyes bugged out pretty big when I fell on
the guy from about shoulder height.
(my mentor is a very seasoned judoka, much bigger people than
me have fallen on his head. He thinks it's fun.)
Kokyu dosa after randori was made interesting enough, lots of
"moon hand" lessons.
I have a really hard time looping my hand over the other
person's wrist in kokyu dosa, not sure why.
In closing, I was told that I needed to work on "aiki" which
does not come naturally to me. I am a fighter, a survivor, and
it's hard to let go of, even when my strength fails me. My goal
is to stop aiki and survival from being opposing viewpoints in
my head.
Then we went to the Dog and Duck and my mother bought me a
pint of Murphy's and gave me some GORGEOUS labradorite
earrings. My godmother and godbrother were there as well.
There was no video camera available, but pics were taken and I
will share those as soon as I can.
Ya'll's encouragement and advice over the past year or so has
been wonderful, priceless, hugs to you.
Yes, I passed.
mle
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