bushido_man96

6/4/2026 Aikido: 8:45 - 9:45 am. Morning Class. Warming up with Ryotetori tenchinage, with tenkan (4th kyu). The tenkan causes me to think, and I feel like I'm not hitting the knife hand down block draw. Katatetori yonkyo (4th kyu): this starts like 5th kyu katatetori sankyo, but stays low, and you try to find the pressure point with the bottom bone of the index finger, and "cut down" like with a sword (the cut affect still helps the technique to be finished even if you aren't hitting that nerve). I struggled with the alignment of the grip. Munetski kotegashi (5th kyu): on the step and tenkan, I can still use the knife hand down block draw application. Ushiro tekubitori kokyunage (4th kyu): omote version, I think. These are weird. Uke runs in and cross-grabs the lead hand and then circles around the back to secure the other wrist from behind. I have to do an initial side step while pulling or "drawing" the grabbed wrist to my center (the step is with the back leg to side they are circling to). This step and draw helps to add momentum to swing them around. Then the arms come up high with the wrists just above the head and in front (sensei called them "squirrel arms" and they are bent like T-rex arms). Finish by stepping forward with the inside leg and bow while bringing the arms down. We do an aikitaiso motion like this in warmups. We finished class by getting to do whatever technique we wanted. I did the two versions of tenchinage. Stretch.

I think it's so cool that you found @Wastelander on social media and was following along with him before you got here, and then found out Wastelander was here, too. That says a lot about Wastelander's presence out there. Question: who's your favorite Turtle?

Congrats, @camotheman!

Thank you so much for these words, @Patrick! I don't know what to say! Thank you so much, Bob! It means the world to me!

Very cool, @Drew. I didn't know you had fought so much! I think that's awesome. And I thank you for the kind words, too!

I've done slow-motion forms two different ways in the past (not lately, though). 1. Just doing the form slowly. Like 3-5 seconds per move. 2. Doing the moves slowly, 3-5 seconds, but with tension. This one can really wear you out.

6/3/2026 Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 285x10, 310x10, 310x10, 310x10. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3, 160x5, 160x5, 160x5. Lat Pull-downs: 130x10, 130x10, 130x10.

6/2/2026 Heavy Bag Work: 7 rounds, 1 min/45 sec. Switched to a different bag each round. 1. Straight punches, orthodox. 2. Low kicks/knees/elbows. 3. Pushing/thrusting kicks. 4. Straight punches, southpaw. 5. Kickboxing. 6. Round bag, uppercuts and hooks. 7. TKD rules. After the heavy bag rounds, I went into the TKD room and pulled out the Wavemaster standing bag. I left it at the lowest setting and did a kick flow drill over it: BL outer crescent kick (landing behind), BL spin round kick (land behind), BL spin outer crescent kick (land behind), switch feet and BL spin round kick, land behind (only off leg kick). Switched and did the combination on the other side.. Stretch in The Rack.

That Myles Garrett trade was quite the deal. They are all-in on this year. Hard telling how much longer Stafford will play, but he is playing at a high level. The only thing that is concerning is that both him and other teams are only looking at him in one, possibly two year windows, which isn't great for franchises that are trying to build beyond that. It will be interesting to see if his level of play tails off this year, or if he keeps going. I didn't see anything to make me think he's going to tail off in production, but father time does funny things to people. Wasn't shocked at all about the AJ Brown deal. The Patriots made a great run last year, playing a historically weak schedule, though, and this year will be different. We'll see if they can repeat a modicum of last year's success, and if Brown can play half a season before becoming pouty.

Suppose I should check this one out.

6/1/2026 Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 285x10, 305x10, 305x10, 305x10. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 105x5, 105x5, 105x5. Lat Pull-downs: 127.5x10, 127.5x10, 127.5x10.

Yes, if I wanted to go to the swimming pool. I don't enjoy doing so all that much anymore. But I agree that it is beneficial.

When I'm teaching DT, I'm big on making sure they keep pressing forward or at angles, and don't back up. Backing up is when we step off curbs, out into traffic, or backwards into a ditch. Falling down into the ditch is the best of these scenarios; stepping backwards into traffic is the worst. Neither are good. So I'm constantly making sure they keep pressing and not retreating.

Yes, yes it does!

@sensei8, you are perseverance incarnate! Keep up the good fight, and we'll be here for you the whole way!