bushido_man96

6/26/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.  Morning family class.

Shomenuchi ikkyo omote (5th kyu technique):  We worked the defensive motion first, stopping and offsetting the strike, then cutting to ikkyo.

Then I did a quick review aside from the rest of the class with one of the shodans.  After the technique review, I tested.  Sensei said it was a clean test and I passed.  On my first kokyunage I still did an iriminage.  I kind of chuckled about it and later on Sensei told me he thought it was good that I could laugh at myself and remain relaxed in the moment.  I told him I thought it maybe looked like I lost my composure, but he stated he did not think that was the case.  Some of uke's attacks came in differently than what was prescribed for the techniques, but I was able to adjust and get to the technique.  Ki tests for structure at the start of testing went well.  It felt good to finally get this testing done.

Range Training:  1:00 - 3:00 pm.  We spent this session shooting at moving targets with pistol, rifle, and doing some transitions as well.  We did the drills on the line and using cover.

Hope everyone had a happy 4th!  You are right, @KarateKen, fireworks are danged expensive.  Thankfully, my boys' grandpa likes to spend money on them! 

6/23/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.  Morning family class.

Katate kosatori kokyunage ura (dynamic):  (6th kyu technique)  Nice review on this.  I need to remember to point my elbow down for kazushi.

Katatori nikkyo, static and dynamic, omote:  I felt like I wasn't doing something right, but can't put my finger on what exactly.  Just felt off.

We did a different version of shionage, with a different grab and entry.  I still need to clean this technique up.  I did kata work on this technique after class, and the problem is likely my footwork.

Demo:  Another demo in preparation for testing.  Sensei called out the technique to be performed, and then uke would attack.  I kept mixing up iriminage and kokyunage again.

Yokomenuchi shionage:  still working on the footwork.

Stretch.

I have never really given any consideration to donating any body parts post-mortem for research purposes.  I'd be interested to know what current studies of such donations have gleaned thus far.

My mother had dementia, and my father is currently battling a form of it as well.  I'm not super excited about my chances later in life.  Before my parents, though, it didn't seem to be something that ran in the family.

I think they typically only test twice a year.

Getting cut won't happen this soon.  They will see what they have in him first, and before cutting see if there is any value out there for him.  Even if they get a late round draft pick back for him, they'd be breaking even.

It still remains to be seen what he will be able to do.  I don't have high expectations at this point, but Brady was drafted late and turned out pretty good.  So has Brock Purdy.  So, I guess we'll wait and see.

On 6/26/2025, I was finally able to test for the second time in my Aikido career.  After all was said and done, Sensei congratulated me on a "clean pass."  I was pretty stoked.  There were two other students I had been working with before my surgery and recovery, and I was really hoping to get my testing in with them at the same time, but better late than never.

The dojo is having a camp this week and some of next week, but then it closes for summer break, which stinks, but it will start back up in August.  I'll be ready to hit the mats then.

On 6/23/2025 at 12:06 AM, sensei8 said:

For as many years as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write my memoirs which would include some Shindokan history/methodology/ideology, my history (boring), and as well as the SKKA civil war. I was even entertaining to write 3 separate books. One book about Shindokan history/methodology/ideology. Another book about my MA history, it would be a real short book. A third book about the SKKA civil war.

However, as many times that I’ve tried to tackle what seemed the impossible, I’d apply the brakes out of sheer ignorance and frustration of either my lack of writing skills in order to encompasses all that a great writer possesses.

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

Darn if I do and darn if I don’t!!

Here's what you should do, @sensei8.  Just start writing.  Start with your first subject, Shindokan history.  Just write stuff.  Try to be chronological, but if you need to go back and insert something, do it.  Doing it on a computer might be easier, but some prefer writing on paper.  Either is fine, so long as your handwriting is fairly legible.  Then, give a copy to someone you trust (like me! ) who can read it over for grammatical errors, ask about clarification in spots, etc, and then can send it back to you for final approval.  It's your work, and there's nothing wrong with someone else looking at to give you a different perspective and perhaps ideas on what should be added or subtracted.

That's a long grading.  Kudos to you for getting to be a part of all that, @Nidan Melbourne.

I think it's a sport that got it's start in a bar.  This kind of tough guy test has been around for thousands of years in one form or another.  Now this one has sponsorship.

Having a bright flashlight to accidentally flash into an aggressor's eyes is a highly valuable tool.  Especially some of the really bright ones that manufacturers are putting out nowdays.

I watched both, and rather enjoyed them.  Thought Affleck played the character very well.  As far as the Martial Arts go, after a while, I don't think I've seen anything new, and have to remember it's all choreography.  But, I thought most of the hand-to-hand stuff was very direct and not too flashy or over the top.  I wish I knew about Silat to be able to tell, but it's not a style you hear about often.

I wouldn't see any reason to add any more official ranking.  By breaking white belt up into the three 10 hour segments, and providing a stripe for each 10 hours they have proficiency in, should be sufficient, and you don't have to add ranks and try to take more of student's money for a "testing" that really isn't.

I think option 3 would be worth a try to start with.  The nice thing is if you don't think it's working, you can alter it and the students won't be the worse for wear.  You'll need to break things down in such a way that segment 2 builds off segment 1, and that will help retention.

6/19/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.  Morning family class.  Aikitaisos, front break falls, front rolls, back rolls.  These didn't affect me negatively all that much, which is a good sign.

Shomenuchi iriminage:  We started off working the entry to transition spot.  I managed to get popped in the nose by a new, really raw student while being uke.  When working on the right side, I felt like I was behind on everything.  Like I wasn't catching up.  Didn't feel that on the other side.  After working that a while, we transitioned the technique into a rear naked choke.  It's a really good entry for that.

After that, I got to demo again.  I was feeling the same issue when doing iriminage.  For nikkyo, I needed to finish differently, but I got it figured out.  I also managed to keep the ura in the ura nikkyo.  Shionage felt rough; I was caught doing static quite a bit, but got to work it out later.  I'll have one more review day and then will likely test.

6/16/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.  Morning family class.  Went through aikitaisos, but didn't do any rolling.

Katatetori shionage static ura:  I kept leaning back when turning and raising the arm; I need to focus on sitting more.

Katatetori shionage static omote:  Need to step rear leg across first, turn hips when stepping other foot in front to affect release.  

Katatetori shionage dynamic, omote and ura:  Same points on the leaning back.  I also worked on trying to do the proper side bread fall out if it as uke.

Katatori nikkyo static w/o pin:  Proper footwork and drag step for good angle, and turn the hips through.

Stretch.

Bradey Games's Castlevania:  Symphony of the Night Official Guide.  I started a playthrough of that game for the first time ever a few weeks ago, and the guide has been a huge help.

I've seen these pop up as well, but haven't watched them yet.  Silat is not a style you see a lot of, and if it's actually represented in the movies, then I think I'll check it out.

6/12/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.  I did some front and back rolls today, and it didn't affect me too negatively.  Hopefully, it's something I can do more of going forward.

Shomenuchi iriminage:  Good motivation on the striking arm.  I had too much weight on the front foot upon entry, and it caused me to have to take an extra step to perform the tenkan turn.  I tried to focus on keeping the weight back more.  On the motivation, I need to focus more on a horizontal motivation as opposed to pulling down on the arm so much.

Shomenuchi kokyunage:  This one went ok.  It's definitely more direct.  I could probably keep my center dropped a bit better.

I worked on a proper side fall for both of these techniques when I was uke.  After working these two techniques for a while, we took attacks and had to pick one of them to do on the fly without letting uke know what was coming.

It's cool when you get to meet people like that and you aren't disappointed.

It'll be interesting to see how the Aaron Rodgers scenario plays out in Pittsburg.  They aren't normally a team that makes short-sighted decisions like this, and I'm not sure that Rodgers pushes them over the top into championship territory.  I think Mike Tomlin typically has a pretty tight locker room, and in the past when egos have been an issue the Steelers have been more willing to let the player walk as opposed to cater to them.  It just seems to be a move outside of their normal culture standards.

@sensei8, have you considered reading The Silmarillion or any of the other compilations that came after?

Hmm, seems interesting.

6/11/2025

Nothing major today.  I did kick around a little bit in the house, and also did some door frame knuckle push-ups with different hand positions, and worked up to 25.

Tomorrow, I plan to get back to Aikido class!

@sensei8, do you use a C-PAP?

Congratulations!  This forum has meant so much to me over the past 19 years, I don't know what my Martial Arts career would look like had I not found it.  The people here have made me think much deeper about my Martial Arts studies, reconsider my approaches to some things, and overall helped me become a better student and teacher.  I really hope this community keeps churning along for many years to come.  It's still the best Martial Arts site on the planet.

Kudos @Patrick on this amazing milestone!