6 minutes in seiza=OUCHIE!

Got to class about 30 minutes early tonight. Bob Sensei was teaching.
Class was pretty small tonight-- 13 people including me and Sensei.

Same partner all night...

Katatetori ai hanmi//

Shihonage backstretch then ukemi (omote/ura)

Ikkyo (omote/ura)

Iriminage (omote/ura)

Kotegaeshi (omote/ura)

Ushiro tekubitori//
Any technique from previous list but had to get uke into ai hanmi first.
I was having a hard time holding onto nage's hand on the swing up. Sensei came over and told me to grip with my pinkie.. I didn't even realize I was trying to grip with my index finger and thumb-- like some aristocrat drinking tea, my pinkie was sticking out. After making that small adjustment, I was holding on just fine.


Yokomenuchi--tenshin to get uke into ai hanmi//
Any technique again

Shomenuchi-- slide in like you are doing ikkyo omote, but swing out a little sliding in front of uke and back, cutting down so you end up in ai hanmi
Any technique.

It was strange because while working on above attack, my partner could not figure out how to get into ai hanmi after sliding in front of me and cutting down. I attacked her several times and we kept ending up in gyaku hanmi. I suggested we ask Sensei. He came over and demonstrated it for me on my partner. We then went back to practicing. I tried attacking her several times and we still couldn't figure it out, so I asked her attack me. I managed to get us into ai hanmi without a problem.
I tried showing her what I was doing, but then she would try and we'd end up in the wrong stance. We never did quite figure it out, but I think maybe she was stepping back instead of sliding. We didn't even get to the techniques.. lol Sensei saw us struggling, but he didn't seem inclined to assist. I guess he wanted us to figure it out. O_o

Kokydosa then took a short break.

When we came back he ran through my partner's test. with about 15 minutes left, Sensei told us we needed some quiet time. He pulled out two wooden blocks and explained a breath exercise. Told us only to sit in seiza if we thought we could sit still for 5 minutes-- otherwise sit in hanza (cross-legged).
Seiza is basically kneeling and then sitting back on your heels. In our dojo, proper seiza is knees spread apart about three fists width, left toe over the right, back straight. This is surprisingly very painful, even on a relatively soft mat.
He said not to shift between the two while breathing.
Me being the apparent masochist that I am, I decided I could handle 5 minutes in seiza. Closed our eyes and tried to focus on breathing. I don't think I did very well. My knees and ankles were on fire by the time he told us to open our eyes-- Sensei cheated too, we went 6 or 7 minutes. Funny though, it didn't seem that long, and I didn't have to shift. I don't think my knees will thank me tomorrow.
He said it was not uncommon to sit like that practicing various breathing exercises for 20-30 minutes at a time. O_o

Almost makes suwari waza (techniques done on the knees) sound pleasant... LOL

Sorry not many details tonight. Was a rather sedate class, and I was pretty low energy. I'm looking forward to a change of pace on Saturday. Usually Sidney or Steve Sensei teaches the am class.
I am disappointed that I'll miss watching testing. Ahh well, maybe next time. (though next time I might be testing...eek!)
Neda asked me tonight if I was testing for 5th kyu. Negative ghost rider--not enough hours. She told me to ask Sensei about testing for 6th kyu, which in our dojo is sort of an unnoficial rank. I think I can wait. LOL I don't want testing thoughts looming in the back of my head. (though according to some, the only way to fail 5th kyu is to not swing up the entire test.)

Ah well, time for a hot shower.

Liz