The Waiting Game

 

One of the most stressful experiences at any point in your life is the waiting game. However, it seemed more tense this time round than on any previous occasion.   Being removed from your post as a result of an adverse mental health experience doesn't help, even when the company the employs you assure you of their good intentions, especially at the age of 61 with a family.

Working in the Security Industry meant at this time were always going to be delays due to the prevailing circumstances.  However, even being aware of the circumstances doesn't help lessen the tension.  The only way I found through this was to focus on one thing at a time, keep up my CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) routine and try to find things to distract.

There are many issues which I need to resolve, but 90% of them require some solid basis on which to plan, which is precisely what I haven't had.  These were the hardest to put to one side, but it was a must as dwelling on them would have done me no good.  I found out about what my employer had in mind round about mid February, but it has taken until now for this to really feel concrete.  I begin work officially in my new role on the 1st of April coming, practically on the 4th of April.

In the time spent waiting, I have started practicing the frame works for 4 of the 5 Pinan kata (this is going back to December, when I was originally signed as fit to returned to work in a controlled manner) and started on a couple of kata with Sai.  Now I'm starting to build up my personal practice time, as I haven't made it back to the dojo yet due to family and health considerations.  But the Waiting Game is almost over, and hopefully I can start to slowly start pulling the pieces together and getting some things in life back on track.  

I want to say a big "Thank You" to my Sensei, family and friends for their support during this time.

REY 26/03/2022

Quadrant drill

The Quadrant Drill was originally taught to us as a paired exercise in the Dojo.   There are two roles, one primarily the aggressor and the other primarily the defender.   The role focussed on here is the  aggressor role, and it is this part that became a staple part of the video lessons of our dojo, along with the 5 pad drills based on the Naihanchi kata.  I will also add text descriptions of the complementary action of the defender role where I can remember them.

Quardrant Drill, 1st 3 elements

The first three elements are: Jab, Cross, Hook

The counters: FH parry, move head away from parry

BH parry, move head away from parry

Step in, triangle block (forearm to neck)

Quadrant Drill, 2nd 3 elements

The second three elements are: Hammer fist, Looping left, Hook

Counters are, Cross arm block,

Triangle block to right,

Triangle block to left

Quadrant Drill  part 3, 6 elements

The next 6 elements are: LH backhand, Right elbow, LH uppercut to ribs, RH uppercut to ribs, LH shuto to RH side of neck and hold, RH shuto to LH side of the neck.

Counters are: Step back into Cat stance, shuto parry,
Step in to elbow attack, back of LH, re-enforced by open RH over the top of the right arm of attacker,
RH gedan uke, LH gedan uke,
No counters to shutos, brace arms for knee strikes

Quadrant Drill Part 4, switches and knees

The next three elements are: hands clasp behind neck in gable grip (fingers and thumb on each hand together); switch stance, dragging head left then left knee; switch stance, dragging head right then right knee.

Counter: Braced arms to receive knee strikes.

Quadrant Drill Part 5, head, sweep, shoulder

The final three elements of the first part of the drill are as follows: (release gable grip to allow to come back up) Head butt, sweep arms down, Shoulder barge, with rear hand up by front shoulder.

Counters: Braced hands to receive head butt

Quadrant Drill Part 6, 2nd half of drill.

The first part of the drill formed the main focus for most of the time when going through the quadrant drill during Covid, but we did recap the second half too on many occasions.  The elements for this part tended to not be separated out so much, but gone through as a succession, and that it how I will cover them here:

Mawashi Geri; Mawashi Geri holding kicking leg extended; Mawashi Geri with follow through back to stance; Ashi Uke; Mai Geri to mid section; Mai Geri to mid section; Mai Geri to groin; Back fist. followed four punches to upper torso; Three punches to mid section; Duck and weaver under punches; Arm trap; Back off.

With counters, I only ever learnt as far as the Ashi Uke part, that I can remember.  So to the first Mai Geri, the counter is Ashi Uke, to the Mai Geri with extended kicking leg the counter is trapping the kicking leg between hip and arm and to the final Mai Geri is to step back and scopp round with the front hand.  For the Ashi Uke, there is a return Mai Geri.

Below are a few videos taken of the Quadrant Drill during Covid through both 2020 and 2021.  I still include the Quadrant Drill in my solo practice to this day.

Quadrant Drill x2 3 July 2021

Quadrant drill 08 March 2021

Quadrant drill April 26 2020

REY 26/03/2022

Kata with Sai

I haven't formally been trained in Sai, but some time back, attending a session online with Sensei Tuari Dawson wetted my appetite.  Since been given Sai as a birthday present, I have occasionally used Sai with kata to see how they might fit.  This year however, due to personal circumstances, most of my practice and training has been solo and I found myself picking up the Sai more often.

Sanchin with Sai

I started off with Sanchin, which for some reason seemed to fit, and have been doing that for a couple of months now.  However, on my birthday, a message from one of my FB friends took me back to a video shared with me a couple of years ago.  It was of another standard kata, but done with Sai.  The first time round, I hadn't recognised it, but it was essentially Pinan Nidan.  Well, not quite.  

Pinan Nidan with Sai

I have tried it out a few times, and this weekend if formed the basis of a discussion with PJ Broomy.  Two things came out of this:

Firstly the kata is actually a blend of Taigyoku Shodan and Pinan Nidan
Secondly, I need to work on my Sai manipulation, as I still have a lot to learn.

PJ has kindly guided me to some YouTube material by Tuari Dawson, so time to get studying....