Going back to the dojo after a long time was a major shock to the system. Much as I had kept practicing my kata as part of my mindfulness and breathing exercise, it was no preperation for the loss of stamina, and having to learn again how to pace myself to last a lesson given my health issues. Along with such exercise also come the aches and pains of using muscles vigourously for the first time in ages.
Nontheless it was a great feeling to be back amost friends, and now in the same class as my son. Before Covid he was a cadet, and now he's 18 and was even keener than me to get back into the swing of things than me😊. We've just finished the third lesson back, and of course the biggest realisation after practicing solo for so long, is how much I missed the pairs work. Some of it was familiar as basics never change, but a fair bit of the drill work was new to me.
Some of it I remember from the online lessons during Covid, but of course ultimately it's no real substitute for practicing with a partner. It's one thing to think you've grasped the dynamics involved, it's another to actually get to practice them on a person, rather than on a pad or thin air. Especially with a willing partner to practice with at home!
The drill I want to practice to get the dynamics right is the one I've documented below. One habit I intend to keep up from previous blogs is to document some key elements of practice to act as an aide-memoire, once I've checked them with my Sensei.
Response to grab (single handed)
1) Place nearest hand on grabbing hand, open handed slap to the side of the head with opposite hand.
2) Move slapping hand across to other side of the neck and hook it round the neck.
3) Release grabbing hand and slide your other hand over the grabbing arm and under the armpit
4) Hook hand under the shoulder to break the grip, then step back with leg on slapping side.
5) As you take a step back, push the head down and lift the shoulder up
6) This should put the head below chest level and give enough space to get in a knee strike
That's so I can practice with my son later 😊
Thanks for reading
REY 17/05/2025