Missed Tuesday - I admit I sort of wimped out. I had a slight headache that used for an excuse not to go, then I felt terrible because at about 8:30 I remembered one of our members tested on Tuesday. She's headed to Switzerland to teach English for the second time in as many summers that I know of. She took her fifth kyu test, and I am told she did very well. So she goes to Europe as a yellow belt.
Thursday came around, and I was determined to go. Our regular sensei taught class. We worked on some advanced techniques, since there are no tests in the near future. I felt good about being there, but I was less successful with the techniques. One technique started similar to a shiho-nage, but then there was another irimi step, and then we were supposed to pull uke through so that we were both facing the same direction and nage would pull uke backwards and down into a fall. I was not so good on that one, as it felt much more natural for me to pull the uke backwards to the incorrect side - when I should have pulled uke through on my left, it felt much more natural for me to pull my uke to the right. I fixed the issue, but then I felt like I was tripping over myself.
Saturday's are different. Each Saturday I promise myself I'll leave later than the Saturday before, and each Saturday I get there way too early. We got into the dojo late, because no one had the key. Today we had two hours of weapons, rather than one hour of weapons and one hour of open hand - or vise versa, depending on who is teaching.
At one point during class we talked about adding the naginata to our weapons regime. Some thought is was a good idea, other thought not because it was a "woman's weapon." I mentioned that in ancient paintings of samurai, they were shown on the battlefield with katana and naginata. Besides, I said, when it's time for the coming zombie apocalypse, I'd like to know how to handle a naginata. I love my katana (so okay, it's a bokken), but I'd like to be able to use both effectively.
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