Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 11/22/08

Aikidokas: Trey.

Sensei Tim was still under-the-weather, so I got to run another class

Ukemi: The usual set and we worked on some knee-walking to get Trey introduced to it.

The Walk: Twice. Once with the eyes closed. I really messed up in the midst of one stone on the Walk and ended up 90 degrees from where I should.

Releases: with Trey. I was not doing well: rushing and being late at different times

Techniques:

We went through 6-13 of Ju Nana Hon Kata. We spent a lot of time on kote-gaeshi without much success. Trey can see what he needs to change, but he's not having luck changing it. He stops moving partway through and should keep moving throughout the technique. When he stops, I can regain my balance very quickly.

We also played with oshi-taoshi and came up with some information that was new to both of us.

Normally, you get the initial off-balance and uke's lead foot lands. If there's sufficient off-balance that uke has to take a step with the trailing foot, the angles for taking uke to the floor change.

In the normal case, we say tori should go over the mountain, taking uke's elbow through his ear. This does not work if the non-lead foot is in a strong position for uke. If you go over the mountain from this position, uke will land in a heap, possibly on his back or shoulder. I found this out the hard way.

We played with the foot positions and angles for a bit and discovered that over the mountain works for the normal case because uke's fourth toe is right in line with over the mountain direction, so tori ends up taking uke's balance off of his fourth toe which will lead to a fall.

We then played with the angles for the second case and discovered that tori needs to take uke's elbow out over the fourth toe of the non-lead foot. This is just a little in front of uke's face and allows a good fall and face plant.


Aftermath: A nice solid workout that caused some muscles to ache.

I certainly hope my muscles get used to this work.

Back on the hunt for caches

Saturday morning I was able to hit the caching trail on my way into town to run some errands. I found the following caches:

At the Point (Traditional Cache)
Winnie-The-Pooh Cache (Traditional Cache)
Memorial TB Hotel (Traditional Cache)
Life's A Beach (Traditional Cache)

A gorgeous morning to be wandering in the woods hunting for tupperware.

Aquarium update

Ran by some fish store on Saturday and picked up a number of fish:

3 Green Chromis
2 Tomato Clowns
1 Pink spotted Goby

I also picked up some corals:
A Blue Xenia
Polyp of some sort

I just found out that one of the clowns did not make it. K. found it dead in the tank this afternoon. Bummer! I was worried as I was not able to take the time I would normally like to acclimate them when I got them home.

In the shop

I managed some more time and made progress on the face frames. They are installed on 80% of the cabinets. The final face frame is glued up and drying. I plan on installing that one this evening.

I went out and bought some 2x4s for the work surface. I'll start working on those tonight: start laying out where half-laps need to be cut, etc. When the final cabinet has the face frame installed I can start installing the work surface. I'm going to lay down the 2x4s and then put a sheet of 3/4" plywood on top and then a sheet of hardboard or something similar.

I need to adjust the wing table on my table saw. I didn't do a great job of installing it and now where it meets the metal table of the saw it is out of alignment. It needs to be fixed. But, I have to take off the fence to do it. Urgh.

Weekend update

Friday: officially teaching my first aikido class

Saturday:

Geocaching
Stops at: Fish gallery, City Pets, Woodcraft, Fish Bowl and more
teaching my second aikido class
Durango's

Sunday:
In the shop working on face frames
Grocery shopping
Frito Pie for dinner and lunches for the week

Aikido Friday Night - 11/21/08

Aikidokas: Kim, Trey and Tom.

Sensei Tim had a cold, so I got the opportunity to run my first class as a Black Belt. I knew it was coming, but I did not expect it so soon.

Ukemi: I worked with Tom on his ukemi and took a brief set of falls to warm up

The Walk: Twice, as is the usual custom

Releases: worked with Tom on 1-4. He started to grok the stuff

I worked with Tom on the Walk and releases on a one-to-one basis. We also covered moving from your center, and falling instead of stepping.

Techniques:

I worked, very briefly with Trey on Kote-gaeshi at the end of the session. I took one right-sided fall and dang if my left calf didn't act up again.

Aftermath: Left calf was offended at my kote-gaeshi fall.

In the shop

I finally got some concentrated shop time this weekend and was able to make some progress on the face frames for the shop cabinets. I'd glued up some panels earlier, but I finished up the remaining ones. I then ripped them to near finished width, planed them smooth, checked for proper length and then ripped to final width.

I've got one set that I still have to check and cut to proper length. Then I can start assembling the rails and stiles and decide if I'm going to use biscuits.

Progress!

Weekend update

Friday:

Aikido

Saturday:

E-Waste recycling drop-off
Stop by mom's to drop off some stuff
Mass nursery for some blueberry plants
Feed store for some dog food
Bay Area Aquarium to browse
Aikido
Joe's Bar-B-Q
In the shop for some work

Sunday:

Late to rise
In the shop for some work
Home Depot for some RO/DI parts
Short geocaching stint
Football
Pumpkin cake

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 11/15/08

Aikidokas: Tim, Richard, Kim, and Trey.

Ukemi: The usual set

The Walk: not today

Releases: not today

Techniques:

Richard worked with me on starting the Koryu Dai San No Kata. I need to know the first 16 of the following.

Suwari-waza (Kneeling Techniques)

Uke Kneeling
Tori Kneeling

1. Oshi-Taoshi
2. Gyaku-game-ate
3. Kote-Gaeshi
4. Ryote-mochi-sukui-nage

Uke Standing
Tori Kneeling

5. Tenkai-kote-heneri
6. Shiho-nage
7. Gedan-Ate
8. Hiji-Kime

Tachi-waza (Standing)

9. Kote-mawashi
10. Uchi-tenkai-nage
11. Gyaku-gamae-ate
12. Hiji-Kime
13. Mae-otoshi
14. Ushiro-waza-mae-otoshi
15. Ushiro-waza-tenkai-kote-heneri
16. Mune-tori-kata-gatame

I'm not certain if the above are as I'll be learning them. The second one does not appear to correspond to what I learned on Saturday, so I need to get some official information. #1 and #3 are correct, though, as is #9.

It was very interesting work.

Aftermath: Sore, sore, sore, sore, sore. My ankles, toes and knees weren't sore. My upper body was. I think it was because of different muscle groups being used for working in a kneeling posture.

I certainly hope my muscles get used to this work.

Aikido Friday Night - 11/14/08

Aikidokas: Tim, Kim, Trey and a new student whose name I've forgotten.

Ukemi: I worked with the new student, introducing him to rolls on the crash pad.

The Walk: as usual, with our new student in the middle of the rest of us

Releases: none tonight

Techniques:

I oversaw Kim and Trey learning: Kote-Hineri, Kote-gaeshi, and Tenkai Kote-Hineri. I'd demonstrate it and then they'd work on it alternating roles as uke/tori. Then I uke'd for each one of them a couple of times.

Aftermath: None of note

At the movies: The Fall

The Fall: 4

This one is a borderline 4. I'd really have to watch it again to know whether I'd watch it again.

I missed this when it came to theatres, but I'd hoped to see it so much I went out and bought it with a Best Buy gift card.

From imdb.com

In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.

Starring
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies)
Catinca Untaru

Catinca did a fabulous job. I think she was absolutely stunning in her role as the little girl.

I was able to follow the story that was told fairly well, but I think I got a little lost toward the end when they flashed back to the cause of Roy Walker's (Lee Pace) injury. I think seeing it again will clear things up quite a bit, so I'll probably watch again soon.

But, that probably deems it a failure as a movie: it doesn't tell the story clearly enough. Now is that failure caused by the distractions of watching at home as opposed to the theatre? I think a re-watching might answer the question.

I loved the sets, costumes and colors of the movie. Very reminiscent of "Pushing Daisies".

Aquarium update

Current inhabitants:

2 Chromis
4 Pajama Cardinals

We've lost several chromis, but it appears to be stabilizing.

I expected to get my cleanup crew in the mail today, but it did not arrive. I'm waiting on getting them into the tank before I acquire any more fish.

I've got a potential deal in the works for some coral in trade for my stained glass work table. I hope it works out.

I'm still not quite done with my RO/DI system. I'm waiting on some more tubing.

Black Belt aka Shodan

I had my black belt demonstration this past weekend at a seminar in Killeen. It went far better than I thought it would. I'd had far less time to work on the stuff necessary for this demonstration than I'd hoped.

Friday night I spent two hours working with Russell, a student at Full circle Aikido, getting used to each other and preparing for the demo. It was pretty disastrous and I was beat. I'd not done that much work as tori in a long time.

Saturday I participated in the morning and early afternoon seminar sessions. Sensei Tim then declared the mat was for use by the folks who would be demonstrating, so I got one last run-through of the material.

The demonstration itself went fairly well. The A/C was off so instructions could be heard and as a result, according to my wife, I was melting during my demonstration. I was a puddle.

I don't know of any major screwups, but I'm not certain if I did an effective set of Owaza Ju Pon. It felt good, but uke may have been taking a fall.

I still need to work on this quite a bit.

Next up: Owaza Ju Pon 1-10 and Ni Kata 1-16, I think.

Weekend update

Friday:

Travel to Killeen for an aikido seminar.
The evening session had me working with Russell on my demonstration prep. Everyone else was working on balance breaks.

Saturday:

Offensive and defensive jo work from San Kata
My black belt demonstration

Sunday:

Drive back to Houston
Stop by Bay Area Aquariums to see if my stuff was ready
Dinner at Joe's

Volleyball, 1-2

We ended the season at the bottom of the ranks. Bummer.

We had a good time, even if it would have been more fun to win.

We'll get 'em next season.

Aquarium progress

Stopped by Bay Area Aquarium, watched the huge crowd ebb and flow and then chatted with Minh. I picked up 4 pajama cardinals and got Minh to work on modifying my PM HOB skimmer.

PJs are doing ok so far, even with the Chromis in the tank. One of the PJs may not be eating. I hope he comes around.

Weekend update

Friday:

Traveled up to Conroe to help with the Houston Open Judo Tournament. I help with putting down the mats and setting up the venue. K. helped with getting folks registered.

Saturday:

Houston Open Judo Tournament - K. helped with registration and scorekeeping while I just did scorekeeping. It seems the tournament was not quite as full as last year, but I don't have actual numbers to back that up

Drove home and went to Durango's with K. and K.

Sunday:

grocery shopping
aquarium shopping
football