Kangeiko 2006

Kangeiko is Over! 10 days, going through all basic techniques, which are held twice in the year, in the coldest and hottest time.

Its really one extra day for me, but I somehow find it harder, and my body's sore everywhere...

This was my third 10 days training since last year, I expected this time to get easier as I learned more of the technique itself, and I suspected I wouldnt have to suffer from not knowing the techniques...yet I wasn't exactly right about that...


The purpose of these training is to go over as many techniques as possible, so we work on less time for each ones and the class moves quickly. It means my brain has to keep moving along with my body for different techniques, that makes the classes harder, I think...maybe...anyway what I know is my body is so tired : )

Also, when you dont know what you are supposed to do, you just do whatever you can do, and when you do know what you are supposed to do, you try to make it better, that can get harder...maybe...lets see how I would find the next time ; )

Very excitedly, we were able to have a teacher from other dojo, whose arms are the longest as I ever trained with. I must have looked stupid when I tried Ikkajo Pin on these long arms as my knees going so apart trying to make the stretch which usually makes sense on people I train with.
The way he showed Ushirowaza arms circle somehow explained a lot to me, I dont exactly know what I saw or how I saw but it was easier to see why its necessary.
And Kokyuho...knowing my shoulder dont react to anybody's kokyuho, I wondered whether to tell him so, or not.....but I soon found that he didnot care, or at least he did not show even if he did, and he just got what he needed to do, and he taught me how it works, and how to make it work...it was brilliant.
It was fun learning from him, also fun seeing other black belts' aikido, these occasions give me a flash to the path which our teachers tell me in everyday training.

There always no time to be "off" on the mat, especially these period, we are not even given the chance to stop for someone who's having any kind of difficulties, which we have on regular training classes.
We sit and watch and move, and back to sit and watch and move...always moving forward, going forward which are good and tough.

Every class is different. All the techniques have different perspective and purposes and movements, that gives the class the different atmosphere and my preference for the techniques add some extra feelings to it....still its all so worth learning and trying out. I am already surprised myself for calling the favorite techniques for not the same ones from last year.

As the favorite techniques change, the least favorites change as well : ) Well, I finally see I'm getting over "right side-flips" after 6 months of practicing. So, I am not happy about having the least favorites such as Sankajo-2 (doesnt work), Kokyuho (difficult) and Kotegaeshi (or, more of Hiriki no Yosei-2 turn), still I believe I will get better sometime.

It sounds like it all comes from Kamae...as we hear from the teachers at every class!

Just to remember this Kangeiko, I enjoyed the Shomen Iriminage class the most among these 1o classes : ) Teachers kept pushing us to where we were not sure for ourselves to be able to go by speed, by technique. There was no time to wonder around for what to do, how to do, we just had to do it. And it gave me a great condifent feeling when it was done. : )