Holiday training comes to an end.

This posts comes at the end of the school holidays. Another three days of training are behind me covering tanto, sword and idori. Good times.

We covered defences against sword disarms, tanto disarms and then the Shoden idori set. It was good to get back into the groove over the last two weeks knowing that when the next term starts family and work will reduce my training significantly, again. That is the balance of family and work life and my children will only be young once so I need to make the most of it. 

Saturday morning training.

We have a steady group at the Hamilton Dojo and usually have five to six on the mat most days. This is good for working with different body types and with people at different places in their training. Personally, it was good to knock the dust off some of the kata I hadn't trained in a while and sharpen up the others that I know well. I have been working on timing, structure and adding an edge to the movements. I like the expressions 'grind the stone' and 'polish the mirror'. To me, the first expression means to remove the rough edges of my movements, get the basic patterns memorised and performed adequately through constant practise. The second expression means to work on the small things, refine my movements in an attempt to improve the exactness of technique. To do this requires paying attention to the slightest nuances of structure, kuzushi and timing. I have had the opportunity over the last two weeks to do a bit of both. Polishing the mirror also refers to having the right attitude. When I bow in front of the kamidana my image is reflected back at me by the kagami (mirror). This is a time for reflection on my practice and spirit. 

There is not much more to add right now. So until next time, happy training!