The creative flair was strong this Monday, starting with the first hour of Aikido. The task was to keep being creative and fluid with your physical aikido solutions to all the rapid attacks your partner sent your way! This started with just the basic manipulations but ended up with a full body work out of locks, takedowns and holds, Richard San only gave guidance, the rest was up to the Sen’s to work out; which they did! The second hour was the usual sword class, but again the theme was creativity, the class had to pick up a sword pattern that Richard San was writing with them, no time for in depth analysis of the kata, every thing was about speed of deed and thought this week!

Wisewarrior sword

Wisewarrior sword

Some patterns have become milestones on a students journey to black belt and the brown belt knife defence waza is most definitely one of these. It takes skill to master the moves and a certain kind confidence to perform these advanced defences on opponents hell bent on testing your witts as well as your memory. Dohigh Jon learnt the first half of this waza this week, catching up after his illness with the rest of the Blue belts, and gave a pretty good account of himself!
Knife defence is one of those things that you just can’t practice enough. Its a common weapon on the streets in this day and age, all the more reason to keep working on those timing, speed and distance skills.
And so it was this wednesday for round 2 of Tim Sans knife defence system. Gauging distance is at the heart of this concept as without that skill the powerful strikes just can’t be executed, let alone seizing control of the opponent.

The physical is nothing in martial arts without speed of thought, and the more relaxed, confident and creative we are…then the faster we become!

See you in the dojo!