Gohon Me Yaegaki Omote

[meganathenilla]

Hellooo everyone I have a few questions about footwork/posture

Firstly, in this form, when I go to the crouch after the partial noto and block (technical terms?), my back bends over forward as I go from furikaburi to kirioroshi...I think it's because of the crouching but is this a problem? I don;t do it every time but I have a feeling my posture should be straight.

Secondly, applying to omote, mae, migi, and hidari (oddly enough...not ushiro) upon kneeling after noto I tend to bend my left knee out and lean on it with my right foot slightly forward...basically not straight at all and more casual-comfy looking...I don't know if that makes sense and it's probably because i'm not used to the leg pain (haha) but is this wrong too? Is there a more specific posture?

I would have asked my Sensei but after class we got to talking about the Renaissance Festival and I totally spaced these questions. Thanks!

Megan

[Peter West]

It all makes perfect sense.
You are clearly aware that what you are doing doesn't fit the mental picture you are trying to copy. This is good, always use this for learning.

As far as the postures themselves are concerned, I don't think you should worry too much. As far as I can make out you have been training about 2 weeks now and already you are being pushed on to the 5th kata. I will not criticise the way you are being taught, everyone has their own methods, but I would not push anyone forward this fast. I generally spend about 2 months on mae, not to perfect anything, but to sufficiently strengthen the appropriate muscles for certain movements. I think this is where you are having trouble. The muscle groups you need and the ability to co ordinate them to carry your body in a way that you have not had to do before are not yet adequately developed. Just keep practicing, and most important keep that mental picture that you are trying to copy. You will then gradually strengthen what you need and it will all start to come together.

Your enthusiasm is good, but things like this do need to be tempered with some reality, and in reality this takes a lifetime.
After 30 years I am now returning to the turn in Ushiro, Migi, Hidari, Uroko gaeshi and nami Gaeshi. Of course I can turn and make the kata, but not in the way i want to. So I am spending about an hour every day practicing those turns, trying to hold a mental picture of how my sensei looks and building towards it.

Keep up the good work.

[still learning]

I, too, am surprised at how quickly you are being given new kata to learn.
After only 5 sessions - of only 45 minutes per session - you are being taught Yaegaki...........??.... however - as Peter says... I am sure that your teacher has a plan/scheme into which this learning framework fits.

As for your question RE;- body-shape during transitions from one position-action and into the next element.
There are folks who have been practicing for over 17 years [me]... and perhaps over 30 years [Peter] - - who ask the same or similar questions - -- so do not consider that you have to 'get it' this early in your Iai learning.

At the point of partial-noto [to which you refer] - - try to ensure that your back is both as straight as possible.. and as vertical as possible.
The next action - blocking a cut to the leg.......... same back shape-position, please. This should necessitate a long step backwards with the left foot/leg... which will keep your hips quite low.... which, in turn, means that you should be able to keep your posture upright.

Next action; whilst performing the kaburi... keep your upper-body upright - and push your left hip forward - to facilitate the forward movement of the left knee - and put you left knee next to/close to your right foot.

Again;- your upper-body should be upright/straight - thus you can deliver the final cut with good/correct posture.

Most of this response refers to body-shape/position.........but one should also consider weight distribution and balance issues.

Ten years from now you might well be able to perform this in a 'seemingly smooth and seemingly effortless' manner. Good luck.

[Peter West]

oh yes, technical terms
the crouch is known as sonkyo, or in this specific case iai Goshi
The block is Sune gakoi or Gedan barai

[fingerless]

Ten years[/B] from now you might well be able to perform this in a 'seemingly smooth and seemingly effortless' manner. Good luck.

You never say nice things like that to me, Bill.

[meganathenilla]

Thank you everyone I do realize that it is rather...strange? of me to be nitpicking on this stuff but I really want to practice as well as I can. Thanks again!

[craigd]

Thank you everyone I do realize that it is rather...strange? of me to be nitpicking on this stuff but I really want to practice as well as I can. Thanks again!

A fellow nitpicker!!!

I am as new to this as you are (except a lot older and a lot creakier ) so I can't give any real response to your question but as a nitpicker, I find videoing myself a real eye opener. I think to myself 'hey this is a lot better, I am pretty sure my back is straight/head up' then look at a video clip and think 'omg, there must be something wrong with this damn hardware. I can't possibly be that hunched over, I look like Quasimodo!'

As an aside, and to quote Iwata Sensei again:

"How I learnt under Yamamoto Takuji sensei.
For the first 3 months he didn't explain at all. He demonstrated the 11 Seiza No Bu waza, then I did them. We did this in turns. I learnt his iaido without asking. Three months later, he explained the reasons briefly. He taught me Seiza No Bu for 1 year. Then I could learn Tate Hiza No Bu. I visited Kochi every Sunday. I arrived at the Kochi dojo (Chidokan) at around 9:30 in the morning. I left Kochi after 3 o'clock in the afternoon by train. I practiced for 5 or 6 hours each time."

http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_hellsten_1002.htm

Sometimes I wonder if we westerners over-analyse/expect too much.

[chidokan]

I get the impression the class runs and the new people have to try and keep up...perhaps the teacher is trying to strike a balance for the generic level? At least that way you see some other stuff than mae, but not really the best way to learn, its a bit 'in at the deep end'!!! My teaching method would be to set you away doing some basic cuts and learning balance etc as Bill mentions above, let you 'have a go' at one of the techniques, then put you back onto your exercises. This keeps the boredom away for people with short attention spans, but to be honest most of us who do this dont have this problem or we wouldnt have stuck at it for so long! Just ask if you can keep going on mae for a while....If it worked for Iwata sensei it should work for everyone else....

[still learning]

You never say nice things like that to me, Bill.

Given our ages - - -we might not have ten years left in us.

Also - I was being unusually kind and supportive... I should have told her that after 20 years she might have a better grasp..........

[meganathenilla]

hahahaha you guys make me laugh The way my sensei is doing it is once I get comfortable and can remember how to do one form by hearing the name, we move on. I am only roughly learning the movements of each (not sure how many we will do in this manner) and then after I know them. We will go back and go into depth about each individual movement and position (more nitpicking!! ) though I ask alot of questions already just because i'm curious haha.

[meganathenilla]

Oh yes and thanks for the terms, Peter and the quotes (which I very much enjoy), craigd

[satsumaruma]

You never say nice things like that to me, Bill.

Also - I was being unusually kind and supportive... I should have told her that after 20 years she might have a better grasp..........

...and now we establish the answer to the comment posed by fingerless!!!

I get the impression the class runs and the new people have to try and keep up...perhaps the teacher is trying to strike a balance for the generic level? ....

Yes I had the same thought.

It seems like Megan the Vanilla has just joined when the teacher has decided to do some more 'advanced' stuff and decided she will sink or swim. That works for me.

But clearly at some point the Sensei will have to do some basics so that she will have some grounding from which to base her learning

[meganathenilla]

Ahahaha Megan the Vanilla XD. I kinda like the challenge...and I am the only student behind since the others all started around the same time so i'm assuming it's a bit of catch up so that I can work on specifics with everyone else. Oh well. I trust my Sensei and because I just started and i've no right to consider myself super serious about the sport, I'll just roll with it for now.

[satsumaruma]

I think you have to trust that your sensei knows what they are doing and has some kind of plan in mind how they like to teach.

Generally when I get newbies in my class I try to allocate a junior dan grade to help them for the first few lessons. This means I get to teach the seniors and those who have some idea what is happening so their training does not suffer any detriment because of a newbie. It also helps the newbie because they do not feel overwhelmed or that they may be holding back other people. And it also helps a junior dan grade think about their own iai; if they teach something wrong then that is what the newbie will do. So they really have to do some deep thinking about what is important to show and what is too much. I find this is as helpful in developing people almost as much as practice is.

Of course I will wander over at times and ensure that what is being taught is both correct and relevant to the newbies experience.

[meganathenilla]

yep! That sounds like my classes! I like it that way too, I'd rather not become part of the group until i'm able so that they don't have to wait up for me