Jo Kata and Connection

Today Rich Sensei lead the class and started off with some Atemi practice.  We got some practice on striking two phonebooks in order to work on our Shomenuchi, Yokomenuchi and Menutski strikes.  We are working on giving honest attacks and not being "sacrificial lambs" as the Sensei's call it!! This will help us all to have better practices as both Uke and Nage.  When we all train genuinely we all learn correctly and avoid bad habits.

Rich Sensei was at the Saotome Sensei Seminar with Mike Machie and myself last weekend.  He went over some of the principles and techniques that were shown at the seminar to pass some of it on to the other students.  We went over the seemingly "magical" connection principles that Saotome Sensei went over.  (We also had a special guest student from Russia who was here for a month and practiced with us)  We spent time going over the one finger connection idea where you push down on their hand which is set like a waiter holding a tray of dishes.  When they push down on their hand they mimic this "wave" motion I mentioned earlier (or pulses) to draw in their energy.  This establishes a connection with their energy and if done correctly you can actually raise their hand up just by pulling your own finger up into the air.  I liken it to an analogy Tracy Sensei gave us.  Whilst doing Shomenuchi Ikkyo (a favorite of mine) your connection with their arm for a momentary time is like placing a stable table in from of someone and just as they go to lean down on it you pull it away and they crash down.  You pulse this energy or resistance to their own energy and just as their mind begins to think their is opposition and continue to force through, you pull that "table" away, as you Tenkan around behind them and the Ikkyo lock takes over as you spiral them to the ground.

Afterwards we worked on Jo technique and Kata 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJqElAyzcck
I really enjoy doing Jo Kata's with Rich Sensei.  It seems like such a simple or humble weapon and can be many household items such as a broom, mop, or walking stick. We worked on water shedding, which is the blending (not blocking) movement in which their strike is NOT resisted but redirected along the stick and past your body.  We worked on the rest of the kata and were reminded that whenever you strike with the Jo you have to twist the staff in your forward hand.