Kendo Grading

Some pictures from my recent Kendo grading :)

Registration and number assignment

Woot! Ready to go!

My turn! (2nd from the right)

Younger (and higher ranking) kids, grading in armour

Waiting for results

Lowest ranked amongst the three

Moral Support

Woohoo! My results just got announced! :)

777...7?

On 07/07/07 I passed my Kendo grading... to 7th kyu :)

Kendo armour here I come!



Update: Just realised while looking at my photo that the number I was assigned also adds up to... 7! :)

Aikido: Hard Sessions

Migi Kamae

Aikido session yesterday was intense, and tough. Spirit seems to be strong in the dojo all round. Body aching all over, but it's all good, just hope to be ok for Kendo on Wednesday.

Focused a lot on Kihon Dosa, or basic movements, with an extra half hour drill at the end of class. Technique wise, learnt a move invented by Sensei Soh Har, who was there on the day to teach us! At the end of it, my legs were ready to give way, and fainting seemed to be a pleasant option at the time.

All worth it though, as at the end, Abang Zaki treated us all to some good food, as a way to celebrate his son's (Azizi) great performance in the Japan Open International Taekwondo Championship in Osaka recently. He received a gold and silver medal as well as the Best Performer Award! Well done Azizi! (Click here)

Osu!

Sweet message from Awang

Thanks Abang Zaki!

Teachers, family, friends

Arrgh forgot to Photoshop my belt!

Soh Har Sensei

Thamby Sensei, Father of Malaysian Aikido

Kendo: I <3 Kiri-kaeshi

Went to my second Kendo class since I got back from London today. First class last week was a bit slow, as I had to train with total noobs, doing basic swings (zzzz....) Today was soo much better! Trained with the seniors, met my old dojo mates, and got to do practice drills (waza-geiko) with the seniors. Did my fave drill, Kiri-kaeshi (see vid below) I like! Still kinda rusty, missing the target a few times, and need to focus on proper posture and form.

Still, was a good session, looking forward to next class.

Aikido: Yoshinkan Aikido demonstration

Aikido Yoshinkan (養神館, Yōshinkan, lit. House for Cultivating the Spirit) is a style of aikido founded by Gozo Shioda (1915-1994) after World War II.

Yoshinkan Aikido is occasionally called a "hard style" because the training methods are a product of the grueling period that Shioda spent as a student of Morihei Ueshiba. It is also generally closer to aikijujutsu than so-called "soft styles" of aikido, and has sharper, more angular movements. The unusual emphasis placed on correct form rather than correct flow and timing further contributes to its image as a "hard style." However, the merit of such terms as "hard" and "soft" is generally believed to lie on the superficial level of describing a style's "feel", rather than saying anything about the heart of the style itself.

Source: Wikipedia

Aikido: Sokumen Iriminage

Second class since I came back was good. Still feeling a bit slower and more sluggish than before, but much better than last week. Class also seems a bit more intense now, more drills, rolls and flips, which I love. Did a few techniques as usual, but concentrated on sokumen iriminage throws and a few variants. All in all, very satisfying, and can't wait for next class.

Osu!

Aikido: It's good to be back! :)

Aikido: Yubi Dori

Yubi Dori (Finger Lock)



Coming back soon and looking forward to resuming my Aikido training. A short clip of a practical use of Aikido for self defence, in this clip, controlling an agressor using his fingers.

Sensei Joe Thambu of Shudokan Aikido Melbourne
www.aikidoshudokan.com

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Kendo: UCL Kendo Club Pt 2

More Kirikaeshi practice (see Part 1), and head, hand and body strikes practice. Then today moved on to uchikomigeiko practice...

Uchikomigeiko*

Uchikomi (single-step striking) practice is designed to allow students to attack a passive receiver. The receiver typically makes a target available to the student, who strikes and follows through just as if it were a real match. It is in uchikomi practice that the student perfects the coordination of sword stroke, body movement, and intent. The goal is to bring all one's physical and mental powers to bear upon the target at a precise moment in time.

Hiki-men

Interesting, and more challenging. Lots of work still to be done, on everything from footwork to strikes and timing. Also learnt Hiki-men, attacking while moving backwards from a tsubazeriai (stand-off). Not as easy as how the senseis make it look tho.

Hiki-men (vid of kids as I could not find any better ones)

Stuart 'Gibbo' Gibson

Oo also found out that I actually have the privilege of training under Stuart Gibson, who is currently 4th time national champion and 2nd time British Open champion. He was also awarded the Fighting Spirit award at the World Championships in Taipei December 2006. Whoaaaaa! If even a little knowledge rubs off on me, I am very lucky indeed.

Stuart 'Gibbo' Gibson (tallest guy in the middle, standing)

Some useful phrases

Hiki-men - Strike to the head while moving backwards
Tsuba - Sword guard
Tsubazeriai - Sword guard against sword guard (stand-off before attack)

*Definition taken from http://www.yamatanidojo.com/kendo_practice.htm

Kendo: UCL Kendo Club

Did Kiri-Kaeshi, the staple of Kendo practice. Involves hitting another person, which was a first for me. Only did basic solo practice swings before this. Felt weird at first, but I got into the swing of things (groan) towards the end.

Kiri-kaeshi: Basic strike to the head, followed by alternate left/right strikes to the head while moving (4 strikes forward, 5 strikes back).

"Relax your shoulders!"

"Shout louder!"

"Control with your left arm!"

"Footwork! Footwork! Footwork!"

All this and more on Day 1, and I think this was one of the lighter days. Looks like some tough classes coming up, but that can only be a good thing :)

Photo: http://www.kendo.uclu.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Gallery.Gallery

Outing with me cuzzies

I heart my cousins, and they heart me :)

Raya Pics

Hi all!

Lazy to write as usual, so this is gonna be short and sweet. Summary of Raya in pics.

Enjoy!

Brothers...



Cousins...





Friends...




Some bunga api...



Treats...





Woooo duit raya! (So happy, still got some this year woohoo!)



And finally, back to this... yeay!!



Selamat Hari Raya everyone!

Kendo: Beginnings

A short but informative piece on Kendo. Classes have been good so far, learning basic swings, kata, and footwork. Good news is my gi and hakama (see picture below) have arrived woohoo! Can't wait to put it on. I dunno, wearing a t-shirt and loose pants reminds me I'm a beginner, seems to take the fun a bit out of things hehehe.

Gi and Hakama

Hmm, I guess I better learn to put it on. This will come in handy.

Aikido: International Shudokan Aikido Gasshuku

I had the privilege of attending the International Shudokan Aikido Gasshuku the whole of last week. International not in location (Seremban, KL then Port Dickson), rather, international in that the participants came from Australia, UK, Indonesia, and some from Iran, Vietnam and Libya.

The programme itself was rather simple, training hard everyday, morning and evening, under amazing Senseis or Masters of Aikido, especially Sensei Joe Thambu who I have mentioned before in an earlier piece. Had to work extra hard as I was the only representative from Seremban Dojo (Birthplace of Shudokan Aikido), and me only a white belt! Woooo pressure.

Met loads of people, who were all very nice, and not all from our style of Aikido. Aikikai students from Singapore and Phillipines also attended.

In between training there were demonstrations in Seremban, KL and Port Dickson. During the whole thing, I had to MC a dinner (of 200!), sell t-shirts (what the??), take a midnight stroll on the beach (nice), roti canai at 1am (yum), and loads of other stuff.

Anyway learnt a lot, met people, had fun. Nuff said. I'll update this piece with pictures once I've got them all from various sources.

Update: Photos added

Seremban Dojo


1. Enrica, Nicole, Me
2. Sensei Thamby Rajah with Aikidoka from all over
3. Phew, training's over!


Tiara Beach Resort Training


Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!



1. Aikido Chicks
2. Indon Crew
3. The 5 Roommates


Port Dickson

The Senseis


1. Senseis from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, and UK
2. Sensei Gerard doing what he does best
3. Sensei Mark, Sensei Damon, and Sensei Jeremy


The Amazing Kids



1. Seremban Dojo kids woohoo!
2. Dhuha the Amazing
3. Awang the Awesome


Misc




1. Syuhada and Salihah
2. Salihah kicking ass!
3. Sensei Joe Thambu
4. Sensei Mark, me! (The one pulling his stomach in mwahahahaha)