AUSKF Summer Camp 2008

Some notes from the AUSKF Summer Camp that I can still remember. :p They are from Terachi sensei (寺地) from Tokyo Metropolitan Police (警視庁).

Krikaeshi: dai kyo soku kei  (切り返し：大強速軽)

The priorities of kirikaeshi are in that order. First it's big and correct. Second is power. Third is speed. And finally it's lightness.

Kote men: Not just speed. Having 'impact' on your opponent. (Like how it feels from Arnold and other sensei.)

Kata

#3 uchidachi: The blocks are more pressure. Don't hit. Keep the hands in the center of the body and tip to shidachi's throat. Slight turn of body as you step back.

#7: Uchidachi's tsuki is to the shoulder level

Uchidachi's tsuki in #3 and #7 is not flat, only slight turn. Uchidachi's tsuki in #4 is flat. #4 is aiming for in betw ribs for the right lung. #3 is the solar plexus, #7 is to the shoulder in an aggressive move to intimidate the shidachi.

#6: While responding to shidachi's pressure from gedan, uchidachi keeps the blade straight up-and-down. Don't turn. There is a brief turn for kodachi #2.

懸待一致と捨て身 (kentai icchi and sutemi)

Lately I've received similar advice from different senseis. I am too aggressive. Rather than seme 100% offense all of the time, I need to have some give and take. I need to lessen my seme from time to time to invite my opponent to attack so I can utilize ouji waza. I think this falls under the concept of kentai icchi.

I've been experimenting with this and I think I have been able to do this a bit better. However I got another piece of advice at practice on Tuesday. Tanaka sensei said I am not committing 100% to my attacks. I think I am lacking sutemi. In an attempt to have a more balanced kendo my commitment to my attacks have deteriorated. :-p

Ahhh... hurray for trying to simultaneously fulfill conflicting desires and requirements... ^_^;;

私が最近先生達から同じようなアドバイスを聞きました。いつも１００％前に攻めては駄目。時々攻めをちょっとリラクスして、相手が攻撃できると思います。その時応じ技を応用します。私がこれは懸待一致とおもいます。

稽古の時この概念を練習しました、ちょっとできるかなと思いました。だが、この火曜日の稽古で、田中先生からほかのアドバイスを聞きました。私が打てるの時に、全部を出してませんでした。私が捨て身が足りませんと思います。もっとバランスいい剣道を欲しくでも、打てるの時は１００％しなければなりません。

難しいな。。。 ^_^;;

One game, one penalty

Tonight was my first indoor soccer game. One of the engineers at SCEA, my group's newly appointed technical lead actually, plays soccer and invited me to join his team. The facility is actually located in Santa Clara.

Since this was my first indoor soccer game, I wasn't aware of all of the differences in rules from outdoor soccer. Such as the no sliding rule. :-p And that, is how I got my 2-minute penalty. It wasn't even a real slide... All I did was go down to my knee while reaching for the ball. I guess if you're not standing, you're sliding. :-/ I'm going to have to adjust... And the penalty is like hockey. You serve it in the penalty box while your team plays a man down. :-O

Well, at least our team won in the end. Although apparently we don't want to win the league because we don't want to get promoted to the higher level leagues, LOL. ^_^

California plates!

Well, I've cast off the last remaining obvious sign of me being from Illinois. I've registered my car and now it has California license plates. Although I've also put on the gift from Nick showing that I did spend some time in Illinois. ^_^

LCPC 2008

Well, I attended LCPC last week at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Boy was I glad I only stayed one night.

I had made reservations for a room in the Schaffer hall, which is supposed to be a private room with its own bathroom and shower. And they told me that was my reservation. However, when I got there they put me in Henday hall instead, which turned out to be just like my old dorms in Berkeley, with shared bathrooms. To make things worse, the urinals are flushed automatically about every three minutes. I thought someone was playing Mahjong at first. :-p And to wrap things up, there was construction in my building starting around 7:30AM. :-( At least I got my own room and it seemed like there was only one other person staying down my hall. Still, it rattled me and pissed me off...

The conference and presentation itself went very smoothly in comparison. I was the first to present and a bit nervous. I talked too fast and finished in about 20 minutes when I was scheduled for 25 minutes. Well, I contributed to getting the conference back on time I guess. ^_~