Excellent Saturday
I woke up early (10:00. Early for a Saturday, anyway) so I could go to the Katori Shinto Ryu class. I met one of the senseis and several students. Class began with a half hour of meditation, which I participated in, then stepped to the sidelines while they did iaido katas for about half an hour to warm. Towards the end of the warm up I talked with one of the students who also taught last night's aikido weapons class. He told me more about what they studied (iaido, kenjutsu with the katana, wakizashi, and both at once, bo staff, yari, naginata, tanto, and classical strategy) and the format for class (meditation, iaido kata warm ups, individual instruction, paired kata). It seems they require you to train with a live blade but the school has extra available for lone. That makes me nevrvous but I could deal.
The class itself seems to be focused more on satsujinken than I' like. There are two sword principles in aikido, katujinken and satsujinken. The former means "sword of life" and is an open and expansive mindset when wielding the blade. The latter means "sword of death" and is an aggressive attitude focused on defeating one's opponent. The difference is best illustrated in a story I was told by Richard Harnack Sensei, my first sensei's teacher:
I don't know if I could study effectively at this place. I think I could study it by changing the mindset. I hope so. I wish I could bring Jessa here to show her and ask about it. I'll probably speak to Cathy Sensei about it.
At any rate it's a moot point for some time. During the lesson I got a call asking me to come for a job interview. Today. So I leave the lesson, go put on a suit, and go to the interview. Only it's not an interview, it's a scheduling. They've given me the job, now it's just figuring out when I work.
So ladies and gentlemen, I am now working at Cool Runnings, three four-hour shifts as a waiter and three as a bartender each week (schedule to be posted later). Cool Runnings is a Jamaican restaurant, rather reminiscent of the Jamaican version of a French bistro. They're food is amazing. While I was waiting to work out scheduling they fed me a plate of spiced pork. Oh God was it good. The most tender meet I've ever tasted, with a side of absolutely incredible red beans and rice that just melted in your mouth and a salad with delicious crisp vegetables. And yes they have vegitarian food too. Located just across University Ave. from Union South. Actually it's right under Latin Palace, the new Latin nightclub I like. So good times all around.
Only downside is that with the schedule we worked out I can't take the Katori Shino Ryu classes. Oh well. When larp ends I'll see about changing my schedule. For now I'll be content with the aikido weapons classes.
Later I headed down to Beloit for larp. The game was great, despite my having to leave and come back halfway through for the advanced swing lesson and also having no direct plot.
me_actor_ug's character needs to get back. Very good game.
Then it was over to Pearson's for the rest of dance. Had a few good dances with
shadow1869, one of the best I've had with
lacrimawanders in, well ever, and lots with lots of other people (my appologies if I didn't give a specific mention). God I love dance.
Then there was a dinering posse with
lex_of_green,
runthebear,
jinxmurphy,
mythic,
resplendant_sun, and Illana. Good group, good conversation, surprisingly good steak, and bad eggs.
Fucking awesome Saturday.
The class itself seems to be focused more on satsujinken than I' like. There are two sword principles in aikido, katujinken and satsujinken. The former means "sword of life" and is an open and expansive mindset when wielding the blade. The latter means "sword of death" and is an aggressive attitude focused on defeating one's opponent. The difference is best illustrated in a story I was told by Richard Harnack Sensei, my first sensei's teacher:
Another aikido sensei invited me to watch as one of his students tested for his black belt. The student did everything right for the openhanded portion of the test and began the weapons portion. He took his bokken and began doing kengi one, the first sword form you learn as a white belt. I watched him do the form and everything was right but something felt off about it. The other sensei agreed so we asked him to do it again. Again there was the same sense of being off. After a third time it still felt off but we didn't know what to do to correct it so I asked the student, "What are you thinking."We study the sword in aikido for a variety of reasons. Nearly all the empty hand techniques come from sword techniques. The sword also teaches you about timing and distance. It is a meditative device. And when you do paired kata you learn to harmonize your movements with someone else. That is what is ment by katsujinken.
He replied, "I see my enemy before him and I cut him down but he backs up so I ski forward to stab him in the throat! Then another enemy comes at me from behind so I pivot around and cut him in half and I-"
"Stop," I said. "Why are you so angry?"
I don't know if I could study effectively at this place. I think I could study it by changing the mindset. I hope so. I wish I could bring Jessa here to show her and ask about it. I'll probably speak to Cathy Sensei about it.
At any rate it's a moot point for some time. During the lesson I got a call asking me to come for a job interview. Today. So I leave the lesson, go put on a suit, and go to the interview. Only it's not an interview, it's a scheduling. They've given me the job, now it's just figuring out when I work.
So ladies and gentlemen, I am now working at Cool Runnings, three four-hour shifts as a waiter and three as a bartender each week (schedule to be posted later). Cool Runnings is a Jamaican restaurant, rather reminiscent of the Jamaican version of a French bistro. They're food is amazing. While I was waiting to work out scheduling they fed me a plate of spiced pork. Oh God was it good. The most tender meet I've ever tasted, with a side of absolutely incredible red beans and rice that just melted in your mouth and a salad with delicious crisp vegetables. And yes they have vegitarian food too. Located just across University Ave. from Union South. Actually it's right under Latin Palace, the new Latin nightclub I like. So good times all around.
Only downside is that with the schedule we worked out I can't take the Katori Shino Ryu classes. Oh well. When larp ends I'll see about changing my schedule. For now I'll be content with the aikido weapons classes.
Later I headed down to Beloit for larp. The game was great, despite my having to leave and come back halfway through for the advanced swing lesson and also having no direct plot.
Then it was over to Pearson's for the rest of dance. Had a few good dances with
Then there was a dinering posse with
Fucking awesome Saturday.