ETHER

There is Good, not Evil in the Ether
There is Wisdom
There is Reason
There is the Way
The Mind, Empty

—the close of The Ether Scroll by Miyamoto Musashi

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The weather has been slowly warming up. Winter shifts to spring.

The weather has also been mostly dry, allowing me plenty of time in the backyard dojo.

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I've been working on various techniques, forms, and waza. 

I was recently introduced to reverse grip draws (gyakute-nuki, reverse hand grip draw; and yunde-nuki, bow hand draw, with the left hand!) and enjoy trying to perfect them. Additionally, they provide variation in the draws, which means fewer problems assoicated with repetitive motion.

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Visualization is another "technique" I've been focusing upon—thinking about and dreaming about clean lines earlier, and then implementing them now.

CLEAN LINES

The main reason I take photos during my training is to be able to check and correct my form and positioning and movements. For the past couple of weeks, I've experienced shoulder pain. Ice, naproxen, and rest helped, but I also realized that I was leaning into my draws, which was causing extra strain and stress on my shoulder. Seeing what I was doing wrong, with photos and a mirror, helped me to correct my draws and work on "clean lines" throughout each waza. In turn, that helped to diminish and alleviate the pain. I also found a couple of warm-up exercises and stretches to keep my shoulder relaxed rather than rigid.

OPPONENT

Sitting in seiza as I prepare to meet my opponent.

CROCUS MOJO

Backyard dojo crocus mojo.

BREATHE

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

I'm grateful for the guided breathing in this Yi Jin Jing video from Shaolin Temple Europe because even after a year of practice it's where I struggle the most with the forms.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Let's get this Holy Spirit-filled clay vessel moving and into the world...