Into his own

Ugh, I've been going crazy at work and home with silly things. Don't they know I have posting to do?

Mike Jones filled in for Luis last night. His class was good. All based on morotetori. We did all manner of techniques with it: Kokyu, ikkyo, sankyo and a few less standard grabs and even a choke hold. I felt like I was in Eran's class at the end. ;)

I had a pretty green partner, but it was nice to be able to give her a few pointers. I had to smile when I saw how tense her ukemi was. It wasn't so long ago I was exactly like that.

But I'm not home free in the relaxing department yet, either. At one point when Sanji was throwing me, Mike walked by and said to him, "Just use what uke is giving you." I think that translates to "Tom was resisting on that one..." Oh well.

One odd thing, there was no tenkan with these morotetori techniques. It was all coming in straighter with kaiten. Something new to play with. Right now, it doesn't seem as good to me, but that may be just because I'm used to it. Or it may be my budding style. Who knows? No, I'm not nearly experienced enough to have a style yet. ;)

I have to say, Mike is coming into his own like gang-busters. I've known him since he was 3rd kyu or so, and he's always been well beyond his nominal rank, but now he's developing his own way of doing things. I tease him and tell him he has shodan syndrome, but he really is becoming something. I plan to keep my eye on him in the coming years.

At one point, Mike came over and demonstrated for me on my partner. When I took it up again, she said to me, "Oh, he was much stronger." Yeah, no kidding, Honey.

And just for the heck of it, since we mentioned Eran, here he is doing morotetori sankkyo, though not exactly like we did it yesterday: