We opened this weekend! Liz and I held class on Saturday at 10 AM… Our taijutsu focus this week is on techniques in response to a shomenuchi. We’re also working on getting Liz ready for Ikkyu. After class on Saturday, we decided that while the mats were OK for us, they might be a little hard for beginners. We spent most of Sunday adding 1/2″ of 8 lb density foam under the mats. They’re now *just right*… During Sunday evening class, we worked on some more techniques from shomenuchi and focused again on Liz’s Ikkyu test. We were happy to see several visitors over the weekend, as well! It was a quiet weekend, but I think we’re both happy that we’re open, and that we’re returning to a regular keiko schedule. I’m considering opening the dojo for early morning classes, only because I may be in there working solo on weapons and Ukemi over the next few months. We’re moving the new tanren stand over tomorrow, I think, as well. I’m looking forward to some regular tanren uchi over the next weeks!
Shomenuchi -or- Front-of-the-head strike (正面打ち shōmen’uchi) a vertical knifehand strike to the head. In training, this is usually directed at the forehead or the crown for safety, but more dangerous versions of this attack target the bridge of the nose and the maxillary sinus.
