An empty mind is a terrible thing to waste

Another good workout by Charlie tonight. The pacing was good in that I didn't poop out too early.

Sidney was there and I worked with him on one technique and fortunately it wasn't too aerobic so I wasn't too exhausted. However it was interesting to take advice from Sidney (my Sensei) that later appeared to be contradicted by Charlie. What made it interesting was that I think they were actually saying the same thing but from a different approach. So while Sidney said to raise my hand, Charlie said to lower my hand. BUT, I think after Sydney said to raise my hand to apply nikkyo but it looked a little too high when Charlie walked by. So he said to lower it.

The class closed with jiu-waza and Charlie said for beginners to use one attack by more advanced student could use more. I worked with Sean (advanced) but I still think of myself as at best an advanced beginner and probably just beginner. Anyway I was please to find my self using the response to yokomen where you bend the blocking arm to slip behind uke to slid across their back and by grabbing their shoulders you bring them to the ground.

Even more amazing was that I was able to deflect a punch (tsuki) with an irimi type opening but then switch to the slip by the back and bring uke to the ground movement. So I managed to take what I learned from the yokomen attack and apply it to the tuski attack. And by accident.

I speculate it worked because I was too tired to think, so my mind was too empty to spend time planning what to do.

I think one can think as jiu-waza (or jiyu) waza as the step before randori. With randori a bit more “all out”.