Saturday, March 24, 2007
A Randori Workout at Shodokan
During the one-hour randori workouts at Shodokan, the following sequence of drills is typical. The person holding the knife is called the tanto (after the fact that a dagger in Japanese is called a tanto.) The unarmed person is referred to as the toshu (literally unarmed) player.
1) One-on-one taisabaki. Each person in a pair takes turns stabbing at the other. Maybe 30 seconds each. Overhand as well as normal stabs. Several rounds are played. In the first, tanto cannot feignt, and toshu cannot use his arms to help block. In the next, tanto is still prevented from feignting, but toshu can uses his arms to block. In the third, the intensity and reality of the drill are kicked up, with tanto allowed to feighnt and do multiple stabs and toshu allowed to block.
2) Two-on-one taisabaki. Here, groups of three are formed. Two get knives and take turns stabbing at the third person. Little time should elapse between sucessive stabs so that toshu really has to dance, constantly having to face a new attacker just after having avoided the previous one. This is done for maybe 45 seconds before the players rotate rolls.
3) The two tanto hijimochi no tsukuri drill. Here pairs are formed. But one person is given two tantos, one for each hand. They then face off and the person with the tantos stabs. The other grabs one arm, and attemps one of the hijimochi no tsukuri grabs (elbow control grabs) against that arm. Not only is the grab made and a hijimochi no tsukuri attempted, but the attempt is also made to use the drip to drive the stabber off the mats. The stabber is required to push back, constantly trying to circle back towards the center so as to not be driven off of the mats. He can also after a few seconds attempt to put the other tanto onto toshu's chest. If this happens, toshu is to quickly switch arms and do a hijimochi no tsukuri against this other arm. This is done for maybe one minute before the two people switch rolls.
4) Kakari geiko. Maybe 60 seconds each side. This is essentially sparring with no resistance.
5) Hiki tate geiko. Maybe 60 seconds each side. This is light sparring with moderate resistance. Tanto only goes down if good aikido is being done (good posture, good timing, etc.) This drill can be repeated so that renzoku waza (multiple techniques in sequence) are practiced. If so, then tanto never goes down on the first technique that toshu attempts, thereby forcing toshu to try a second or even a third technique so as to practice combinations.
1) One-on-one taisabaki. Each person in a pair takes turns stabbing at the other. Maybe 30 seconds each. Overhand as well as normal stabs. Several rounds are played. In the first, tanto cannot feignt, and toshu cannot use his arms to help block. In the next, tanto is still prevented from feignting, but toshu can uses his arms to block. In the third, the intensity and reality of the drill are kicked up, with tanto allowed to feighnt and do multiple stabs and toshu allowed to block.
2) Two-on-one taisabaki. Here, groups of three are formed. Two get knives and take turns stabbing at the third person. Little time should elapse between sucessive stabs so that toshu really has to dance, constantly having to face a new attacker just after having avoided the previous one. This is done for maybe 45 seconds before the players rotate rolls.
3) The two tanto hijimochi no tsukuri drill. Here pairs are formed. But one person is given two tantos, one for each hand. They then face off and the person with the tantos stabs. The other grabs one arm, and attemps one of the hijimochi no tsukuri grabs (elbow control grabs) against that arm. Not only is the grab made and a hijimochi no tsukuri attempted, but the attempt is also made to use the drip to drive the stabber off the mats. The stabber is required to push back, constantly trying to circle back towards the center so as to not be driven off of the mats. He can also after a few seconds attempt to put the other tanto onto toshu's chest. If this happens, toshu is to quickly switch arms and do a hijimochi no tsukuri against this other arm. This is done for maybe one minute before the two people switch rolls.
4) Kakari geiko. Maybe 60 seconds each side. This is essentially sparring with no resistance.
5) Hiki tate geiko. Maybe 60 seconds each side. This is light sparring with moderate resistance. Tanto only goes down if good aikido is being done (good posture, good timing, etc.) This drill can be repeated so that renzoku waza (multiple techniques in sequence) are practiced. If so, then tanto never goes down on the first technique that toshu attempts, thereby forcing toshu to try a second or even a third technique so as to practice combinations.
