![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I'm absolutely exhausted. And I didn't even do enough to rectify it.
Kendô yesterday was fairly easy in the beginning - third week of university practice, which means a mere 200 suburi and much footwork and stance practice. Even wearing armour for the first time, it was ok, although wearing armour is like discovering Kendô all over again. The first men-strike went completely wrong because I hadn't considered that the armour sort of blocks my arms. (I have a bruise in my right armpit now.) It also makes me pay more attention to my torso than to my legs, which is not good; but I got it worked out during the first 50 or so suburi, so there was no reason actually to be nervous. I was, though; because of the armour and because I was afraid Cele would do something stupid. But she did well enough, although of course she couldn't keep her mouth shut and I winced at every 'shit' from her direction. I told her you don't curse or actually talk much at all during practice, like, how many times? *sigh*
Then after the basic practice the beginners learned how to assemble their shinai, which left us, the advanced group, with the whole dôjô for ourselves. So we all got to do ji-geiko, free sparring. Those without armour of course only get someone in armour whom they can then beat up, and I had hoped that I would still be counted among them. But no. Roland-sensei asked whether I had the men (the helmet) with me, which I had, and then asked me to don it and spar with him. Panic attack; then I ran to the dressing room to get the helmet, tenugui and gloves. Since the dressing room was where the beginners were assembling their shinai, I had to weave my way through them, taking care not to step on any shinai parts (because the sword is the soul of the samurai and you don't step on people's souls). Hannah, who was ill and just watching, helped me to wrap the tenugui around my head and put on the helmet correctly, and then off I went.
Sparring was a rather disgraceful affair - I was slightly discoordinated because in the helmet you can't hear properly, only the sounds that come from in front of you, where the others were fighting, so I only heard shouting and clashing shinai and my own blood rushing through my veins. The gloves hardly fit, and I couldn't hold the sword properly, and my nose began itching and I couldn't rub it because of the helmet. Roland was kind and didn't use half of the chances he had to score (otherwise, I'd probably have been under a ceaseless onrush of attacks. Also, I have so no endurance at all. I was out of breath within a minute, it took me waaaay to long to react, and zanshin? Forget it. After a few minutes, Roland just let me do a few rounds of kiri-kaeshi and then congratulated me. I still haven't figured out what for, because if that was some sort of probation ritual, I'm not too sure I passed it.
And then, before the greeting rituals at the end, he announced to the group that I was now wearing armour (as if they hadn't noticed), so they should please be considerate the next weeks while I grew into it. They actually applauded for me wearing armour (*deep blush*), which was when I was truly grateful for the forever helpful Japanese etiquette: smile, bow, wait, and ignore Cele's whispered complaints about hurting knees.
So yeah. I was so looking forward to finally being permitted to wear armour, but to be honest, it's more scary than special.
Today I was Christmas shopping with my grandmother. Getting there was already trouble, because the only bus to the main station (which is only by name "main", or even a "station") is stopping there at about the same time as the train, and since the station building is being renovated, you have to circle it instead of going through it to get to the platforms, and when you've finally done that, you can watch the backlights of the leaving train fading into the fog and wait half an hour for the next train.
Fortunately, I had American Gods with me to keep me company.
To my grandmother's delight, my gift from her will be a business suit in grey. Amusingly enough, the skirt in my ordinary size - 38 - was too wide, so for the first time in ages, I'm wearing a size 36 skirt again. The jacket, in turn, was too small in size 38. Well, Susanne would probably say that it's an ego-booster when your shoulders are too wide and your hips aren't; but it's annoying that people with my breast and shoulder width apparently aren't supposed to be reasonably 'slim'. Whatever.
We went by bus to my parents' home then, where I made a Advent wreath and gave my brother his birthday present (The Day After Tomorrow on DVD); then I went by bus and train back to Solingen, did the grocery shopping just before the shops closed, and now I'm sitting here and am drop. dead. tired. And the only reason can be approaching illness. Or is it just an oxygen overdose? Ngah.
- - -
( Erschöpft )
Kendô yesterday was fairly easy in the beginning - third week of university practice, which means a mere 200 suburi and much footwork and stance practice. Even wearing armour for the first time, it was ok, although wearing armour is like discovering Kendô all over again. The first men-strike went completely wrong because I hadn't considered that the armour sort of blocks my arms. (I have a bruise in my right armpit now.) It also makes me pay more attention to my torso than to my legs, which is not good; but I got it worked out during the first 50 or so suburi, so there was no reason actually to be nervous. I was, though; because of the armour and because I was afraid Cele would do something stupid. But she did well enough, although of course she couldn't keep her mouth shut and I winced at every 'shit' from her direction. I told her you don't curse or actually talk much at all during practice, like, how many times? *sigh*
Then after the basic practice the beginners learned how to assemble their shinai, which left us, the advanced group, with the whole dôjô for ourselves. So we all got to do ji-geiko, free sparring. Those without armour of course only get someone in armour whom they can then beat up, and I had hoped that I would still be counted among them. But no. Roland-sensei asked whether I had the men (the helmet) with me, which I had, and then asked me to don it and spar with him. Panic attack; then I ran to the dressing room to get the helmet, tenugui and gloves. Since the dressing room was where the beginners were assembling their shinai, I had to weave my way through them, taking care not to step on any shinai parts (because the sword is the soul of the samurai and you don't step on people's souls). Hannah, who was ill and just watching, helped me to wrap the tenugui around my head and put on the helmet correctly, and then off I went.
Sparring was a rather disgraceful affair - I was slightly discoordinated because in the helmet you can't hear properly, only the sounds that come from in front of you, where the others were fighting, so I only heard shouting and clashing shinai and my own blood rushing through my veins. The gloves hardly fit, and I couldn't hold the sword properly, and my nose began itching and I couldn't rub it because of the helmet. Roland was kind and didn't use half of the chances he had to score (otherwise, I'd probably have been under a ceaseless onrush of attacks. Also, I have so no endurance at all. I was out of breath within a minute, it took me waaaay to long to react, and zanshin? Forget it. After a few minutes, Roland just let me do a few rounds of kiri-kaeshi and then congratulated me. I still haven't figured out what for, because if that was some sort of probation ritual, I'm not too sure I passed it.
And then, before the greeting rituals at the end, he announced to the group that I was now wearing armour (as if they hadn't noticed), so they should please be considerate the next weeks while I grew into it. They actually applauded for me wearing armour (*deep blush*), which was when I was truly grateful for the forever helpful Japanese etiquette: smile, bow, wait, and ignore Cele's whispered complaints about hurting knees.
So yeah. I was so looking forward to finally being permitted to wear armour, but to be honest, it's more scary than special.
Today I was Christmas shopping with my grandmother. Getting there was already trouble, because the only bus to the main station (which is only by name "main", or even a "station") is stopping there at about the same time as the train, and since the station building is being renovated, you have to circle it instead of going through it to get to the platforms, and when you've finally done that, you can watch the backlights of the leaving train fading into the fog and wait half an hour for the next train.
Fortunately, I had American Gods with me to keep me company.
To my grandmother's delight, my gift from her will be a business suit in grey. Amusingly enough, the skirt in my ordinary size - 38 - was too wide, so for the first time in ages, I'm wearing a size 36 skirt again. The jacket, in turn, was too small in size 38. Well, Susanne would probably say that it's an ego-booster when your shoulders are too wide and your hips aren't; but it's annoying that people with my breast and shoulder width apparently aren't supposed to be reasonably 'slim'. Whatever.
We went by bus to my parents' home then, where I made a Advent wreath and gave my brother his birthday present (The Day After Tomorrow on DVD); then I went by bus and train back to Solingen, did the grocery shopping just before the shops closed, and now I'm sitting here and am drop. dead. tired. And the only reason can be approaching illness. Or is it just an oxygen overdose? Ngah.
- - -
( Erschöpft )
