Sensei‘s uke
So, a big seminar in the bigger city across the water has sucked quite a few students away from our dojo for the weekend - leaving me the highest ranked student in Chio sensei's class. Chio sensei asked me to lead the warmups, which I've only done once before. I had brainfreeze moments, but actually managed to recover both times. A really, really weird realization in retrospect is that I was not worried about everyone watching me screw up, but about the continuity of their warmup. It's a good thing that social anxiety disorder no longer controls every aspect of my life - at least, not all the time. But I also spent the class as sensei's uke, and I'm glad I know to remind myself that the class is probably paying more attention to sensei than to me. Being sensei's uke means you have to move with the unknown, without predicting it. Partway through a technique, sensei may stop to highlight a particular point in the form. Going into reverse is also a possibility. Chio sensei spent the class on blending with the elbow of an attacker. If it's going up, push up with it. If it's coming down, come down with it. if it's coming in, turn and go with it. And always go at the same speed as the attack, not faster and not slower. We covered irimi nage, ude osae, and explored variations in attacking distance. After class, Lily asked for more help with ushiro ukemi, and she's got the left side good. There's always one side that's better than the other, and depending on the form, it's not always the same side.