I trained in Waterloo tonight. Today is the 3rd aniversary of Kanai's death.
I met Dennis there, who had originally started aikido in Montreal.
When they do katatetori tenkans, they do not move the grabbed hand forward. Just lead uke forward as you do your tenkan. This is for in-motion techniques to keep uke moving fwd. Don't raise your shoulder before doing tenkan, otherwise uke can push you upwards and backwards.
When doing morote tori kokyunage, they use the same leading uke on the line of attack motion as in tenkans. They irimi and turn their hips. They don't step off to the side with their front foot. Also, they keep the free hand upwards, close to the held hand, in case of multiple attack.
Striking from right hanmi, rotate your right hip fwd and down. Your center sinks down. Don't move your left foot; your right foot slides back as you raise the bokken and then fwd as you strike shomen.
Striking from left hanmi, your left hip and shoulder must twist fwd and down. Your right shoulder is withdrawn (because your right hand is on top of bokken). Use mirror to check position.
Stepping accross the line and striking shomen
Stepping to the left: keep your left elbow low, in tight to your body and rotate the handle of the bokken upwards over your head (blocking motion). Think of turning the throttle on a motorcycle. If you raise or lead with your elbow, it effects your left hip motion. Your left hip should move diagonally fwd; it should not move backwards initially. I was having a problem with this; I need to put my mind in my left foot. Toward the end of class, I was having a problem of moving my right hip back as well; watch myself in mirror and correct this on both sides.
1) From right hanmi:
A steps to right and does shomen
B steps back off line with left foot. Right foot must point at uke's center, with right shoulder fwd
A steps accross line with his left foot and does shomen
B steps back with his right foot accross the line, and does shomen. (Actually his left foot slides back to the line of attack and then his right foot steps back.) His left foot stays on the line of attack, pointed at partner. (If A makes a bigger step off the line, B's rear foot moves more to compensate).
2) Repeat this both with bokken touching and from opposite sides of mat (A just does shomen and B steps from side to side)
3) Same as above but after A shomens and B cuts, A does tsuki to B and B steps back
4) Both in left hanmi
A steps accross line with right foot and strikes shomen
B raises his bokken overhead, steps back accross the line with his left foot and strikes shomen. B's right foot should be on the line and pointing at A. B then parries B's bokken to the left.
A steps accross the line with his left foot and tsukis at B.
B steps back with right foot and parries the tsuki.
Start over again from first move.
5) From right hanmi, both partners raise their bokken overhead.
A cuts down at B's lower right leg.
B slides back on rear left foot and cuts down, moving A's bokken to side. Both now have their bokken low, pointed at floor.
B raises his bokken to cut A's wrist.
A steps with his left foot and tsuki's at B
B steps back with his right foot and parries the tsuki.
A steps fwd with his right foot accross the line and strikes shomen.
B steps back with left foot and strikes shomen to block A's shomen. B then pushes A's bokken to the side.
A moves his bokken underneath and does tsuki, stepping fwd with his left leg.
B steps back with his right foot and parries the tsuki
A steps fwd with his right foot accross the line and strikes shomen.
B steps back with left foot and strikes shomen to block A's shomen, moving in toward A to finish the kata.
When attacking with tsuki, in the beginning you can pull back the bokken and then move it forward. Later on try to just let tip of bokkenn pass under uke's bokken and move forward, so you never move backwards with bokken (wasted motion).
When doing tsuki, turn the blade 90 degrees (to slide thru the ribs). Also keep the blade and your arms all in a straight line; they don't have to be at shoulder height.
When uke parries tsuki, he blocks with the side of his blade.