Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Aikido Technique of the Week

Turns out that there was a goof-up last week, and I described a different technique than I named...I will correct that this week.

So...

Hand Technique
Katate Aya Junte-mochi Taitenkan Tegatana-kirikomi Kokyu-nage - A
Cross Wrist Straight Grasp Body Shift Strike-in Breath-throw

  • Shite offers hand for cross wrist straight grasp, Uke grabs
  • Shite executes a 180-degree pivot, then a cross-step-in 180-degree pivot, bringing Uke around
  • Shite cross-steps in and body changes, raising up as if for front-strike, taking Uke off balance
  • Shite shuffle-steps in, cutting down to throw Uke forward
  • Zanshin with both arms forward, palms down


Weapon Technique
Kumitachi: Ju no Kumitachi Dai-roku yori Dai-hachi
Bokken with Partner, Ten Cuts, #6-#8

  • For all three, Uke raises up after Shite's signal, then shuffle-steps in for a front-strike to the waist
  • #6: Shite signal for front-strike, evade Uke's strike, circling over the right shoulder, cross-stepping to the left, then shuffle-in front-strike to the head
  • #7: Shite signal for front-strike, evade Uke's strike, circling over the left shoulder, shuffle-stepping to the right, then shuffle-in front-strike to the head
  • #8: Shite signal for front-strike, shuffle-back slightly back and offline, ducking bokken under Uke's strike, then shuffle-in wrist cut


Basic Movement
Irimi-nage Zanshin
Step-in Throw Final Form
From Kamae: shuffle-step in low, back hand turning palm down at about belt level, front hand curving over like for step-in throw and down almost to the other hand, palm facing to the side.

Breakfall
Hiki-ashi Koho Ukemi Ni
Step-back Back Breakfall #2

  • Start standing upright, feet together, hands at sides
  • Lean back off balance, as if thrown back, letting hands raise up and out to chest level
  • When balance is gone, step back with left leg, sit down back breakfall with hitting, come back to standing
  • Repeat, stepping back with right leg this time
  • Turn to the right
  • Rinse, repeat all steps above
  • Note: Keep chin tucked in
  • Note: Kick out with legs, arch back up slighly (don't fold at the waist)


I know I repeated the breakfall from last week, but I need to practice it more. :)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I Blame The Handheld Calculator

http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,72961-0.html?tw=wn_index_12

Go Problem of the Week

Like my Aikido Technique of the Week, the Go Problem of the Week idea didn't seem to take off as quickly/consistently as I had originally planned. I'm going to try to rectify that, and in interest of rectification, here's the next problem:

What should Black do to capture the marked White stones?



Black could move at 1, making sacrificing a stone to force White's hand:



White has to capture the stone with a move at 2 and then connect the two groups at 4 after Black plays at 3. Black moves at 5, putting all of the White stones in atari...White has no escape:

Aikido Technique of the Week

Turns out my "Technique of the Week" has turned into more of a "Technique of the Month or so", but I'm going to try to pull it back together. Here are my notes for this week's focus techniques:

Hand Technique
Katate Aya Junte-mochi Taitenkan Tegatana-kirikomi Kokyu-nage - A
Cross Wrist Straight Grasp Body Shift Strike-in Breath-throw

  • Cross Wrist Straight Grasp Initiation
  • Curving up (like elbow power?) to raise Uke off balance
  • Body Shift
  • Cross-step in while cutting down for the throw
  • Zanshin is both hands parallel, palms facing, or palms down??
  • Uke simply does a forward roll/jump breakfall when Shite throws


Weapoon Technique
Kumitachi: Kote-giri Kote-osae Dai-ichi oyobini Dai-ni
Bokken with Partner, Wrist Cut to Wrist Control, #1 and #2

    #1:
  • Shite and Uke raise up together
  • Uke shuffle-in front strike to waist; Shite shuffle slightly off-line to the right, cutting to Uke's wrist
  • Uke cross-step back, raise up; Shite follow in, wrist control (blade vertical)


    #2:
  • Same as #1, then...
  • Uke shuffle-in front strike to waist; Shite control to Shitoemi, blade pressed against Uke's neck (make sure bokken blade has no snags, ouch!)


Basic Movement
Kyujugo-do Kaiten
95-degree Pivot

  • Start in basic kamae stance
  • Pivot to 95-degrees, with a low stance; while pivoting, lower lead hand to level of back hand, then raise both hands up directly in front of body, lead hand at high chest height, back hand noticeably lower, palms facing up and out (similar to Spider-Man shooting a web?)
  • Coming back to kamae is just the opposite movement
  • Note: Keep back heel on the ground all the way around
  • Note: Keep back straight and upright


Breakfall
Hiki-ashi Koho Ukemi Ni
Step-back Back Breakfall #2

  • Start standing upright, feet together, hands at sides
  • Lean back off balance, as if thrown back, letting hands raise up and out to chest level
  • When balance is gone, step back with left leg, sit down back breakfall with hitting, come back to standing
  • Repeat, stepping back with right leg this time
  • Turn to the right
  • Rinse, repeat all steps above
  • Note: Keep chin tucked in
  • Note: Kick out with legs, arch back up slighly (don't fold at the waist)

Monday, March 12, 2007

Qwest DSL Like a Motherf*cker

My Saga with Qwest has got me boiling and almost to the point of exploding.

Ever since I purchased Qwest DSL I have had a problem that happens intermittently: I lose connection to the internet, I cannot connect to my modem at all from my internal network...I restart the modem and all is well again in the world...for a while.

At first this only happened every few days, but now it happens 4 or 5 times a day. Qwest, of course, thinks that it is a problem with the wireless router I use as a gateway to the modem, or maybe I have some big speakers sitting too close to the modem, or something...BULL$HIT! This happened when the modem was all by itself in a room with nothing else in it but a bed and a cat litter box. When I lose connectivity, I can't connect to the modem, even if I hook my computer directly to it via ethernet cord or USB cable.

So, now they are going to send a tech out to check things out.

Meanwhile, they want me to dumb down my network, disconnect printer, xBox, and all but one computer, on which computer I should disable all firewalls and antivirus.

This is getting rediculous...if I can't start reliably using the service I'm paying for soon, I'm going to have to switch to cable modem or something.

Just want to hit these guys!