I have seen the enemy...

In martial arts training (same for military, or police, etc) the process is to suck your brains out then have your teacher reinstall them in the proper order.  In my previous training, the brain removal process has been fairly slow process.  I started my Yondon (understood as 4 degree black belt although that is a misnomer) training tonight.  My brains were sucked out in the matter of 4 minutes.  It was painful.  I feel stupid and totally inadquate. 

This type of training is very difficult for me.  I am not gifted physically (insert last person picked for any game story here).  As a person with above average intelligence, I tend to overthink.  Not kinda overthink, but Olympic gold medal overthinking.  This is a bad combination.  I have 2 months to get my crap together. 

A few Iaido observations

Iaido is a strange martial art.  Generally speaking, sword schools don’t recruit like a Karate or Tae Kwan Do dojo.  You have to find them.  You have to want to join.  Wanna be ninja’s and fighters are discouraged from joining (in a very polite Japanese way, told to bugger off).  No kids under 16, even then the lack the maturity to keep up the training.  There are schools who practice cutting straw mats, fruit and the like.  My particular sect doesn’t do anything sexy like that.  We cut air and imaginary opponents.

Watching Iaido is much like watching paint dry.  The practice isn’t much better for the first year or so.  Prospective students must watch a class to see what they are getting themselves into.  Most talk a good game but never come back.  Those that do, 75% get bored in less than 6 months and quit.  I would  estimate, 90% of those who practice Iaido long are ranked in other martial arts. 

The connection going back 475 or so years is still there.   The way it is taught has remained unchanged for centuries.  It is up to the student to watch and learn. There is very little (as in no) conversation during a class.  The teachers demonstrate corrections.  There is no coddling or encouragement.  Compliments are not given lest the ego start to take over.    

It is a strange art where one practices practicing the ritual beheading of a Samurai and 1,001 ways of killing a person with a sword in a world where this knowledge is completely obsolete.  I mention this only because for the past few weeks we have been practicing the oldest and most advanced forms; stuff that is way over my head and ability.  We got into some especially weird shit last night where at the end of class the teacher said it was fringe for our style.  This is the type of movements you would only see in a Kurosawa film.  When practiced over a lifetime, you too can kill 4 opponents from a seated position sliding across the floor on your knees.  Not this white boy.  The last observation made last night was I need to significantly tighten up the midsection to keep up with the freaky shit we were doing.