Clear Lake Iaido

I left the annual Karl Geis December Aikido Clinic for Denton after lunch with Jack, Walter, Sam, Nick, and Henry. The drive was uneventful but the night air was quite brisk when I arrived at Jean's house that evening. She was baking goodies for a New Year's Eve party she was helping to cater while I sat and visited with her. I called sensei's house and left a message to let him know I was in town if he wanted to get with me tomorrow for some informal training. We eventually went to bed and the next morning it started snowing and sleeting. When Jean left the house to run errands I also left to head to the Dojo to practice Ippon me Mae, the technique each of us would do tomorrow at dawn as part of hatsunuki. I got to the dojo about 3:30, changed, and got about half an hour into my practice when someone knocked at the door. I didn't recognize sensei at first because he had shaved off his mustache,-- I'd never seen his mouth before. Turned out Jean had called him to let him know I was down there. He worked with me for about an hour before Dan Beaird (long distance student from Austin) joined us. We knocked off about 8:30. By that time it was dark, the streets were covered with snow and ice, and we were worried about what could happen to those traveling to the practice early tomorrow morning. Sensei decided we wouldn't meet outdoors in the park tomorrow, but instead at the dojo, and e-mailed the list to discourage all but those who lived within a short distance from attending. While we were practicing Jean called on her way to Dallas to let us know that I-35 was closed, she was heading back, and while stopped in traffic she ended up stopped right by Jack who was on his way home from the Clinic. They were both surprised to see each other. We all eventually made back to our respective houses in time to toast in the New Millennium. Afterwards I put on my hakama and went to bed. The next morning we got to the dojo before dawn. Those students attending were Charles, Jean, Anya, Yuri, myself, and Dan. We warmed up by doing Batto Ho no Bu. The Hatsunuki ceremony was quite simple. We sat in a row in seiza facing the Shinzen with sensei in front. He rose and stood before the Shinzen, bowed, knelt in seiza and did Mae. He stood again, bowed, and moved off to the side to sit in seiza while each of us in turn from the most senior to the most junior did the same thing. Afterwards we retired to Jim's house for a huge breakfast, the traditional sake toast, and socializing until noon. Then we walked a few houses down to sensei's place and visited some more before we had to head back to the house. About 1 PM I decided the ice on the street had softened sufficiently that I could get out of Denton and left for home feeling tired but happy. So went my first hatsunuki.

I heard that last year's weather was good enough to hold out doors in a park, and that enough students participated that sensei had to sit in seiza for a long half an hour before everyone was done.

An amusing thing that happened:

I managed to (unintentionally) leave Houston with only Japanese shoes (I was wearing them to the Clinic). I arrived in Denton with a pair of geta, zori, tabi slippers, and tabi boots. Fortunately I had brought compatible socks. When I stopped off at the local health food store on the way to the dojo on Staurday to get some breakfast items I discovered in the parking lot that the tabi boots left really interesting foot prints in the snow. The geta turned out to be extremely practical in the snow and ice as they kept my feet up off the cold (I was wearing the tabi slippers with them). As we walked down the street through the ice and snow to sensei's house he remarked that I was the only one in Denton wearing geta.

--Emily

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