Review of 11/6 class

Thursday's class was a kicking class. It wasn't all kicking, but that was our primary drill after the initial warm ups. Master G has the class bow in (and I STILL need to work on the opening commands for class!!), then someone led the warm up. That was interesting...we did a "downward facing dog" pose (My friend, Ram calls it 'up dog/down dog' but it's all the same thing). Then we did some further stretches--It was a lunge, and to get an extra deep stretch of your hip flexors, you can put your back knee on the floor. The thing I've noticed on that is that you need to keep your back straight and you never, EVER want to have your front knee go past your toes!

We did a few line drills with us doing Aneso Phakeso Mahkee (inside/outside block) and Phakeso Ahn Uro Mahkee (outside/inside block). We did Ha Dan Mahkee (low block) and Sang Dan Mahkee (high block). Then we did some other things, including Jang Kwan (palm heel strike), a side stance with a center punch I think it's Sa Ko Rip Chaseh--no, that's the stance. The actual side stance with a center punch is a Hwang Jin Kong Kyuk.

We practiced Aneseo Phakeso Cha Gi (inside/outside kick) and Phakeso Ahn Uro Cha Gi (outside/inside kick) with partners as well. The goal there is to remember what you're hitting with. You've got two things you can use--either the ball of the foot (the bahl, I think) and the side of the foot. You have more control with the ball of your foot as you go to hit because it's a wider surface. The blade is used as a firm quick 'snap', if my memory is serving me right.

When that was finished, we went to the other room and worked with our Wavemasters and BOB. We practiced our Ho Sin Sul from the "backside", that is, not trying to escape an opponent. You practice like this to get a feel for what the Ho Sin sul should be like. It also gives you a stationery opponent to work with. I think I made it up to #6. It wasn't until I was messing around with Ram at work yesterday that one of them (the bear hug) really made sense to me. I think I just needed the live body to perform it on. It's interesting because it's very much like Pyung Ahn Sam Dan ("Superman form") toward the end. There's an elbow/punch combination there that resembles Sam Dan very much. I think I'll get the hubby out tomorrow and work with him on it. I need to keep practicing my Ho Sin Sul. I need to learn it. I need to learn everything. Lots of things to learn!!!!

I also talked to Master G after class and told him my fears. He said not to fixate too much on the date next year for my test. It's not going to do me any good because I may psych myself out of properly training if I am obsessing over a date. What I need to do is to practice and learn. And keep learning. I don't know Naihanchi Ee Dan yet, so that's something that needs to be learned. I also need to master all the Ho Sin Sul AND the one-steps. I have to make up 6 one-steps of my own. I have to learn the Korean because it IS taught this way. I have to learn the bunkai. I also need to learn something else...I think he mentioned bushido, but I could be mstaken. He's going to get me some information that will help me out with my journey.

I think I'm back on that journey toward black belt. If I was smart, I'd sit down now and write out what it means to me to be a black belt. I should go review my essay I wrote for my first dan. I think I'll do that...