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Last night was a One Step, Ho Sin Sul and Bunkai night. The bunkai aspect I have never been exposed to before. The one steps were *slightly* intimidating, but mainly because they were "2 on 1" attacks, meaning that you had to deal with an attacker from front and back on one of the techniques and one on either side on the other. I had been concentrating on the lower one steps and had never even TRIED to get into the upper level ones, so this was really an experience. I worked with the Mr. L's and Master F. It was an eye opener. The one steps are designed to help you as if you were in a real life fight situation. I learned that I can NOT stand way back from a tall person as I'd seriously have to reach to get him or her in a fight. Not only that, but I'd also be knocked flat on my butt before that happened.
In the other one step we did (we were working on our highest ones for our testing cycle), it was an attack from the front with a person holding the defender on either side (by the arm). The attacker is throwing a kick, which the defender can use to his or her advantage. I thought about that one and am pretty sure I can duplicate it without TOO much trouble. The thing that worries me is the fall on the other one we did. I'll get to that one later.
The Bunkai aspect of class was really fun. We were to take our highest form, take a part of it and figure out the bunkai for it. I'd never thought of the forms as anything other than "forms"...they're pretty and you have to do them. I may have been taught what they meant, but I wasn't taught how to visualize and explain WHAT you are doing at any specific moment in the form. Last night opened my eyes in a totally different way.
I had to take Nahainchi Cho Dan and work on a part of that and *explain* the bunkai, what I was doing and why. Master F told all of us to remember to think it through. You can't just take a form and do the bunkai halfway. You have to mean what you're doing and use it to your advantage. If you are going to execute a block or a punch, you need to be able to explain yourself. It was that sort of thing that I don't remember doing in the past. I did enjoy the bunkai aspect of the class and will strive to remember it going forward.
Okay, I have to direct your attention to another blog that is incredible! You HAVE to go over and look at Prairie Martial Arts. It is a very cool site! He's got a wonderful video on his site about Pyung Ahn Sah Dan, which shows the Bunkai of the form perfectly!!! I was excited to see it!! I really enjoyed seeing SahDan done that way. It was really a good thing to see this morning.
I think I just learned something this morning, so I'm pleased. Now I need to find someone to work with. I'm getting all fired up again!!
As many of you know, I left my old martial arts school in July of 2008. I wasn't happy and had a few issues that couldn't be resolved, so I left. I had a lot of angst about it and spent a lot of time agonizing over "did I make the right decision?" My former instructor tried a few times to communicate with me and I took the cowardly way out--I either let the calls go to voicemail or I didn't return calls when I said I would.
I have since moved forward and have found a new school. I am happy with that school--it was a good change for me, I believe. I do not regret my decision. It was something that was needed. I am learning my forms and am learning to ask "WHY" about the technique and the forms. It's a new challenge to me as I have to learn Korean, bunkai, Bushido Codes and other things. In many ways, I feel like I've started over again and am back at white belt, only I know the forms. I have much tweaking and adjustments to be made or I won't be able to get myself up to speed.
Yesterday I went over to a friend's house and talked about a lot of things martial arts related. We talked about Bunkai and we talked about language. We also talked about our Ho Sin Sul and one steps. I got a chance to review four of the Ho Sin Sul I would need to know as a white belt. It was a very productive afternoon for me. We talked about performing the forms in various ways--forward or "left" (because you learn it to the left), 'right hand' (opposite of how you initially learn it), "backwards to the left" and "backwards right handed".
We talked about setting goals...if you set the goal of performing a form a day, in all four ways, you'll actually learn the forms very well. It's a good thing to work on and it's something that I'm thinking will be beneficial for me.
Another thing--since I'm sidelined again this month (grrr!!), I'm going to talk to the trainer my apartment complex offers "for free". I'm going to get with him on Tuesdays and Thursdays this month and see about getting beaten into shape that way. I need the exercise and working with a trainer will be a good way to get myself back on track. I'll make sure I tell the trainer that I'm a martial artist so that he can help me focus on things I need. Upper body strength, lower body strength, cardio, etc. I truly want to get into excellent shape. Tomorrow I'm going to start my weekend out by walking a 5k. I may take the entire family with me but if they're not interested in going with me, I'll go alone. I plan on doing this every weekend. I am also going to start walking at work again. That'll be a mile a day (the route I walk is 1.9 miles round trip.). It's just a short term goal to getting healthier and happier.
I plan to return to BTK. I will have to wait until it's feasible but I WILL be there. I told my friend yesterday that when I come back, I plan on being there with the attitude of "I can do it." I WILL do it. I'm going in with the plan of being there, learning and learning well.
Now I need to go get my notebook out and practice those Ho Sin Sul we worked on yesterday. I'm going to do them every day until I get them ingrained in my head. I may show them to my friend DB tomorrow, just to show him "this is what I can do."
I created a wish list that I think is a good start to making me a better martial artist. Yes, I'd dearly love to be able to have a heavy bag so that I can practice kicking and punching but that's out of the question in the apartment. Management would have a kitten if we put a heavy bag out on the patio, sooo...I'll make do with other things.
I'm working on my attitude and rearranging my goals. My first and foremost goal is to stop focusing on my belting. I'll get the belt whenever I get the belt. If I start worrying about "when am I going to test" instead of learning the material I need to know, I won't do well at all and they will laugh me out of creation. For that matter, *I* would laugh myself out of creation!!! December, for me, just got a LOT busier since I have a concert on the 16th that I HAVE to attend (oldest child), and my manager and director decided that they're having our department dinner on the 18th, so I won't be in class at all that week. Then the week after is Christmas. I HOPE we're going to be in class on the 22nd because I want to go.
My Christmas martial arts goal/wish list is as follows:
****TO DO MY BEST****
1. To learn my terminology for my karate class by my birthday (6 months, 1 week)
2. To learn Nahainchi Ee Dan and be able to execute it properly by March.
3. To learn my one-steps and Ho Sin Sul properly.
4. To learn to run and like it...or at least, just to run.
5. To learn NOT to focus on how heavy I am (yes, I'm heavy, but I'm working on it!).
6. To NOT stress out over "not working at the level I think I should be working at." It's not about anything but improving.
7. To learn the bunkai of the forms and be able to answer an examiner quickly and efficiently when questioned.
8. To learn to perform a form backwards. I know it can be done. I don't want to "over think" it, but I need to learn it because it will be a useful thing to know.
I have so many other things in my head that I want to do but I'll work on that a little at a time. I really need to print this out and keep it where I can see it at all times.
Part of my assignment in class has been to learn the Bunkai of the forms I'm learning. Master G wants me to thoroughlyl understand the WHY behind why I do a form the way I do. I'm going to be studying a lot. One of the things I found when searching through some of the blogs I like to read is this post by Matthew at Ikigaiway. Since I've started reading his blog, I'm learning a lot. He also has another, more recent blog that I read which I want to take to heart too.
Class last night was different. It was a major eye opener to me.
We did warm ups that consisted of hand and foot techniques. We did reverse punches for hands. 30 total...10 for technique, 10 for speed, 10 for power. 30 on each side for a total of 60. I felt it last night in my shoulders because I've been sloppy in my training and have not trained well in my opinion. I was not keeping my elbow tucked down by my side for the punches and kept rolling my shoulder up. Master G had to correct me a number of times. He was watching all of us and making comments about improving our techniques.
We also did kicks for warm up. Again, here's me noticing how sloppy I am in my technique. I feel like I'm just learning all over again. It feels very much like I'm starting over. I read on a blog (Ikigaiway) that black belt is when you start to learn. This is really true for me. It hurt me to not spend a lot of time practicing except for black belt prep classes. Realistically, I think in the three months between leaving USMA and joining BTK as a full time student, I kicked my own butt. I didn't practice in between. It is showing too.
During the kicking drill, Master G reminded me that I needed to turn my hip over when I do side kicks. Amazingly enough, I found that I had more power when I did the kicks correctly. I could hit the target more than I was when I didn't turn my hips over. I know I've heard "turn your hips over" many times. I just didn't put it into practical application. I have to now or else I will NOT move ahead. If I plan on earning my Ee Dan in April (not that I'm seeing it very likely, realistically), I have to kick better, punch better and perform forms MUCH better. I need to learn Bunkai so that I can explain the WHYS of my forms.
