Tai Chi Form

I jumped into the Tai Chi form class on Monday a week ago and feel like it's going to work out for me.  I remembered some of the movements from the Introduction class and was able to step in and follow with what the rest of the class is doing.
After knowing what I've done to myself in Tang Soo Do by comparing myself to everyone else, I've made a vow that I'm only going to watch the instructor to see what she is demonstrating.  I'm not going to compare myself to anyone else.   I like the similarities to TSD.  I found out on Friday that I was able to execute a kick *and* I turned my hips over!!!!  It was the first time I actually did that!  I may go out in the garage tomorrow and go kick my BOB around.  Now that I have the room to play, it'll be a lot easier to get back into practicing.  

I'm also going to go out in the yard in the morning and see how much of the first section of the form I actually remember.   It's been a week and I haven't worked on it since class last week.  We don't have a class tomorrow since it's Labor Day, so I'll get a chance to work on my own and see what I remember. 
I know I can do it.

Animal class

Tonight was another great class.  We went over the elements of Tang Soo Do on Tuesday, so tonight, we covered the animals of Tang Soo Do.  In Korea, there are five creatures: Snake, Leopard, Tiger, Crane and Dragon.  Each of the forms that we do can be equated to one of these animals.  Similarly, each of the forms can be equated to Earth, Air (wind), Fire, Water or Metal, which was the subject of Tuesday's class.  

So, keeping that in mind, Ms. S tonight had us do Ahp Chagis (front snap kicks) and visualize specific animals.  When she told us to think of a Tiger, there was a noticeable change in the energy of the room.  It makes you think when you're performing the forms with an animal in mind.  

We also took the animal theme one step further and put them to use in forms.  We took our lowest form (Kichyo Hyung Il Bu) and performed it thinking of a snake, then a leopard, then a tiger, etc.  If you visualize the animal as you're doing the form, you start to feel more power/speed, etc.  When I did a form as a snake, I found myself improving my C-step and working harder to move as if I was truly a snake.  With the tiger, I found myself stepping out harder, trying to put more power into it, as if I was springing out on an unsuspecting prey.   A dragon was a bit harder to do, especially since nobody's really seen a dragon!

After forms, we moved on to the other room and worked on falls.  I didn't participate in that as I'm not cleared by my chiropractor yet.  I got a lot of good notes and pointers on falls from Master M and Ms. S.  Whenever my neck and shoulder are back to "normal", then I'll start working on falls agin.

 

Taking that first step

I kept part one of a promise to myself tonight.  I went to class tonight.  It was a Q and A session, but still, it was a class.  I'm already planning on returning on Thursday night.

I had a nice chat with one of my instructors after the meeting tonight and he told me that the biggest thing I could do to get myself back on the right track was to get to class.  I started tonight by getting off my butt and going to this meeting.  It was an important bit of background on my school.  I like it.

So, as of right now, I'm re-committing myself to working hard.  I've had it pointed out to me at work that I've ballooned up in my weight, so that's something I'll work on.  Hard work never hurt anyone.   Sa Bu Nim pointed out that I DO know my forms and techniques, even if I'm a little rusty, so I shouldn't let that hold me back.  He's right.  I do know a lot, even if I try to tell myself I don't know it.  I am always hardest on myself, which is another observation Sa Bu Nim had for me tonight.  We agreed that I should just work on getting over that nasty little voice in my head that says I don't know it and work on my self confidence.    I know the forms and techniques and as I'm just about starting over, I have a lot of things I can improve.

I'm glad I went.  I will be back on Thursday.  With figurative bells on, not literal bells.

Nahainchi Ee Dan

I was thinking about forms this morning after dropping my daughter off at the track for band practice. I have decided that I am going to start working on Nahainchi Ee Dan, at least the very beginning of the form. I have seen it, at my old school, and was supposed to be learning it before I left. Master P told me that I needed to start learning it a month ago, so I think I'm going to get off my rear and start. I know the first four movements, I think. I have resources. My friend, S, knows it and can show me what I might need, plus, if I ask nicely, another friend, DB, knows it and IF we can ever get together, he could show me things too. I'd love to go back into class knowing this form. It would do wonders for my feeling toward myself. I'm also going to go back and practice a form that I know that maybe I'm not SUPPOSED to know yet (Sip Soo). I haven't done that one in a year or more. I still have it simmering in the recesses of my brain. It'll help me to keep active if I work on the forms I am supposed to know, to firm them up. I don't want to show up and have to demonstrate something and freeze. That's one of my biggest fears.

Open Training recap

Yesterday was Open Training at the dojang. I took my son and we worked on what we needed to know. He worked on Kee Cho Hyung Il Bu while I worked on One Steps and Ho Sin Sul with one of my fellow adult students. My son also got the opportunity to work with Master G on his form and learned quite a bit. I had him write it down in a notebook when we got home so that he wouldn't forget it.

I worked on a hair grab defense with Mr. L. That was interesting because it starts from someone getting a chunk of your hair and you breaking past that. I was given pointers on using my last three fingers on my hand to break the grip (those have strength--the index finger doesn't have as much). The way it was described made a lot of sense to me. I'm sure I could get out of that type of a grab if it was absolutely necessary.

Another thing I came out of training with was falling. I worked with Ms. S on front falls and back falls. If executed properly, you will land on your forearms when you fall. You don't want to land on your wrists because you *will* break your wrists if you're falling on them. Think of the amount of force you're putting on your wrists! We practiced front falls, back falls and side falls. I don't feel TOO badly about the side falls and back falls. I need to work on releasing the energy from the fall, and the landing, but that's something I can do.

I'm looking forward to class on Tuesday now. I know it'll be another informative class.

One steps, Ho Sin Sul and Bunkai

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.

Years of training

I am truly humbled when I look at other people and see the results of the YEARS of training they've put in. Case in point was yesterday at Dan Training. We did several techniques (note to self: MUST LEARN KOREAN!!!) and I felt like I was just starting out with as well as some of these people were doing their techniques. It gives me something new to work on.

Another thing was forms. We practiced the Nahainchi forms yesterday. I only know Nahainchi Cho Dan, but even that felt like I was just a newbie when I saw how others were doing the form. I realize that I have to tweak my forms to catch up to the way my school does them, but this was a huge WOW to me. They did Nahainchi Ee Dan and I had to sit out because I don't have that particular skill...YET. I loved watching the way they did it, plus I picked up some pointers. Then they moved into Nahainchi Sam Dan and again, it was an eye opener! The Masters then did Sip Soo and Jin Do. I had learned Sip Soo at my old school, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable even ATTEMPTING it in the presence of Master M and Master A! They made it look *easy*!!

We worked on Ho Sin Sul and worked on ways to break out of an attack. Again, this was an eye opening experience. I have never before consciously thought about the ways to break out of an attack, but I was thinking about it yesterday. I like learning new things and I feel like I definitely learned something new.

I wrote down what I remembered from the training and will think about it as I attend my regular classes. When I came home from training, I told my husband that I felt like my fire was re-ignited. I am finding every day a new challenge. I love the fact that I learn, that there are new things to learn.

Pyung Ahn Oh Dan

What IS it about this form that makes it escape my mind???? I have the hardest time remembering it, and if I want to do it from end to finish, or to the right, I need to remember HOW to do the form. Period. It's driving me a bit batty!
I couldn't sleep last night, so I reviewed forms (after having reviewed some of them physically) in my head. I KNOW my forms, but apparently I'm overthinking them or something. That irritates me. I KNOW I can do the forms. I have done the forms. What is it that's blocking me from being able to do them properly or even just remembering them?

I've had a discussion with my best friend about Pyung Ahn Oh Dan and have the review on my cell phone. We talked about it back in October and there was no reason for me to put it out of my head!

Friday meditations on martial arts

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."

Understanding

Yesterday I set myself the task of performing Keecho Hyung Il Bu in "mirror mode". I am happy to say that I was successful. I had to stop and actually THINK about what I was doing, but I was able to do the entire form without too many mistakes. It wasn't as hard as I made it out to be in my mind. I just have to build up and do the rest of the forms that way and I think I'll understand them a bit better. It's all working up to doing the forms better.

Today I may go outside and actually work on forms out there. I still haven't done an outdoors class. It will be good. When you work outdoors, you have different terrain to work on. It's not all the smooth surfaces we're used to inside. It will be uneven surfaces, rocks, etc. The point of it is to get used to having different surfaces and to step outside of our "comfort zone".

Speaking of "comfort zones", I read in a magazine last night that a "comfort zone" is just a way of opting out of moving onward. It's a way of saying, "I'm not going to go any further--I'm satisfied with the way things are". Well, I am NOT going to stay stationery and inflexible. I will get myself out of my comfort zone and into the unknown. Once I move past the mindset of "I'm okay where I am", the challenges will present themselves to be slightly easier, I think.

I don't know yet if I'll be able to get back into classes next month, but even if I don't, I'm at least getting back into practicing and learning. I've got my books, I have my notebook and my friends who have kindly offered to help keep me on track. I'm going to go back with a better attitude. I'm not going to go to class with the attitude of "I'm going to test for a belt". That's the wrong attitude to have. I'm going to go in with the attitude of "I'm here to learn." It's all about learning. If you stop learning, you'll stagnate. I'm not going to be stagnant. I'm going to move ahead and learn the right way. I'm not going to put my focus on only one thing. There are too many things to learn to make myself a better martial artist. If I focus on just the short term goal, I'll miss the long term. I'll miss the entire point of taking martial arts.
When I first joined martial arts, I went in with no idea of what I'd be getting into. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. I went with the express intention of becoming more physically fit. Somewhere along the line, it moved into a love for the sport. I enjoy the classes. I enjoy the challenges presented to me by the instructors. No, I'm not a good jumper. I totally hate falling. I hate rolling too. I know that they're integral to the sport, so I learn them. When I step onto that training floor, I find myself in a different frame of mind. Somehow, after a long day at work, I'm able to get myself to focus on the here and now. I need that.

I'm going to make sure that the here and now is what I continue to focus on. If I had stayed at my old school, I would be testing in March or September of '09 for second dan. I am not ready. I have much to learn before I am ready to test. You cannot teach if you do not learn. You cannot understand if you do not learn. I am determined to understand. If it takes me another 3-4 years to earn my second dan, so be it. I think it's finally sunk in that I'm in this for the long haul.

"Mirror Mode"

I was talking to a friend today about practicing. He's going to run me through my paces on Friday and reminded me that there are more ways to practice forms than the 'normal' way. He reminded me that it can be performed forwards, backwards, blindfolded and "mirror mode".
When I think "Mirror mode", I either think of performing a form "backwards" (which is totally different than this!) or I start thinking off topic to one of the games my son plays, Mario Kart. The mirror mode in this case is not what I was thinking of.

Mirror mode is where, instead of starting to the left, where we're usually taught, you start off to the right. I had to think about that for a few minutes. On the way home from work, I started trying to run through Kee Cho Hyung Il Bu in my head, in mirror mode. It is NOT as easy as I thought it would be!! I started out going over it in my mind "correctly", then visualizing it in 'mirror mode'. I haven't finished the form, but I have started thinking about it.

Another thing I need to work on is doing the form "backwards", where I start at the end and work to the beginning. I read about someone doing Bassai backwards on a blog a few months ago. I was impressed. I haven't been practicing, so I think that starting at the end of a form and working my way to the beginning would confuse me. Heck, I'm confused by the mirror mode, only because I have let myself be intimidated. That won't be happening long. I am approaching the "mirror mode" as a challenge. I can do it.

On a side note...I know that I've learned *something* in Korean!! I was out shopping with my son yesterday and heard a father tell his small child, "Ahn jo". I had to smile as I knew exactly what it meant!!

Temporarily sidelined

Due to certain circumstances, my martial arts is temporarily sidelined. I'll have to keep up my practicing on my own until I can get back to class. This means that I MUST keep up the forms and practicing the Korean. I need to know what a "soo do" is. I need to keep myself practicing on everything.
I'm frustrated, but things happen. I can pick up the pieces and go on. I'm not fully devastated, which I could be. I've been challenged by Ms. S to keep practicing, so that I shall. I can work with the WF and get my balance there. I can work on forms and make sure I REMEMBER the forms. If I practice daily, I'll be back where I was in no time.

I'm bummed out by the turn of events, but I will make it work for me.


I just hope they don't forget me because I'm not in class.

Goal setting and wish lists

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.

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...

Learning about Bunkai

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.

Work out plan, amended

BTK is open tomorrow at Russell Creek and I am GOING!!! I am excited about it, really! I can work on my forms and review what I need to do to get ahead. I also need to pin someone down and start working on my one-steps! I have at least 30 one steps to learn! PLUS, I have to practice my old one-steps and the very first ones I learned. It's going to be wonderful to get back into doing them. I don't know if I'll actually have to do take downs, but we'll see.