WOW that is fast! Awesome! Thanks for finding that for me! So... so will I make sparks? Oh! Silly me; all of this new terminology is so hard to grasp! I would be more than happy to. Okay!! Thanks for following along thus far, everyone! I'm writing up today's activities right now, so new post to come shortly....
DAY THREE: In which I have perhaps the hardest class session to date. And also: KIDNEYS!!! I woke up this morning on the couch, passed out from sheer exhaustion from the day before. Things have been particularly stressful lately and I can only imagine that they'll get worse before they get better. Regardless, I hustled to class feeling very heavy in my heart and a little strained. I wanted to go to class feeling relaxed but this was obviously not the case. Of course, social interaction with a few of my fellow students in class allowed me to loosen up a bit. I had briefly looked up T.Y. Pang on Youtube and found this nifty video, which I shared with my classmates before class: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ2k8RbnmIM"]YouTube- Grandmaster T.Y. Pang - Taijiquan demo[/ame] And all I can think about now every time I see T.Y. Pang: "THAT GUY CAN MOVE HIS KIDNEYS." Paul explained about reverse breathing today. It is essentially breathing inward and pulling the lungs down. He said for us to put our hands over our kidneys on our backs. We then did reverse breathing and were told to move the kidneys. At first, I felt nothing but air passing in and out of my body. But as I allowed myself to relax I felt first a light fluttering on my left kidney. Intrigued, and a little surprised that I could even do that, I did it again. I then realized I was neglecting my right kidney and focused on that spot. Again, light fluttering in the kidney (or perhaps over it; I'm not sure). I then realized that I needed to balance myself out so I fluttered BOTH kidneys! .... okay that sounds like I've lost my marbles, but it is really true. Paul told us once that he was a skeptic as well. He said that Pang went over this exercise with his students. Paul basically said to Pang, "of all my years studying anatomy and physiology, that's not supposed to happen." So Pang asked Paul to put his hands on Pang's kidneys. Paul did so and he felt Pang's kidneys expand about a whole inch. Paul was amazed but still said, with a chuckle, "that's still not supposed to happen". But happen it did, and I did a little today, too. Paul said that reverse breathing is to massage the insides... which is awesome. Reverse breathing apparently increases your lung capacity, makes you stronger and faster. "Peng said the key to all martial arts is reverse breathing.".... which I'm sure is up for debate, but it seemed to make quite a bit of sense to me. Paul also said that he saw once that Peng extended a man's arm a whole 4 inches because they were in such a perfectly relaxed state. WEIRD. But I'm sure possible, with enough training. Paul also showed us an exercise we could do: standing or sitting, focus on breathing and put your palms out. Focus on bringing blood into your hands... then bring heat into your hands... then practice moving heat form one hand to the other, making one hot and the other cold. I want to believe, but only my fingers got cold when I tried to make one hand cold... I definitely felt the heat, though. We began working on Qi Gong exercises again... one of which was to put one leg out, one leg back, then swing our arms forward and back, shifting our weight from front to back. It was hard! And while I was doing this, my focus went haywire and I started to think about all of my troubles again. From that point I struggled to focus on my internal and movements. It was very, very difficult. At one point I felt quite discouraged that I wasn't getting what I was supposed to learn. I wasn't stepping right, my pivoting was off, my knees were being stressed out, my left ankle was hurting again... And then, we started on our basic forms. Paul allowed his assistant, Robert to go over our form with us that we worked on last time while Paul observed. Again, I had a great internal struggle to focus on reverse breathing and to step and twist from the waist and push the negative thoughts out of my head. Finally, Paul went back up to the front of the class and corrected us on things that were were not doing correctly by demonstration. We then followed suit. Again, more push hands, turning, reverse breathing, ward-off left, ward-off right.... And again, I was just struggling so hard to fight off the negative things in my head and focus only on what I was doing. Finally, Paul came up to me, while the rest of the class continued, and gently grasped my wrists. "Too close together." Apparently my hands were too close together. I focused on my hand placement and went on. Paul explained that Tai Chi is "soft on the outside, like iron on the inside. With Shaolin, it is hard on the outside, soft on the inside." Paul came back once again to me a few minutes later and grasped my wrists again. "Push your elbow in" so I moved my right elbow and opened up my scapula. "Now, make a circle." what he meant was I needed to round myself out and make my movements less rigid, for he tried to move my hands and elbows for me. Finally, he said, "push against my hands." So I pushed my hands against his while I went on to do the form. I briefly looked down and for a second I saw a white glow around his hands. "Now pull away" Then, in a moment of realization, I realized how much I was fighting and clinging to whatever had been plaguing my focus and extended so naturally, with Paul still holding my wrists and it was just a moment that teacher and student finally got through to the core concept that both were learning. He said, almost fever-pitch excited, "that's it!!" With a smile I finished through the step, then the class repeated with Paul again walking, observing. He came by me, looked only briefly then said, "Good!" and walked away. Class ended all too soon, it seemed; I wanted it to go on forever once I finally was able to let go and relax. I finally got a syllabus today.. so I'll look over that later. I also got some reading suggestions that I'll go over when I find time and I'll do a bit of write-up on that. In other news: my kidneys never felt so GOOD. :hat: Are there any other kidney-movers out there?
Sparks?Maybe some day.If you wish to awe your students.If my teacher had that he didn't give it to me,he knew I didn't care about such things.Or get awed by them. Thanks for being willing to pay my respects.I also liked seeing Pang's vid.Have to pick up his book someday,tho' I hear it's an extremely philosophical approach.There are vids of Tung you can look up,too. I don't wish to confuse you.Suffice to say that in TC writings "kidneys" doesn't necessarily refer to the actual organs.You'll understand more of this as you continue.So no,I don't move my actual kidneys in a deliberate fashion like that. Discovering if you don't pay attention it makes it difficult to coordinate things?Not always easy to remain undistracted.Just continue to bring your attention back to the task at hand each time your thoughts wander.Keep this in mind in the real world especially if you're running a band saw or something! The arm extension thing seems weird,but if you think about all the muscles/connective tissues in the back and side up to and including the shoulder joint that can be extended further due to release of minor tensions it's not so mysterious. For three classes you've actually had a lot thrown at you.Much more so than most beginners get.I'm hoping this means that he's a pretty open teacher overall.Too bad I'm on the other side of the country,I'd like to meet him. If your form goes into L & R peng (ward) in the beginning you're not doing "the 24",aka the Peking Round.He may be teaching beginners an abbreviated version of his long form,not uncommon. Remember what I said about new sensations diminishing over time? I'm going to tell you what my first teacher once said."People stop doing T'ai Chi when they stop getting high." Meaning as all the newness wears off things seem more mundane and just hard work.As you learn and understand more that's true-but it's still interesting.Actually more interesting when you understand the how of things,I feel. So when you stop "getting high" or overawed,it doesn't mean things are wrong.It means you're progressing.Hard to get that across to people,especially if they want "magic".Anyway you'll have new sensations inexplicably pop up as you do new things.Just don't look for them.
Haha, that depends on whether I would have actual students as I get older. Maybe I'll teach what I know to my children whenever I get married... but that's a few years down the road, I expect. Oh, quick question, El Medico.... Doc.... the only Doc that's I know of that's Tai-Chi related would be Wong Doc Fai. You wouldn't happen to be one in the same, would you? Wait, then what was I moving? Indeed! I'm going back and reading over what I've written and I'm absolutely amazed at how much we've covered. And I believe he's pretty open; after class he always is willing to give a few minutes of his time to his students if they have questions... which I usually do. You should come to Utah before it gets too cold! It would be an adventure! Well, based on other videos of "the 24" that I've seen, I suspect that it is, indeed, abbreviated (though considering he's having to teach as much TC as he can within one semester, I'm not surprised). I shall certainly take your advice! I do find my experiences and sensations that I've felt a little odd, but I've experienced much odder things in my life that I can neither write down in full or explain. So whether one "strange" thing happens to me each class or if nothing more happens to me here on out, I know that I am at least benefiting in my body. By gradual increments, I have had to take my asthma medicine less and less... which is truly quite something!! No herbs or amount of conditioning has helped my lungs feel so great as they do now, especially with the weather getting colder and colder. So... so yay!
No,I'm not Wong.I'm primarily Anglo/Celtic/Iroquioian.Slightly different genetics. I didn't mean you weren't fluttering your kidneys.(As I've felt involuntary fluttering even as a kid I never gave it much thought,sure I'm not unique in that).Just wanted you to know there's more than just kidneys when the term is used in the writings. In one semester he'll probably be teaching part of long form or an abbreviated version.Either's fine. Nice it's having an effect on your health so soon.Especially w/something as serious as asthma.Had a student from Taiwan who had practiced Wang,Yen-nien's TC seriously for eight years there from the time he was a young teenager because he had really bad respiratory problems,couldn't play soccer or even baseball.Had no problems doing bag or pad work in my class when he came to study w/me. If I ever get to the southwest to visit my teacher in New Mexico I'd certainly try to get to Utah to see your teacher.I still need to go and see Tung's great-grandson who's only a few hours away.
Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating on Monday; due to Labor Day here in the US there was no class. Anywho, on to the post! DAY FOUR: In which TC becomes more of a challenge than I ever knew and knees are saved. So this morning I woke up late (late being 8:15am, since I have to get dressed, eat breakfast, etc). It was a hectic morning and I practically prayed the whole way to campus just so I could make it to TC by 9am. I got there at 9:02, huffing and puffing, only to find that Paul was late due to construction on the freeway! So I got to catch my breath before we began. Which was nice. We did nearly a repeat of last class, with more focus on shifting our weight as we went through the form (apparently we ARE doing the long form!!! Excitement ensues!) We also did a bit of Qi Gong and "Standing Pole" which..... which weren't supposed to hurt in my left knee but they did! And then we went through the first half of the Long form, pivoting and stepping and.... my knee still hurt. And then my ankle started hurting. And then I realized I must have been doing something wrong so I kept at the form, trying to figure out why I was having pain doing the exact same thing everyone else was doing. It got to a point that I just wanted to sit down and call it quits... but I didn't. See, this past weekend I was doing something as simple as stepping over a pile of laundry and my left knee POPPED and hurt so bad I thought I had broken it! I literally fell over (because it would not support weight at that moment) and just sat there, hugging my knee and willing the pain to subside. I stood up after a few minutes and it was okay, but it was pretty sore! In addition, my left ankle has also been acting up over the weekend (to include having to go barefoot because wearing heels to church was NOT an option after 15 minutes). I asked Paul about it and wondered aloud if I wasn't reopening old tissue doing TC. He said that wasn't supposed to happen. I told him I had some time between my next class and we went over basic stance. With Paul's help, I finally figured out why the heck my knee and ankle keep hurting after a year from the injury. Apparently, it's not that I'm doing the form wrong, it's that I'm carrying my weight in my knees. I mean HOLY TAP-DANCING MOSES ON BUTTERED TOAST you guys! I could've blown out my knee if I had tried to jump back into Tae Kwon Do had I not learned this today from Paul! I mean FLIP! I need to carry my weight in my quads and NOT in my knees "because the knee is a fragile joint, never meant to carry weight, only to change direction." Apparently it has everything to do that I walk on my heels and not so much where my weight should be. "You do not have confidence to put your weight in your quads since you haven't done it in so long" Paul said. So.... so I need to learn to walk properly. Because compensating for my ankle injury has REALLY messed me up. So that's what I learned in class today. :hat:
Walking on your heels?In which case not rolling the foot down enough to really absorb the pressure from the step will jar your knee for sure.And your ankle.Not allowing the whole foot to bear weight and keeping it towards the back not so good kneewise either.I just stood up and did it standing still,and could feel the stress.Stay the heck away from wearing heels,at least until all is OK.Don't wear running shoes for everyday wear,a good pair is designed to roll the weight forward,good for running,not so good for you otherwise if you have any hip/leg joint problems. A temporary compensation due to your injury became ingrained.Sorry.So you have to practice walking with strict attention to proper alignment and mechanics.Don't forget to pay attention when you're just standing in the grocery line or whatever,it's really easy to lock the knee or let it drift forward or side to side without realizing it when you're not moving.Beware both in standing or in your form of overcompensating in the other direction, letting the knee go too far forward,past the base or joint of the big toe. Y'know,you're quite lucky to have found an instructor who can spot this sort of thing.Most of the TC "teachers" one sees don't have a clue.
And remember- "To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is high attainment.Those who cannot do this will be holy tap-dancing Moses on buttered toast." -Chuang Tzu & Eva
You've gotten through half the form in 4 lessons.. wow. It took me two years to get to the end of a long form, my first time. He's given you too much already in my opinion. You should also be learning to root in the feet, which means transfering and rebound force down to and back from the ground through your form. What your boy means by holding weight in the quads, sounds strange, you should get him to clarify that. Unless he is refering to a squating type position . As you get lower weight should transition up the thigh towards the hips, where you can hold weight. But spot on about the knee not being a load bearing joint, it's designed to transfer. If you are standing weight should be transfering down to the feet. You should be able to feel a soft area in the feet centrally located behind the ball, which is a good area to focus on, both in reciving and issuing. Ask your teacher about this for feedback.
Cloudz-I think she meant half of what they've learned-she hasn't even mentioned Whip yet. Thought the quads term was an odd way of putting it,mayhap it was to get the point across in regards to her kinesthetic awareness of it being one of the places you should feel the weight in correct alignment as opposed to her knee.He pointed out the feet weren't doing their job correctly anymore. She needs to root alright-which she can't until she fixes her everyday mechanics/alignment. Really working on stepping/standing like she has to should also help develop it.Oh-that's one way we cultivate that anyway!
maybe Doc; I was going on this : "And then we went through the first half of the Long form, pivoting and stepping and.... my knee still hurt."
Yeah, I figured that's what made you think that.Should have been "of what we learned of the long form" or something. Hey,correcting spelling's enough.I refuse to be drafted into rewording people's posts for reader clarification. I'm wise to your tricks,pal!Ya gotta get up pretty early in the morning to get me tap dancing w/Moses!
That's "Singin' in the Rain". No "g". Aaaahhh! You tricked me! And how'd you know I prefer Gene over Fred?
Hahaa oh you two! Yes, on occasion I will write so as to confuse you. We've only gone just barely past Single Whip (I finally learned the name of that move, which may also be why I failed to mention it earlier, lol) Please feel free to hit my solar plexus until I can write more effectively. And now, back to your regularly-scheduled program! DAY FIVE: In which I get a workout and the fight with my knee continues. All ends on a happy note and I learned one must STRIKE A PERSON. I woke up late this morning (at 8:30am, class is at nine). I had been sick for most of the weekend with head cold symptoms, puking up flem and blood and just feeling utterly lethargic. I finally have been able to hold food down as of yesterday and sort of hit the ground running (literally) this morning. Managed to get a ride to campus and got there five minutes into class. We did some more Qi Gong as a warm-up... one of which involved swinging the arms forward, rotating them back as we shifting our weight from front to back. The other was standing meditation, or standing pole. And of course, I got all worried about how my stance was affecting my knee that I totally forgot to focus on everything else, including breathing. I proceeded, for the rest of the class, to catch my breath... but mostly failed. I seriously was winded by the time class ended. This may have been due to my respiratory system going on the fritz. We went on into the first half of the long form.... and then Paul sort of took the class back to basics of movement. We got to work on pivoting! Apparently one is supposed to turn the waist while keeping the knee anchored and rooted... and straight. Of course, me being me, I started to mutilate my poor knee while trying to figure out what the heck my legs are for. During which, I also stressed out my right shin, my calves, my left ankle and finally my quads. So we got to single whip finally and I sort of breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Finally! Done with that!" I thought excitedly. Then we stopped practicing the form and did a partner exercise.... as we turn in the beginning of the set our arm is supposed to rise and move in a sort of circular, deflective motion. Our exercise was: 1. To see if we were putting weight on the knee (I think Paul meant this exercise for me, specifically, lol) 2. To see if we were rooted enough to simply push the other person off our arm by moving it in a circular motion. After some chatting with my partner (who was, in fact, male; can you say distraction?) we went through the exercise. And then, upon finally getting at least one of the objectives, we went back to doing the form up to single whip again. Eventually, Paul came around and asked about my knee. "I've been fighting with it this whole class" was my frustrated reply. So Paul got down and held my knee between his hands and told me to turn at the waist to pivot my foot. And at about that point I thought my knee was going to buckle under me. "Nope, don't put the weight there! Again." And again, with less pressure this time, I attempted to turn at my waist. "Again." More knee pressure! But I turned my waist for real that time. "Again." Still not getting it... Stop wobbling around, you knee! "Again." And I nearly fell over to my right, suddenly losing my center line, which probably ran away in fright from my disco-ordination. "Again." And then I realized I just wasn't rooted properly and adjusted until I managed to get it almost right. "One more time." Hooray! My knee didn't hurt! And I pivoted! "Good!" And we went on up to Single Whip again as a class (mostly because we ran out of time). At one point Paul said something along the lines of, "when you are facing this way, you are attacking an enemy. When you pivot, you want to be able to strike at the person in this direction." *pointing to his right* So of course, I pivoted as if I were going to throw a kick (rotating through both the hips and the waist) and you know what? MY KNEE DIDN'T HURT. I managed to anchor myself and stay on my center line and pull my leg through the quad and I thought, "why didn't he just say 'strike another person' earlier??" We ended the class on a random Ba Gua note. From about 1:32 to 1:46. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQd0xS5Blk"]YouTube - Ba Gua Zhang of T.Y. Pang[/ame] Oh T.Y. Pang, how you are revered so by your student, Paul (or at least referenced a lot in my class). Paul said that that particular move trains agility. :hat: So that's about what I learned in class today. Also, STRIKE A PERSON.
Keep it up with the knee education.Remember one way when practicing outside of class is when you are in a really correct position w/your lower limbs take a few moments to stay there and pay attention to what that feels like.Reinforces in your body and perception where you want to be next time. Was that the beak hand you were "hitting" with,or prior to that extension? Psst-why didn't YOU think strike another person? You're not an MA beginner. Disco-ordination?Is that when one joins the clergy and K.C. and The Sunshine Band play?
It was prior to that extension... and I had no idea it was called the beak hand. You're right, why DIDN'T I think of that?? i read your post and took that attitude with me to today's class (details below) And ironically enough, I grew up listening to a little bit of KC, so yes, that must be it! Readers Beware: it's gonna be a short post today; I've got two back-to-back tests this Friday so I need time to study before my next class at noon today! I'm also reporting from a computer in the library and I will waste this moment to say this keyboard is really weird so please forgive spelling and grammar mistakes! DAY SIX: In which pushing occurs and I get a little more education about my knee. Also: COWS. I shall begin my post with my experimentation last night. Yesterday evening I tried figuring out where my weight ought to be and discovered that if I evenly distributed my weight in a 'fighting stance', I found my balance. Upon resuming a normal posture, I managed to find perfect weight distribution in my legs, so as not to stress my lower joints. Which felt really good!! I've made it my goal to replicate this again and again until my muscles and posture improve so as to retain perfect weight distribution, even while shifting weight. I got to class today feeling pretty good (Off topic: on the way to campus I met a friendly calf in a nearby pasture, who proceeded to find out if I was tasty or not. Turns out I'm not, haha). Robert (teaching assistant) asked me before class how TC compared to other arts that I've studied. I told him something along the lines of "TC has helped me regain the balance back that I lost. Also, this is definitely low-contact." Little do I know! So today we went all the way through the first set of the long form (don't worry; it was one of those "follow along if you can; we'll review it step-by-step later"). As we went through the form with Robert, Paul would pause us to correct something or explain something from his experience. During the parts that he was lecturing about balance and weight-shifting, I was fidgeting like a fool, trying to understand and replicate where the heck my balance was and where I ought to put my weight (the shins, I have found, are also not good for holding weight; OUCH!) Poor Paul kept having to run back and forth from person to me and then another person and back again to be sure I wasn't killing my joints. Which was nice, but a little embarrassing... though not quite as embarrassing as my fidgeting. Oh well. So let's see... Paul told us the story of Dong Chengfu, how his teacher would make him stand in "Standing Pole" with his arms out, then cast his coat over Dong's arm and make him stay there like that for the whole class. Which seems a little impossible to me, but I am quickly learning that there are many things that really aren't impossible, especially when TC is involved!! The point of the story, as I learned while fidgeting, was that the bones are supposed to hold the body up, not the muscles during Standing Pole. so... so I must work on this, because I certainly didn't do that today (I think I lasted for a whole minute and a half before my quad couldn't stand it anymore)! So here comes the contact part: After getting up to single Whip a few times, Paul made us partner up with a classmate and practice a movement. During the first half of the long form, there comes a part when the hands are together and you rotate your waist to your right, sort of pushing with your body, putting the energy through your hands and out (I can't remember what the name of the step this is, though we just called it a "press"). Paul told us that he taught this to his daughter, who proceeded to push a much larger guy into a locker with this move. Powerful? Pretty much. We put our hands on the shoulder of another student and were supposed to press until they felt it in the collar bone (or at least, if they did feel it, we were doing it right). After a few failed attempts on my own (straining the scapula is not good, either, as I have discovered), I called Paul over. After some guidance, I did a few quick repetitions on my partner's shoulder and he must've felt something, for he sort of buckled a bit under the press... I felt bad about inflicting pain, but DAGUMMIT I ACTUALLY GOT SOMETHING RIGHT!! And of course, my partner did the Press on my shoulder and I promptly fell over, haha. And we probably would've started sparring (don't push me down and throw a punch if you don't want my foot in your face!), but Paul continued the class... Paul said he would practice against a wall... he also explained something about Dragon Body being the goal in mind, when the upper, middle and lower body are operating independently (I think that was the word he used) that is Dragon Body. It's when your body is so relaxed you can react and move quickly. My comments on the rest of the form after Single Whip: Crane Spreads its Wings has to be the coolest thing ever (with exception to that one time this hot-shot ten-year old red belt tried to spar me and I managed to put my foot on his shoulder when he totally forgot to guard himself. That was pretty cool, too). Also, the punching part totally took me back to TKD and Hapkido. And I seriously was hoping my fist would come in contact with something. Also, intermediate students of TC can apparently feel the air pressure as they move their arms around during the form, much like one would feel water of a pool as thy wade around... is this true??? I must know! Whew, so much for a short post. :hat: Okay, gotta go study for my business test! Have a great weekend, everyone!
Actually, may not be a beak- depends how it's shaped,it varies. That's Yang,Cheng-fu.Tung's teacher.Story may be apocryphal,but gets the point across. You mean standing w/back against the wall,or being pushed into the wall? Both are practices so I'm unclear on your meaning. Press as in rear hand in contact w/your forward limb=chi,(pronounced like gee whiz).After Crane you're about to start throwing palm strikes(tho' that's not all you can do w/them) w/the rear hand.You keep at this you'll be inficting pain.And receiving it.When your knee gets better don't neglect practicing breakfalls. And yeah,you can feel the air,but you're usually paying attention to a bunch of other stuff. Watch out for those ten year olds,they'll punch ya right in the knee!
Tian-Tian Thanks for posting this blog it's a very enjoyable read. Keep enjoying your training and good luck with your test. Regards Peter
First: it's Thursday night so this is a non-class update. I just wanted to extend my most humble thanks for everyone's support and interest in my strange and somewhat abstract detailing of my TC training. Though I know that I've had a lot of material thrown at me with the number of actual classes I've had... I've had moments to sit and ponder the things I learn in the classroom and the things that y'all have spoken to me. Your continual support really encourages me to keep going and keep learning and everyday is a new adventure. :hat: So thank you! :bow: ~Eva And now to get back to replies, because I tend to lose track of things! I'm going to hire you as my editor as soon as I have enough capital. Which are the funds required to start up and run a business! Oh yeah! Guess who studied and then went to work and then came home and did math homework for an 8am math test in the morning? OH YES. That was me, and I am very tired and mentally shot. I may end up sucking energy up from the carpet where I'm lying down. Though there may be a cheezit here and there, too. I wonder if cheezits have chi? .... yeah, disregard that nonsense. Anyway, Paul was just saying you could practice the press hands on a wall to really get a physical feel and develop 'chi'. I haven't had the chance to practice on a wall (and really I kinda don't want to leave holes in my apartment, because I'm paying too much for this cruddy place already). UGH. It is 11:33pm. There are simply not enough hours in a day. At some point or another I will upload some video and/or pictures of me TC-ing it up. Until then, I'm going to go chase after some sleep with a big stick. :topic: OHMANS those ten-year olds. I'm sure, in his class of kids his age, he probably could be legit and take someone out.... but going up against someone who is older, taller/bigger? Not a chance. Notwithstanding the fact that I am not a red belt... I still know the basics enough (in addition to what I have drawn conclusions from being on MAP) : -throw what you know and then get out of the way. -if you get to fancy in your movements to try and intimidate your opponent, you may forget to do basic things... like blocking. -sometimes silence is the best way to intimidate someone before a spar -on the other hand, if you project your voice well, then KIHAP and let 'em have it! (I've been known for being the loudest and having the most energy, so kihaps, while often annoying if done repetitively, are surprisingly effective with me.) - BREATHE. - Relax. Be flexible and ready for anything. - Look for takedown opportunities and go for them - Unless otherwise instructed, aim for pressure points or the nearest weak body part... and hit HARD and FAST. - Spiral motion. Know it. Use it. Crave it. Love it. - DO ask questions of your instructor always. - DON'T land a hit with your shin. - DO wear protective gear if you have it. - Master breakfalls and your body will thank you. - Boasting of one's rank and skill is frowned upon. You may know strike-horse-with-pinky-toe-while-wearing-toga, but some kid can manipulate your pinky finger and slam you into the ground without even trying. In short: stay humble. - Stretching is paramount. You may not be a Superfoot Wallace, but dagummit if you don't stretch you're pretty much up a.... (what's a better metaphor than being up a creek without a paddle? Moose hunting with no gun? Mouse-baiting with no cheese? Oh well. I'll work on this one later) - Picking physical fights does no good and runs up legal bills. Picking fights over petty things wastes time, energy and damages relationships. Picking no fights at all makes you a conservative. Ohohoho I'm on a roll but I'm going to have to stop myself there. It's almost midnight. Why do I love writing so much???
