So I made a mistake about the whole timeline of this project--it seems that things changed through the course of this thing and instead of the project ending on August 15th like I originally thought and mentioned before it will instead be ending on “Day 90”. So that would mean that, as of writing this, there are only nine more days in the project for Corry, David, and me.
Things are winding down, it seems, but things don’t seem to feel like they’re ending, oddly enough. I’m sure that’s because we still do have nine days left and in some ways that’s still quite a long time; many things can happen, and will happen I’m sure, and there’s still a lot of work to be done, so many things to explore and discover, so much more jumproping to do.
I’m hoping that within the next nine days that I’ll be able to partake in my final Indulgence Day and describe my reaction to those always interesting experiences. Perhaps there will be one last exploration of a new and unique (for me, at least) foodstuff for all of you. I’ve really enjoyed doing those and I’d like to continue trying exotic new things because variety is the spice of life and if your life isn’t spicy then there isn’t bound to be much fun to it, now is there?
Any ideas from all of you faithful readers as to what I should subject myself to in these last few weeks? Something crazily awesome, I hope, because going out with a bang is always the best way to go (I mean, really, who would want to go out with a whimper?).
Yesterday was Saturday and judo was fine for all that it was. It certainly was painful at some points but those instances were broken up by my getting to help teach some of the other younger students instead of being the guinea pig. I’ve never really taught anybody during the judo classes before so that was an entirely new and weird experience. I did my best to teach them correctly but I didn’t have the years of experience it like I do with karate at hand so it ended up being me there trying my best to explain the intricacies of one of the more basic throws, all the while my mouth was moving faster than my head (what an odd sensation that is, let me tell you). It’s also very complicated trying to teach someone how to throw a person when you’re the person being thrown. That takes multitasking to a whole other level.
So judo was fine, karate, on the other hand, wasn’t as cool. Funny that it takes getting punched in the ear twice, almost losing all ability to hear out of both ears, and turning my left wrist into a red, yellow, and green mess of a bruise to make me realize that there has got to be a sport or exercise driven activity that would be better for me physically, and mentally at that. Kung fu was giving me that satisfaction for a while but the money I was spending on tuition and the sixty mile trip to the school and back was becoming not worth it. That was hard to realize since I really enjoyed taking kung fu and I wish there was a school closer to my house but what are you going to do?
Perhaps I’ll take up yoga again. Or something else...knitting?
Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Day 45, A resolution
Of sorts. And it’s not even January 1!
So yesterday was Friday which means that it was sparring day at the karate school (ah the very last sparring day at our current location, new building coming on Monday). Sparring day is usually something to look forward to during the otherwise dismal week spent there because, well, first it is Friday so that means no work the next day, that’s always good, but it also means that I get to have some real time to train and get in a great cardiovascular workout all at the same time.
Mostly my time spent there is devoted to teaching all of the other students--that being my job because unfortunately I can’t get paid to just train for a few hours a day...or for reading or watching movies. Monday through Friday from four in the afternoon until nine at night are classes that I teach and very rarely do I get to work out on my own during those times. Hence the reason why I started taking kung fu and judo classes, because I can’t spend five hours a day teaching that stuff and then expect to be fulfilled from it, I’ve got to spend some time developing my own self not just teaching others.
Friday is the one big exception. Granted there are still three other classes during that day that I have to teach but at six o’clock the advanced belt class, my class, rolls along. Sparring class is different from any of the other “kata” classes in that I don’t have to be standing in front of a big group of kids counting numbers and telling them to bend their knees to be able to teach something. In sparring class I am able to get in there and spar the students myself, so I’m able to (hopefully) impart some of my earned knowledge to them while physically interacting and moving with the other person like everyone else in the class.
Like I said before, it gives me a way to train and further develop my abilities in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do any other time of the week due to my obligation to teach. It is also a fantastic cardio workout. For about forty-five minutes there is continuous movement, and when I say continuous movement I mean continuous movement, only stopping about every five minutes to change partners. So every bit of my body gets a thorough workout:arms from punching and blocking and other strikes, hips and core from moving constantly and keeping my balance in those fast and stressful moments when the other person is all over you, and legs from all of the kicks and leg blocks. It’s very intensive and very enjoyable.
Much the same way that the PCP exercise program is.
I realized something at the end of the class yesterday, I had spent the two or three previous sparring classes sitting out due to either a stomach issue or just plain laziness, and now after going through an entire class and getting to move around a lot, I kind of miss it. Even with all of the limitations imposed on the sparring (nothing to the legs or back, it being very “linear”, few acceptable strikes and kicks) I miss the physicality of it all and the interaction that you get with sparring your partner. All that is odd to say because, generally, I try to be and believe I am a very nonviolent person who normally avoids any kind of situation that would involve using what I know, I try to be the definition of “peace” (key word there is “try”). When it comes down to it though I see those sparring classes as a workout with a little training, something like: 90% workout, 10% training.
So my resolution? I resolve to get off my lazy butt and spar every week, every chance I can. I’m missing a great opportunity to really maximize my effort and potential to reach peak condition by sitting out those sparring classes. I enjoy them and they are a great workout, something that I’m used to but ends up being totally different every week because of the wide array of people and their different styles of sparring. I could be doing so much more than I have been these last few Fridays and I’m going to do my best to be my best.
So yesterday was Friday which means that it was sparring day at the karate school (ah the very last sparring day at our current location, new building coming on Monday). Sparring day is usually something to look forward to during the otherwise dismal week spent there because, well, first it is Friday so that means no work the next day, that’s always good, but it also means that I get to have some real time to train and get in a great cardiovascular workout all at the same time.
Mostly my time spent there is devoted to teaching all of the other students--that being my job because unfortunately I can’t get paid to just train for a few hours a day...or for reading or watching movies. Monday through Friday from four in the afternoon until nine at night are classes that I teach and very rarely do I get to work out on my own during those times. Hence the reason why I started taking kung fu and judo classes, because I can’t spend five hours a day teaching that stuff and then expect to be fulfilled from it, I’ve got to spend some time developing my own self not just teaching others.
Friday is the one big exception. Granted there are still three other classes during that day that I have to teach but at six o’clock the advanced belt class, my class, rolls along. Sparring class is different from any of the other “kata” classes in that I don’t have to be standing in front of a big group of kids counting numbers and telling them to bend their knees to be able to teach something. In sparring class I am able to get in there and spar the students myself, so I’m able to (hopefully) impart some of my earned knowledge to them while physically interacting and moving with the other person like everyone else in the class.
Like I said before, it gives me a way to train and further develop my abilities in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do any other time of the week due to my obligation to teach. It is also a fantastic cardio workout. For about forty-five minutes there is continuous movement, and when I say continuous movement I mean continuous movement, only stopping about every five minutes to change partners. So every bit of my body gets a thorough workout:arms from punching and blocking and other strikes, hips and core from moving constantly and keeping my balance in those fast and stressful moments when the other person is all over you, and legs from all of the kicks and leg blocks. It’s very intensive and very enjoyable.
Much the same way that the PCP exercise program is.
I realized something at the end of the class yesterday, I had spent the two or three previous sparring classes sitting out due to either a stomach issue or just plain laziness, and now after going through an entire class and getting to move around a lot, I kind of miss it. Even with all of the limitations imposed on the sparring (nothing to the legs or back, it being very “linear”, few acceptable strikes and kicks) I miss the physicality of it all and the interaction that you get with sparring your partner. All that is odd to say because, generally, I try to be and believe I am a very nonviolent person who normally avoids any kind of situation that would involve using what I know, I try to be the definition of “peace” (key word there is “try”). When it comes down to it though I see those sparring classes as a workout with a little training, something like: 90% workout, 10% training.
So my resolution? I resolve to get off my lazy butt and spar every week, every chance I can. I’m missing a great opportunity to really maximize my effort and potential to reach peak condition by sitting out those sparring classes. I enjoy them and they are a great workout, something that I’m used to but ends up being totally different every week because of the wide array of people and their different styles of sparring. I could be doing so much more than I have been these last few Fridays and I’m going to do my best to be my best.
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