And I get that. It makes sense. Although I hoped there would be some special secret, it was the answer I expected. As a martial artist there are so many things we'd like to work on because we are dedicated to mastery and improvement. But the simple fact is that we can't be working on everything at once.
So my next question gets a little more specific.
How do I keep up with my minimum requirements of the IHC AND still move forward with the extraneous things I also want to work on?
The benefits of the IHC requirements are obvious. As an example, the pushups and situps (or modifications of these) have become like making the bed in the morning. Not only are they making me stronger, little by little, but they start my day with an accomplishment. They set my day up for success. So first and foremost, my focus starts with the IHC requirements. They are the basis upon which I can build everything else.
Having said that, it seems that by the time I complete my daily requirements, I don't have much time left over for some of the other things I'd really like to fit in. Long I has been on a livestream video since February 19. And although this is one that I really want to learn, and that I think would be really helpful with my breathing, I haven't even started. Broadsword 3 has also been on video since March 26. Again, haven't touched it. There are various kicks and combos that rarely get practiced. And my stick is starting to get cobwebs..and that makes me sad because my stick makes me so happy.
And when these things I've neglected come up in class...I feel guilty because I haven't spent any time on them.
So how do I make it all work? I don't have a complete answer to this dilemma yet. But I have come up with a few things.
One thing I've started doing is what I call "double dipping". For instance, this past month I wanted to really concentrate on the Side Heel as an additional personal goal. So on some days, I found myself incorporating this into sparring so that I could also count that time towards my sparring numbers. Sparring has been a great way to "double dip" and get those kicks and combos in that have been demo'd in the livestreams.
I've also started implementing shorter "snip-its" of my forms throughout the day that I can apply towards my IHC requirements. I previously viewed this requirement as having to be done in full, in order to count as a rep, but I've since altered my stance on this. It's tough to complete a full Da Mu Hsing 1-5 (my hand form focus this year) at work. For one, the space limitation is an issue. Second, even just one full-on Da Mu Hsing leaves me somewhat sweaty. But I can manage doing 1 section here and there, and I have started counting these as .2 towards my numbers. Doesn't seem like much, but by breaking the pieces down, I can often end up doing 2 full sets throughout the work day. These little segments tend to add up, and it leaves my morning training a bit more open for some of the "extras".
At the start of the IHC year, I had been using my One-on-One's to finish learning Da Mu Hsing, since it was my hand form for the year and I didn't quite know it in full at that time. This seemed to work really well. Although the videos were also available, the one-on-one's were great because I could also clarify the movements right away. Since then I've mostly been asking questions that accumulate throughout the week. As I've been progressing, I'm finding that if I give myself a bit of time, I can often answer many of my questions myself. On top of that, the live classes now offer that opportunity for more questions as well (sometimes it was tough to ask questions online just because of the time factor with muting/un-muting/etc). So I think, moving forward, I may utilize my one-on-one's again to learn and work on these new forms that I haven't been able to get to.
Another opportunity is while I wait outside the Kwoon during the kids' classes. This could be a biggie. I wish I wasn't self conscious about training in public and I wish I could just get out there on the grass and start swinging my stick. But I'm just not there yet on a confidence level. This is something I need to work on because it really is a perfect opportunity. This would be another 2 hours of training every week! I need to figure out a way to use this time more productively.
So although there is no way I will ever fit everything in, if I can get a little creative, I can at least try and keep those things that really feed my spirit and keep that motivation alive.
No comments:
Post a Comment