Nothing Much

 Just a quick numbers update. 

Fun First

I've recently taken a different approach to the kids class warmups.  I was noticing (as were some other instructors) that with a basic warmup, the kids were bored and disengaged before the class actually began.  And when someone is starting off that way, it's near impossible to pull their attention back and try to teach them anything.

So over the last while, the warmups have been a key part of the class, rather than just a necessary evil.  They've been very game and fun driven.  A means for the kids to burn off some of that energy from the day.  A chance to laugh and squeal.  Interact as a group.

And with a free and happy mind, they are much more open and receptive to listening and learning.  In fact, they seem excited to do so and I'm getting so much more out of them.

I started to wonder if I could apply to to my own training.  

There are days where I feel like my approach is all business.  A narrowed focus on just getting stuff done.  Or maybe I've been feeling like theres been no progress, so I just dive straight into the work.

And maybe that's a poor approach.  Maybe if I took a few minutes before I started, to just play around and have some fun, it would set me up for a much more successful training session overall.

Requirement Update - Part 1

A quick overview and update on my requirements.

What I am working on.....specifically.

Spear

My Spear work has been tricky over the last couple weeks (shoulder injury).  So I'm trying to focus on some things that don't really require my shoulder.  Funny thing is that almost everything utilizes everything (darn 6 harmonies)...so even that has proven difficult.  But I'm doing what I can and I'm still finding value in all of it.

1. Inside cyclone/spinning-flying outside/inside cyclone kick - this is improving.  So many moving parts.  I've been offered lots of different feedback from lots of different people and it's been interesting how different the perspectives are.  I'm trying to piece the different things together that seem to click for me personally in my own brain and go from there.  Something that makes me grin is that not one person (except maybe in my own brain) has even hinted that age might hold me back with this.  Or maybe they have and are just being kind.  In any event, they certainly aren't letting their instruction or feedback be limited by it and the expectation from my teachers is that, with practice, I will get there.  Period.  I'm not sure how many other 45 year olds in the world are trying to learn this kick.  Maybe there's a Facebook support group I can join.  🤣
2. Expansion/Contraction - there are lots of areas in this form with obvious points of expansion and contraction.  As I establish the obvious ones, some of the more subtle ones are becoming visible as well.  This concept is really starting to open up, not only in Spear, but my other forms as well.
3. Phrasing - I've found a couple spots that I'm working on with both timing and speed that will be a little different than how I've been doing it so far.  I think it will add both visual interest and an opportunity to "rejuvenate my flow of energy" within the form. (It took me a while to write that last little bit...I was having a hard time figuring out how to verbalize what I was trying to achieve.  Hopefully it makes sense.  lol.)
4. Mental reps - with all the driving time I've had (20 hours taking my kids to grandmas and picking them up again) I've done a lot of mental visualizing with my form.  I discovered the value of this after my foot surgery and have continued to practice this in times where I cannot physically train (the dentist is a great place too, lol).  I have a few things I'm going to try out once my shoulder is behaving again.
• Helicopter - timing of hand and end of spin, gaze, pause
• Jump - timing and incorporation of upper body/spear
• Hand flip before flipping my bad guy, staying low
• Standing up after impale - this might sound dumb, but I feel like I can stand up with more intent here.
5. Fight Scene - again, during all the driving time, I went through my form mentally and actually played out a fight scene.  I got very specific with where the opponents are, when I finished them off, when the same one came at me again, etc, etc.  I found some spots where I got extra specific, which was interesting.  For example, in a particular spot, I would consider the "move" to be a check...but when I was considering all the opponents, I also thought to myself..."this isn't JUST a check, it's an opportunity to intimidate and cause someone to hesitate and question their next move".  This will require more intensity.  And I got to thinking about not only the obvious intensity in my eyes, but in the energy that I may (or may not be) emitting in that moment.  Again, not sure if that makes sense but it's a concept I'm going to explore.  I also found a spot where, although it could (more obviously) be a technique/block....I also noticed that what I was doing seemed exactly like if I were wiping the blood off my spear from the last strike 😲...and that intent provides a completely different sort of intensity/energy to that particular moment.

Honestly, I had intended to provide updates on all of my requirements in this blog, but I got way more into what I'm doing with my Spear than I intended.  To be honest, I went into this thinking that I wasn't really working on much recently (trying to avoid making my shoulder worse) and was pleasantly surprised to see that I've actually been doing quite a bit.  

Anyways, I will end this blog and call it "Part 1".  So more to come on my other requirements!

Injuries and Connections

I've been dealing with a few injuries over the last bit.

Firstly my hand/wrist.  As some might recall I accidentally turned my spear into a hoe one day, hyper extending a part of my hand in the process.  I've been to the doctor and had an X-ray.  No cracks or breaks or anything.  So that's good news.  But it is extremely painful to grasp anything with weight or to squeeze.  And I'm told something like this will take a while to heal, especially with everything I do with my hands.  I've been previously diagnosed with carpel tunnel as well, so I'm not sure if that's contributing to things as well.

Anyhow, moving on.  With doing some drumming recently, both in practice and demos, the hand pain seemed to move into my elbow.  So now that is bothering me.  I think with not being able to really hold my sticks normally, due to the hand, I compensated in some way and put some stress on the elbow.  This is more just irksome at this point, rather than anything concerning.

And then, I'm guessing in part, due to the pushup building challenge we do in the kids classes, I've re-injured my shoulder.  This exact same thing happens any time I get to about 20 consecutive pushups.  It never fails that I end up damaging my right shoulder.  And unfortunately, I never seem to learn.  But when I want to push my students with something, I have an expectation of myself that I do it with them.  This just may not be possible in all things.  And it kinda sucks.  But it's also a reality.

And finally, while working on Da Mu Hsing, I tweeked my neck real good.  Again, I think this was a result of the other injuries, and not because of what I was doing.  Almost like a ticking time bomb.  I've had this type of injury before, but this time around it seems to be taking some time to heal.  I've got much better movement this week, but it's still sort of "sitting there" and so I'm trying not to overdo it.

So from a hand injury, to an elbow injury, to a shoulder injury, to a neck injury....I'm pretty lame on my right side.

So what am I doing about it??  

Well, I've been to the chiropractor now a few times since the neck tweek really put me over the edge edge with it all.  And I'm doing my exercises and stretches.  So everything is slowly working itself out.  Sometimes I feel like things have really improved, and then she seems to find these spots where everything is still really tight and painful.  There's a spot she was working on yesterday on my chest.  I wouldn't have really thought about a spot there being connected to the back/neck pain, nor my shoulder.  She also pointed out that she can tell that I tend to breathe quite high, rather than in my belly.  So now, as part of my rehab, I need to work on my breathing.  

I guess what I'm getting at with this long winded blog, is that, although I already know and understand how many things are connected, I just keep learning more.  And it's just so interesting.

Oh...and also to take care of injuries quickly...even those little ones....lest they turn into something more.  I'm excited to have a better understanding of the KT tape now (thanks Todai Bauer) as this will be a real easy way for me to address anything minor quickly and without excuse.