Interlude

I missed last weeks beatings due to other obligations and fighting a cold. As an alternative I hit it hard at the gym. I was able to run a 9.05 mile. Not bad for an out of shape 40 year old.

Two conversations about Brown Belt rank. I had assumed that I was no where near that damn thing. One of the guys at the gym is loosely affliated with us, but due to a bad back rarely attends anymore. So he braces me about the whole belt rank thing thinking I should be there soon. Yikes. Then I was talking to Teacher and he says something along those lines. He apparently understands my reticense. I think he said something like, "you think you aren't ready, but how many times have you said that in that past when I knew you were ready." Yikes again. I just my rank the other day! I hope this is just a discussion in general...

A Moment of Brilliance

My wife is back from her journey and I was surprised when she let me just trapse off to beatings. I figured after a week and half she'd be, "I miss you and I want to spend time with you." Not that this is bad and I would have been fine with this, it's just not what I expected.

So off I went expecting a bland class with Nilon and Beard. Surprise! We had Check, AOS, then Kid Speed and Beard for the second hour. Check gave us some bad news while we were warming up - she wants to move South. Problems with her ex and daughters and the lack of any warmth here for a year have put her into a moving frame of mind. Dang.

The exercise flow started with a two-step consisting of backfist step punch. This migrated into someone grabbing you from behind and punching. This was met with the backfist (properly done you'd get a block and strike at once) and then punch. We had to practice outside and inside because Teacher says under pressure you never know which way you're going to go. After profficiency we moved on to sparring.

I didn't realize that I had missed it so. I felt alive in every sense of the world. No matter how many troubles there are in the world and in my life (not too many) there exists nothing beyond the conflict at hand. Other than a lot of fun last night I did a beautiful thing. I executed a roundhouse aimed at the side of Beard and as he blocked I changed direction to gently pop him on the side of the face. I have never been able to execute such precision before. Awesome.

Short story Long

It's been a couple of weeks, but my wife left town and I had a couple of side jobs in the evening so no beatings for two whole weeks. I was actually dreading going back tonight but it turned out great. The first hour was Nut and I (I can't call him that anymore so I'm re branding him Ninlon (Nut who Is No LOnger Nut).

I had been jonesing for some contact and Ninlon was ready to go. It was almost organic how things came together, but I'd have to pull out every couple of minutes because I'd lose the pattern. It was all hands but it was beautiful.

Techniques from Teacher have a natural migration anyway, but tonight it seems extra clear. First was the two punch and the other person would try to get inside. This lead to chin and throat strikes and then lead to throws.

I'm not sure how I feel about throws. I love them, but I'm not good at them. My height plays against me and then I use muscle which defeats the purpose. So the second hour was an endless practice of getting my hip in and taking the balance of the uki. Very difficult, but I got a couple in. For the first time I actually knew what they were talking about. Beard was my unfortunate uki most of the time since he's my around my height, but letting go of my muscle use is tough.

Good to be back even with my back in knots.

Missed

So my wife is leaving the country for a week or so and we wanted to have a romantic evening together so I missed out on beatings.  We went out to dinner and then sat around with our laptops doing bills and such.  Hah.

Knife attacks always hurt

I'm writing fast today because I don't have a lot of time at work. Here's the skinny version.

No Kid Speed! Not the most demonstrative person I've ever met, but this does seem mysterious to me. Of course at 15 I assume he's thinking about girls and what his friends are thinking about. In the years I've known him I've never heard him string together more than five words together. At his age I couldn't shut up (I'm not much different at this point).

We started with kick combos and then knife attacks. Exercise one was low inside crescent (to foil low kick or movement forward), then other foot roundhouse, followed by punch punch. Very awkward and definitely not smooth for me. After lots of corrections we changed to low inside crescent, switch foot round house, remain balanced then with same foot back kick. That worked great because I didn't have to bring my weight back around.

Knife attacks always hurt. I have a bad habit of blocking down instead of across because of height difference and me not twisting my torso until too late. This means that the point of our wood knives find themselves embedded in my boobie. Ouch.

So after lots of corrections and a variety of attacks and defenses we went to the stairs. Teacher had taught practical self-defense in the past and had obviously thought it would work with a small class. We went to the stair case and learned how to foil attacks from every direction. This means that I took a lot of sprawls down the steps. My feet felt a little bruised as I'd fly down the steps trying to find a spot and inevitably miss.

Dream Fight

When I first started beatings Teacher Slim told me that when I have a fight in my dreams and win that I'd be on my way to really absorbing the material. Here I am years later and the dreams I have that relate to fighting haven't left me feeling good about my mad skills. Usually I fight and never seem to get that finishing move in.

So last night I have a fight dream. I have to subdue a woman taller than me who appears quite substantial. We are located between benches (church pews?) I'm doing fairly well (she seems disturbed) but I can't quite clench the deal. I change tactics and dive between her legs and kick up with my feet to knock her over. I fold her up elaborately and then I guy comes up and shoots her. Messy.

As I stared in shock I mentally slapped myself on the forehead thinking how I could have really attacked her legs and knees with kicks...