E Dan Spells Trouble

Keith came back from his vacation and this is the last day of my martial class week which means work on Il Soo Sik (one-step sparring).  Before we got started he thought I ought to do some basics to warm up.  For once my concern for flexibility and injury has dropped because I've been getting up early (instead of by the alarm) and lightly working out until it's time to go the the school.  

One kick that really tells me my hamstring or glute is tight is the outside to inside crescent kick.  Designed to break collar bones, it requires the kicker to get the foot/leg straight up and then down with a straight leg.  Imagine doing a split in the air.  Never my best anyway, but the warm up really helped me.  I didn't feel any noticeable tugs in tendons and muscles.  

And then he said the words "E dan".  I'm not saying I dread it, but it means second level and that means jumping.  In all the martial arts I've studied, there hasn't been much jumping.  So I'm like a giant gangly goober when it comes to this stuff.  I think my jumping front kick is passible, but that's about it.  Today we hit on the one I must know very well since it's part of the blackbelt exam; E dan dwi cha gi.  Cha gi mean kick and dwi means turning and e dan, of course, means jumping.  In this case it all comes together as a jumping, spinning back kick.  When I finally got one that looked vaguely correct, my kick was just north of ankle height.  Wow, do I have a long way to go.  

Now just add a jump to that.