Potatoe's rule 1

There are exceptions to every rule.

However, exceptions are rare.

Tonight I was filled with dread and excitement about returning to class. It was Teacher, Little Sister and Cook. Thankfully it went slow and easy, but I bruised easily. It's going to take a long time to develop the bruise layer again.

Here is the first rule - whatever body part is hurting and you want to protect; it will focused upon and abused during class.

Case in point - my knees apparently both have tendinitis in them. Or at least it feels like it. In the second hour we practice a grab with a kick in the back of the leading knee. Perfect.

After about 20 or 30 0f these it's my turn to kick. I can barely pick my leg up to do the kick. So I have to do more to get it right. It was one of those nights where no matter how much time and effort went in to tell me how to do it, nothing was going to work. I could do it on short folks, but anyone my height was a whole different situation. Painful.

Private Class 2

Somewhere between the falling and the pain I had an extended moment of thought. Dread that I injured my knee further, pleasure that the fall itself was nothing in relation to my contact to the ice, and some anxiety that I had ruined my nice pants.

My wife was going over to the big city. Being the gallant gentleman I figured I'd carry her bag and backpack while she navigated the snow and ice. Alas, for the first time in years my balance was stolen from me. Not by any combatant, but a poorly balanced load on my arms and the beautiful sheet of crystal clear ice that was waiting under a half inch dusting of powdery, clean snow.

I felt my feet both going and working under the weight of the bags I figured I'd just bend my knees and regain my balance. Half way down my right knee started to protest mightily and I had to roll to my back to relieve the pressure. Ouch.

That was Thursday and today was my second private session. It was with some trepidation that I showed up concerned that I wouldn't be able to hold a low stance very long. Thankfully the miracle of adrenaline or simply warming up carefully made the workout move smoothly and painlessly.

I demonstrated the progress on my stance and the exercises I've been doing (reading in low horse stance, etc.) so we focused most of the time on doing katas together and fine tuning my ability to stay at one level/height the whole time instead of bobbing up.

The new assignments were meditation and pin-pointing my strikes to the face/neck/head. I've been treating the whole head as more or less one target. Now I have to make sure that I'm aiming for something specifically.

Strangely, I kept giggling and laughing the whole time. Bliss?

After I got home and sat for awhile my leg told me that I had, indeed, been working hard. Ow.