My Blogging Inspiration has been Covered Up

This week I was going to write about the wonderful respiratory effects that the warming weather brings as the snow begins to disappear. As everyone can see out their windows these last couple of days that the snow is back, covering up all of that nice bare ground and by doing that has given some of us a reprieve of dealing with SNOW MOLD. Maybe next year spring and summer will come to us in Alberta and I will be able to write about how Snow Mold affects me.

Sparring

To be honest I am writing this blog only because of this picture. And by no means does it have anything to do with my journey towards mastery. (Ok well it might)

Sparring can be one of the scarier things in the martial arts or it can be one of the funner (I know that is not a real word Mom) aspects in the arts, when it is done a safe comfortable environment.

Ok sparring when it is not so much fun, in my opinion is when you dread going there knowing that you’re going to have your but handed to you again, end up being bruised and potentially injured. Now that is not fun and who would want to keep going back to something like that.

Now sparring when it is fun, again in my opinion is when you can’t wait to put on the pads, square off with your opponent, knowing that your opponent has no intentions on hurting you orfear of being hurt themselves, your weaknesses are shown and your skill has been improved. You leave with a smile on your face and sense of accomplishment in your stride, along with anticipation for the next time you get to spar. That is how I see and feel the Sanshou class has become for me.

Exercise of Idiocy

I must have been crazy when I keep this same goal from last year and then doubled the amount I planned on doing in a year. The goal I am talking about is kicks, last year my goals was to do 25,000 kicks in a year, that roughly translates into about 75 kicks a day, not very much now is it. So I doubled it to 50,000 and that again translates into about 150 kicks a day, still in the big picture not very much. Why I am thinking that I must becrazy, is that last year I was unable to attain my goal of 25,000 kicks due to the fact that continuous repetitions of performing kicks aggravates the arthritis in my hips. So why in the world would I decide to ramp it up and go for 50,000 kicks. The reasoning is simple; I just want to push myself that much harder and beyond my set limitations.

An Old Opponent Comes for a Visit

I have just finished doing battle once again with a well know and nasty opponent. I always expect to receive a visit from this opponent at least once a year, and I prepare myself for this battle. When it starts I know it by the ache in my muscles, and by the feeling of being hot and cold almost simultaneously when I am in its presence. So I settle in for what I know is ahead of me and let the battle heat radiate from my body. This time the battle was not too severe as it could be, and I am glad to be back in the land of the living.