Well, I was happy last Saturday, when I was able to do so many pushups, even if they were with the knees on the floor. I shouldn't have been. My shoulder has been very troublesome ever since. I'm even having trouble typing.
The aching shoulder meant I forewent iaido on Monday, but Wednesday I took the place as teacher, so that went well, at least. Kali saw me in a wee bit of pain, and in the end I had to forego one of the exercises on Tuesday, thogh Thursday was better. Yesterday, however, when I was so very, very much looking forward to the weekly sparring, I was down with a nasty cold which, as they always do with me, lodged itself firmly in the throat, and has now evolved into full-blown coughing-apart-my-lungs. Of course. They always do.
I get incredibly frustrated with my many issues, illnesses and aches, big and small alike. After all, I have started resting, but when that doesn't seem to help - what then? And, resting is all good, but the frustration in the head when I miss out on something, is definitely not enjoyable! Nor is the one in the body. I'm worried about my back, and the muscles there, so I am going to focus on trying to do "fifteen minutes a day" at home, too, and not just iai and Kali.
Now, rest is all good, but my shoulder has been like this for years by now. I'm thinking of trying some kind of private doctor or bone-tweaker - it can't hurt anything but my wallet, after all.
When you have recurring aches and pains, what do you do? Do you have a recommendation for me? If resting doesn't make things better with your body, do you have some sort of go-to? Or, if you do rest, how do you cope with not being able to work out? Maybe it's a relief, a well-earned rest, or maybe it's frustrating - do tell, and I'll reply!
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Articles on barefoot style running
It is about time I wrote a bit about barefoot running again, so, that I will do.
This week saw little out of the ordinary. I was the senpai/sensei for Monday's iaido, managed again to tie in warm-up with the kata we later did, On Wednesday I was a careless klutz in iaido and managed to cut a small cut in my left middle finger - I will continue to badger everyone lifting a sword that is of less grade than I am to do their noto correctly; with fingers together and good hikite/sayabiki. (That is, the motion of putting the saya back onto the sword). Yes, you can cut yourself even with a mogito (not a shinken) - all you have to do is be careless and find that uttermost part of the tip.
Kali held a few challenges, and some of them I conquered quite well! I am very pleased that my knife-work and -defence is fairly decent for my level. Knife-fighting is definitely one of the things I'm most worried about if I would ever get dragged into one.
The Saturday SecurityFitness Open Mat was great as usual. I suspect I might have possibly impressed the instructor a little when I managed to get in behind his guard and hit him with the knife a few times, but, it wasn't really worth mentioning. I prefer finding out what I can do even better, instead of being complimented on something I did all right mostly by accident. So, a few bruises richer, I then took Saturday off from just about everything. Today I merely took a walk in the sunshine - I have to study, so I can't do much else, though the roads are really clearing up now!
And speaking of that: I want new shoes for running in. And I'd prefer not paying a thousand SEK just because they have a nice brand - I know good shoes are important, but I'm cautious nevertheless. I know what I want, but I can't pay crudloads for it, so if I AM going to buy something, I better read up on it. I'm thinking of finding some sort of running flats.
I ran into a few articles on the matter of barefoot running. There are apparently many styles and gurus and preachers and denigrators out there... and as usual, I try to avoid them. Yes, "Born to Run" is a bit evangelical in tone, but at least it is a fairly engaging read.
Now, this series of articles was made by a professional with a background in physiotherapy, and I'm going to drop you right at the end of the series - here - even though it is in Swedish. The little numbers in brackets lead almost all of them to English-language studies on barefoot- and ordinary running. Some are done by companies, others by those seeking an answer and therefore getting it, and so on. Apply caution!
What the series concludes with, in any case, is with an "it depends". It seems fairly certain that too much padding and oddities in shoes aren't too good, but that few people ought to go straight onto running with actual bare feet. The author runs "barefoot style" a few times a week, but mostly in the heel-down way. He is not convinced by anyone's arguments, but stays somewhere in the middle, with a firm "it depends".
There is a bit about marathon runners, a bit about the choice of shoes and a bit about injuries.
And here comes a, to me, interesting part: barefoot running significantly decreases stress and risk of injury on your knees. That is instead moved to lower down the leg, which can be deflected fairly well by good muscles, careful running and proper shoes for you - yes, you yourself, not anything hyped up. Try those shoes out, and don't just trust what people tell you. Shoes ought not to be constricting, too narrow, and, whenever you can, you should walk barefoot - indoors, for example, doing everyday things.
Some people, when faced with shoes with a thinner sole, began putting their feet down more to the middle of the foot, instead of the heel. This too lessens the strain on the knees and the force of the impact on the ground.
So, there were quite a lot of comments for people who said they'd rediscovered the joy of running, and no longer had trouble with their knees! And then there were those who didn't particularily like it, and were fine with running as usual.
One thing that interested me quite a bit was the talk about changes in performance and "economy of running". That is, the energy expenditure and whether your technique is energy effective... and so on. If I understood it correctly, that is. It seems it requires a wee bit extra expenditure of energy to run barefoot style, which, when it comes to running far, is of course a drawback. But as I do not compete, and run for the sheer joy of it, I find it an interesting detail at most. Something to remember, but not anything I will worry about.
Well, for me, the articles and the tests they referred to didn't change my mind about barefoot style running. It did remind me that "to each their own", but I think it is important to tell people that barefoot style running is an alternative. Maybe it won't be for them, but you can't know until you try, and as long as they go on and try past that first bump in the road that is building up the new muscles for it, I'll accept their declining to continue.
Have you read any articles on barefoot style running, and what positive and negative sides did you find in them? Were they well written, or were they more like propaganda? Did they change your mind?
See you next week!
This week saw little out of the ordinary. I was the senpai/sensei for Monday's iaido, managed again to tie in warm-up with the kata we later did, On Wednesday I was a careless klutz in iaido and managed to cut a small cut in my left middle finger - I will continue to badger everyone lifting a sword that is of less grade than I am to do their noto correctly; with fingers together and good hikite/sayabiki. (That is, the motion of putting the saya back onto the sword). Yes, you can cut yourself even with a mogito (not a shinken) - all you have to do is be careless and find that uttermost part of the tip.
Kali held a few challenges, and some of them I conquered quite well! I am very pleased that my knife-work and -defence is fairly decent for my level. Knife-fighting is definitely one of the things I'm most worried about if I would ever get dragged into one.
The Saturday SecurityFitness Open Mat was great as usual. I suspect I might have possibly impressed the instructor a little when I managed to get in behind his guard and hit him with the knife a few times, but, it wasn't really worth mentioning. I prefer finding out what I can do even better, instead of being complimented on something I did all right mostly by accident. So, a few bruises richer, I then took Saturday off from just about everything. Today I merely took a walk in the sunshine - I have to study, so I can't do much else, though the roads are really clearing up now!
And speaking of that: I want new shoes for running in. And I'd prefer not paying a thousand SEK just because they have a nice brand - I know good shoes are important, but I'm cautious nevertheless. I know what I want, but I can't pay crudloads for it, so if I AM going to buy something, I better read up on it. I'm thinking of finding some sort of running flats.
I ran into a few articles on the matter of barefoot running. There are apparently many styles and gurus and preachers and denigrators out there... and as usual, I try to avoid them. Yes, "Born to Run" is a bit evangelical in tone, but at least it is a fairly engaging read.
Now, this series of articles was made by a professional with a background in physiotherapy, and I'm going to drop you right at the end of the series - here - even though it is in Swedish. The little numbers in brackets lead almost all of them to English-language studies on barefoot- and ordinary running. Some are done by companies, others by those seeking an answer and therefore getting it, and so on. Apply caution!
What the series concludes with, in any case, is with an "it depends". It seems fairly certain that too much padding and oddities in shoes aren't too good, but that few people ought to go straight onto running with actual bare feet. The author runs "barefoot style" a few times a week, but mostly in the heel-down way. He is not convinced by anyone's arguments, but stays somewhere in the middle, with a firm "it depends".
There is a bit about marathon runners, a bit about the choice of shoes and a bit about injuries.
And here comes a, to me, interesting part: barefoot running significantly decreases stress and risk of injury on your knees. That is instead moved to lower down the leg, which can be deflected fairly well by good muscles, careful running and proper shoes for you - yes, you yourself, not anything hyped up. Try those shoes out, and don't just trust what people tell you. Shoes ought not to be constricting, too narrow, and, whenever you can, you should walk barefoot - indoors, for example, doing everyday things.
Some people, when faced with shoes with a thinner sole, began putting their feet down more to the middle of the foot, instead of the heel. This too lessens the strain on the knees and the force of the impact on the ground.
So, there were quite a lot of comments for people who said they'd rediscovered the joy of running, and no longer had trouble with their knees! And then there were those who didn't particularily like it, and were fine with running as usual.
One thing that interested me quite a bit was the talk about changes in performance and "economy of running". That is, the energy expenditure and whether your technique is energy effective... and so on. If I understood it correctly, that is. It seems it requires a wee bit extra expenditure of energy to run barefoot style, which, when it comes to running far, is of course a drawback. But as I do not compete, and run for the sheer joy of it, I find it an interesting detail at most. Something to remember, but not anything I will worry about.
Well, for me, the articles and the tests they referred to didn't change my mind about barefoot style running. It did remind me that "to each their own", but I think it is important to tell people that barefoot style running is an alternative. Maybe it won't be for them, but you can't know until you try, and as long as they go on and try past that first bump in the road that is building up the new muscles for it, I'll accept their declining to continue.
Have you read any articles on barefoot style running, and what positive and negative sides did you find in them? Were they well written, or were they more like propaganda? Did they change your mind?
See you next week!
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Learning that one can learn new things
Well, look at that, I forgot to write last Saturday! Admittedly, it was a week without much outside of the ordinary, what with the snow beginning to thaw and all but the roads still being treacherous.
I was called upon to lead the iaido practice both Monday and Wednesday, and it went really well. I must say, something has changed in my brain, something just... worked. I tied together warmup exercises and the kata we did on Monday, and I am really pleased that both days, everyone seemed to have progressed in the end from where they were at the beginning.
On Wednesday, both the "ordinary" sensei came anyway, but we had agreed beforehand that they were to focus on their own practice. This, I think - no, I know, in fact - was a very good idea. They, as sensei, need to keep their skills honed, and also to get a break if they start to grow weary of teaching. And more importantly, they as iaidoka need to keep their level of skill and understanding. I am very proud to have been able to give them an opportunity to not be the teachers.
In regards to my other martial art, I am quite fond of being a beginner, I must say. There are many new things to learn, and over and over again it is proven to me that I can learn them. I listen to and watch the explanation and demonstration, try out the first tentative times, and then me and my partner both gain confidence and understanding, and at times we even get quite good at the specific move or exercise in question!
I believe that to be a very important part in anything, really - to accept that there is always something more to learn, to embrace the same fact, and to encourage oneself and others to strive to learn these new things. And, to enjoy the process, no matter how bitter or hard or painful it may be! With "enjoy" I do not necessarily mean in the laughing, smiling, satisfied way. It could also be the knowledge of an obstacle cleared or that one perseveres even though things look bad - and the knowledge that one actually did persevere.
This was again something I really felt during Saturday's "open practice" hours. It was two hours of mercilessly building things from the ground up. And at the end, all of us used both hands, with weapon or without, stick or knife optional, for attacking as well as defending, and moved about quite a lot in a way we've been badgered to do for quite a while. It took all of those two hours, but great thanks go to our trainer for finding just the right exercises to put piece after piece into place, making it a fine puzzle indeed once finished! At first, everything felt... too much. "Well, I'm decent at this and that, but all of this... give me a few months, and then maybe..." We had the general gist of the idea of things. But at the end, we moved instead of thought, and learned from our mistakes, having passed "gate" by "gate" of learning. All fitted together, and for me, something that had been building since months, fit into place and I felt really good afterwards. I couldn't describe exactly what that would have been, only that... something suddenly seems to have put me on the right path in regards to my other martial art beside iaido.
I have been having trouble sleeping lately, which I suspect may be due to some medication. Last night I didn't try anything external (such as calming tea), but instead went to bed rather early, and refused to get up (except for the bathroom), insisting on falling back to sleep every time, until half past eight. Well, at least I felt rested for a few hours... before feeling sleepy again. I'll just wait and see. I've found a strategy that works at least.
Over to you, then - do you find that sometimes you simply cannot do an exercise or the like, right away? Or perhaps, the other way round!
The idea is there, you understand the theory of it (more or less) but it takes ages to get it? Unless you have the opportunity to do seemingly almost unrelated exercises, building up towards finally doing the entire exercise, and then you suddenly get it? Or, perhaps you have never had the chance to do just that, instead having to rely on hard work to see you through to "understanding"?
I was called upon to lead the iaido practice both Monday and Wednesday, and it went really well. I must say, something has changed in my brain, something just... worked. I tied together warmup exercises and the kata we did on Monday, and I am really pleased that both days, everyone seemed to have progressed in the end from where they were at the beginning.
On Wednesday, both the "ordinary" sensei came anyway, but we had agreed beforehand that they were to focus on their own practice. This, I think - no, I know, in fact - was a very good idea. They, as sensei, need to keep their skills honed, and also to get a break if they start to grow weary of teaching. And more importantly, they as iaidoka need to keep their level of skill and understanding. I am very proud to have been able to give them an opportunity to not be the teachers.
In regards to my other martial art, I am quite fond of being a beginner, I must say. There are many new things to learn, and over and over again it is proven to me that I can learn them. I listen to and watch the explanation and demonstration, try out the first tentative times, and then me and my partner both gain confidence and understanding, and at times we even get quite good at the specific move or exercise in question!
I believe that to be a very important part in anything, really - to accept that there is always something more to learn, to embrace the same fact, and to encourage oneself and others to strive to learn these new things. And, to enjoy the process, no matter how bitter or hard or painful it may be! With "enjoy" I do not necessarily mean in the laughing, smiling, satisfied way. It could also be the knowledge of an obstacle cleared or that one perseveres even though things look bad - and the knowledge that one actually did persevere.
This was again something I really felt during Saturday's "open practice" hours. It was two hours of mercilessly building things from the ground up. And at the end, all of us used both hands, with weapon or without, stick or knife optional, for attacking as well as defending, and moved about quite a lot in a way we've been badgered to do for quite a while. It took all of those two hours, but great thanks go to our trainer for finding just the right exercises to put piece after piece into place, making it a fine puzzle indeed once finished! At first, everything felt... too much. "Well, I'm decent at this and that, but all of this... give me a few months, and then maybe..." We had the general gist of the idea of things. But at the end, we moved instead of thought, and learned from our mistakes, having passed "gate" by "gate" of learning. All fitted together, and for me, something that had been building since months, fit into place and I felt really good afterwards. I couldn't describe exactly what that would have been, only that... something suddenly seems to have put me on the right path in regards to my other martial art beside iaido.
I have been having trouble sleeping lately, which I suspect may be due to some medication. Last night I didn't try anything external (such as calming tea), but instead went to bed rather early, and refused to get up (except for the bathroom), insisting on falling back to sleep every time, until half past eight. Well, at least I felt rested for a few hours... before feeling sleepy again. I'll just wait and see. I've found a strategy that works at least.
Over to you, then - do you find that sometimes you simply cannot do an exercise or the like, right away? Or perhaps, the other way round!
The idea is there, you understand the theory of it (more or less) but it takes ages to get it? Unless you have the opportunity to do seemingly almost unrelated exercises, building up towards finally doing the entire exercise, and then you suddenly get it? Or, perhaps you have never had the chance to do just that, instead having to rely on hard work to see you through to "understanding"?
Saturday, 2 March 2013
To owe the body a rest
All in all it became a very active week - nine days altogether, with some kind of physical exertion every day. Sunday saw me confirm my theory of the possibility of skiing from the back door all the way to the sea, I would have done the same on Monday and Tuesday too considering the weather was just as stunning then, but having had the week I did, and knowing I was to be the trainer for Monday's iaido, and go to Tuesday's Kali Sikaran, I felt I had to forego skiing those two days...
Which is a pity, as there probably shall be no more skiing this winter. But there you are.
The skiing tour took me over those glorious golf fields - glorious only because they are covered in snow and I don't have to see them, nor am forbidden to go right across them in winter. I followed a small brook, or perhaps a stream, on the northeast side of it, going past a house or two and then across field after field, interspersed with trees and the occasional track from the local wildlife. Actually... there was quite a lot of tree, both beside the stream and around, but everywhere the land was flat enough, there were fields. Eventually I saw the castle (a rectangular, tall building looking like a large house, to be honest, but I've nae been inside it yet), and noticed that I had some time to go yet before the bus would take me back. Now, I'd not normally have taken the bus, but as I said, I knew I had to let the body rest a little, even if I didn't want to.
So I walked (taking my skis off) across the road, put them back on, and found my way the last bit beside the stream and out to the sea, going past a picturesque red house or three on the way, delighting in the feeling of skiing right across another snowed-over golf course, seeing a couple of other skiiers in the distance (they, unlike me, seemed to do some sort of active effort of going fast and getting into physical shape, whereas I mostly... explore, and enjoy the nature around me...) and eventually finding a small collection of wood probably meant to moor boats by in the summertime. The sea was covered in ice, that was covered in snow, and I toyed with the idea of going out across it. It looked solid enough as far out as I could see, it was a rather protected little cove of a sorts, and there was a bus an hour later too... but I didn't have any sort of ice safety equipment, and therefore decided to just ski back to the bus.
Once home, I took a long shower, and, still grinning like a happy maniac, made myself some food. Because one really, really does need to eat as soon as one can after such an extended period of physical exertion.
After Monday's practice, I stayed behind a little and did some Chuden kata from Musou Shinden Ryu, just to work my leg muscles a bit more. ...yes, you can probably see the flaw in the plan here, you too. It wasn't really a bad plan, not really... but maybe I could have done some other kata, that weren't quite that taxing for the legs. The day after I definitely felt the strain and the lack of a whole day of resting them. But I knew the Kali practice was unlikely to be very hard on the legs, and I was right. So they didn't feel worse after that, just "as bad".
This influenced my decision to be a "roller" rather than a "carrier" when I packed my bag - I didn't want to put any unnecessary strain on my knees, and to be a bit careful about them. I went to my lovely Chalcatraz, and spent the Wednesday in good company. Thursday, though, I flitted about, here and there all over town, on a bike and on foot, and Visby may be lovely, but flat it is not. So I do count that as a bit more than the normal kind of everyday exercise!
Yesterday and today saw quite a bit of walking, and I haven't really felt I've missed the training, but that could be because of the resident cat... and the soreness in my stomach muscles after about 140 crunches in succession on Tuesday's Kali practice...
Well, all in all, nine consecutive days of glorious exercise certainly felt like a treat. I still wish I would have dared to go skiing on Monday and Tuesday too, but, I have learned the hard and bad way to listen to my body, and so I had to do this time also.
Have you ever foregone practice purely or mostly because you know your body probably could take it, but shouldn't? Or have you used it as an excuse, feeling a bit guilty - or, perhaps, felt guilty despite having a very valid reason?
I know I've been guilty to that very last part quite a few times.
Listening to what the body tells you is important, though it is important to know the difference when one can push through, and when one really needs to go a bit easier.
Which is a pity, as there probably shall be no more skiing this winter. But there you are.
The skiing tour took me over those glorious golf fields - glorious only because they are covered in snow and I don't have to see them, nor am forbidden to go right across them in winter. I followed a small brook, or perhaps a stream, on the northeast side of it, going past a house or two and then across field after field, interspersed with trees and the occasional track from the local wildlife. Actually... there was quite a lot of tree, both beside the stream and around, but everywhere the land was flat enough, there were fields. Eventually I saw the castle (a rectangular, tall building looking like a large house, to be honest, but I've nae been inside it yet), and noticed that I had some time to go yet before the bus would take me back. Now, I'd not normally have taken the bus, but as I said, I knew I had to let the body rest a little, even if I didn't want to.
So I walked (taking my skis off) across the road, put them back on, and found my way the last bit beside the stream and out to the sea, going past a picturesque red house or three on the way, delighting in the feeling of skiing right across another snowed-over golf course, seeing a couple of other skiiers in the distance (they, unlike me, seemed to do some sort of active effort of going fast and getting into physical shape, whereas I mostly... explore, and enjoy the nature around me...) and eventually finding a small collection of wood probably meant to moor boats by in the summertime. The sea was covered in ice, that was covered in snow, and I toyed with the idea of going out across it. It looked solid enough as far out as I could see, it was a rather protected little cove of a sorts, and there was a bus an hour later too... but I didn't have any sort of ice safety equipment, and therefore decided to just ski back to the bus.
Once home, I took a long shower, and, still grinning like a happy maniac, made myself some food. Because one really, really does need to eat as soon as one can after such an extended period of physical exertion.
After Monday's practice, I stayed behind a little and did some Chuden kata from Musou Shinden Ryu, just to work my leg muscles a bit more. ...yes, you can probably see the flaw in the plan here, you too. It wasn't really a bad plan, not really... but maybe I could have done some other kata, that weren't quite that taxing for the legs. The day after I definitely felt the strain and the lack of a whole day of resting them. But I knew the Kali practice was unlikely to be very hard on the legs, and I was right. So they didn't feel worse after that, just "as bad".
This influenced my decision to be a "roller" rather than a "carrier" when I packed my bag - I didn't want to put any unnecessary strain on my knees, and to be a bit careful about them. I went to my lovely Chalcatraz, and spent the Wednesday in good company. Thursday, though, I flitted about, here and there all over town, on a bike and on foot, and Visby may be lovely, but flat it is not. So I do count that as a bit more than the normal kind of everyday exercise!
Yesterday and today saw quite a bit of walking, and I haven't really felt I've missed the training, but that could be because of the resident cat... and the soreness in my stomach muscles after about 140 crunches in succession on Tuesday's Kali practice...
Well, all in all, nine consecutive days of glorious exercise certainly felt like a treat. I still wish I would have dared to go skiing on Monday and Tuesday too, but, I have learned the hard and bad way to listen to my body, and so I had to do this time also.
Have you ever foregone practice purely or mostly because you know your body probably could take it, but shouldn't? Or have you used it as an excuse, feeling a bit guilty - or, perhaps, felt guilty despite having a very valid reason?
I know I've been guilty to that very last part quite a few times.
Listening to what the body tells you is important, though it is important to know the difference when one can push through, and when one really needs to go a bit easier.
Saturday, 23 February 2013
A lot of legwork
And on the sixth day, she kind of felt a little exhausted.
Monday saw me help out with coaching two of the more advanced iaidoka, so it was reasonably productive, but Wednesday saw frustration running fairly high. Sensei took a bit more of an interest, and I focused exclusively on my cuts - kiritsuke, that is, straight down from over the head. I've had trouble with that, and my grip, for as long as I can remember. Ohara-sensei tried to correct me, but I think I only managed to fix it in small part, and though it has become better, it is not good. My cuts are decent, but not as good as they could be. And it is such a delicate thing to fix, that it's incredibly hard to see what is wrong if someone is doing it "almost right", and even more so if they've already been doing it wrong for, oh, eight or nine years.
My katana being a wee bit too heavy for me, just a wee bit, does make things worse. I think I have a fair idea of the principles and the theory of it, and I may have felt what it feels like if I hold and cut right about once or twice, but it doesn't stay that way, and we shan't even speak of what happens when I actually do kata...
But I am working on it.
With fifteen minutes left of practice time (twenty went to warmup, and fifty-five for cutting and cutting only), I finally felt that my frustration was more of a hindrance than anything else, and went over to doing a few of my favourite kata. Now and again I did only cuts, but mostly I did kata.
Ah, how frustrating it is with these old troubles! One can only continue to work on it.
Kali Sikaran was far less frustrating, much, much less. I certainly didn't do perfectly, but I didn't hurt anyone, and I had fun. I didn't overexert myself, but managed quite well! I have actually begun to get some sort of control over the fighty stikks (or rattan sticks, baston or whatever you wish), both double and single. I am starting to see how things fit together, with and without weapons. Sometimes I can't really figure out how I'm supposed to do a particular string of movees, but most often I can figure it out after a while.
And then, Friday arrived, with lovely sunshine, and I absolutely could not resist: I took out my skis, and grinning rather broadly I'm afraid, I set out across the fields behind the house. And then I found a tunnel under the road (oh AM I going to use it for when I can run again!) and after following the broad path for a while... I found wide, wide fields, pristine and sparkling, with houses scattered far and wide, and forests encircling it, or dotted here and there on them. I found the tracks of other skiers, and followed them. After a while it turned out that the fields had turned into the fields of a golfing club. This reminded me that I am often not very interested in taking long walks, but skiing, oh, skiing is freedom! I could go anywhere with skis, through a forest or across fields, and hurt nothing and no one, and not be stopped. It's fast going, it doesn't hurt and I can go fast or slow.
I revelled in the feeling of freedom.
The track ran around the golfing area, though I didn't follow it all the way around the meandering edge, I stayed on the south side of a brook. But next time I am going to cross it and go out to the sea - it's not far, I've looked it up thoroughly on a map. Or, "far", I should say... This jaunt took me about two hours, and I think it was ten or twenty kilometres. I'm not certain. I loved it, regardless. And then I came back home, still grinning, had a long, good shower and then ate a nice meal. I ought to have stretched more than I did, but, oh well.
And theeeeen... today was again Open Floor, or Security Fitness. I couldn't resist it in the end, but went, and in quite high spirits too. And it was good, really good! Nice warmup with a mix of complex moves and physical exertion, too.
We mostly used the baston, sticks, building on what we did last week and variants of that. Blocking, hitting, but first and foremost: footwork!
As many martial artists know, footwork is paramount if you are to ever have a better understanding of fighting, whether said fighting is in competition, only amongst your art-mates, proper self-defense, UFC... or what ever. There are those arts who have lost that knowledge over the years, or simply do not need it anymore. However, the Filippino Martial Arts are often still very much grounded in real life application, and I am very, very glad of that, partly because it complements my iaido so well. If I ever were in a sword fight, I couldn't rely on simply walking back and forth. I would need to be able to dodge this way and that, step lightly and adapt. And with such a focus on kata, these things are often, if not overlooked, under-trained. We don't have the opportunity. The knowledge we may obtain, but the practice is far less often possible.
Oh, if I had the opportunity, I would learn. I certainly did get a grip of the basics when doing longsword fencing, and during my miserably few kendo lessons. But when you are armed or attacked empty-handed or with a knife, why, then it is very, very relevant to have it in your backbone to bloody well move not just back and forth, but to the sides and a bit of everywhere. So I am learning it at a high speed, which feels very good.
Today's practice, then, was good in many ways. I also learned a few new ways of blocking and checking, and we finished it all off with a "king of the hill" sort of thing. I did quite well, despite everyone there being more experienced in me in those kinds of arts. In fact, I DID get quite a good hit on the fourth participant (a man who has practiced FMA for 18 years) with the softknife, almost at the very start of our second bout, but maybe he was too surprised to notice. I did well, but most of all I am happy to find out what I can get better at! And it was all done in good spirit. He also went on to tell me, afterwards, a lot that I could get better at. I tend to prefer hesitating and grabbing the initiative from my opponent, and he gave some very solid advice on how to do that in a better fashion. Even after two hours of new information, exercises and physical exertion, a lot of what he said stuck.
Now, however... oh, am I glad I have learned to make those after-workout smoothies. My body is admittedly a little sore, and a little tired... And I am going to have a lot of bruises tomorrow! But that's all good, really, and getting hit in a safe environment in a way that does not give permanent injuries is good practice. Otherwise, I'm probably not going to react very well if it happens in real life.
Although... I do think of getting some sort of boob protection. When holding up a large blue mits, the force of someone's punches or kicks still spread through it and onto my chest, and when being stopped doing a pushkick, with one hand on my chest, well, that kind of hurts too.
...you know what, I ought to write something about how those things get in the way - boobs and crotches. Something for a future post perhaps. Today has mostly been about "wohoo yay six days of practice this week".
A lot of legwork, all in all, and they are pleasantly tired. And quite a bit of armwork too. Good, allround training this week!
And my question this week relates to that:
Do you only do your "routine", whether that be jogging, gymming or martial arts (or whatever)? Or do you sometimes add something else, just for fun, or to up the level a bit? Maybe one more session a week, or a new way of working out?
Until next week - enjoy using your body, enjoy keeping it strong, and take good care of it!
Monday saw me help out with coaching two of the more advanced iaidoka, so it was reasonably productive, but Wednesday saw frustration running fairly high. Sensei took a bit more of an interest, and I focused exclusively on my cuts - kiritsuke, that is, straight down from over the head. I've had trouble with that, and my grip, for as long as I can remember. Ohara-sensei tried to correct me, but I think I only managed to fix it in small part, and though it has become better, it is not good. My cuts are decent, but not as good as they could be. And it is such a delicate thing to fix, that it's incredibly hard to see what is wrong if someone is doing it "almost right", and even more so if they've already been doing it wrong for, oh, eight or nine years.
My katana being a wee bit too heavy for me, just a wee bit, does make things worse. I think I have a fair idea of the principles and the theory of it, and I may have felt what it feels like if I hold and cut right about once or twice, but it doesn't stay that way, and we shan't even speak of what happens when I actually do kata...
But I am working on it.
With fifteen minutes left of practice time (twenty went to warmup, and fifty-five for cutting and cutting only), I finally felt that my frustration was more of a hindrance than anything else, and went over to doing a few of my favourite kata. Now and again I did only cuts, but mostly I did kata.
Ah, how frustrating it is with these old troubles! One can only continue to work on it.
Kali Sikaran was far less frustrating, much, much less. I certainly didn't do perfectly, but I didn't hurt anyone, and I had fun. I didn't overexert myself, but managed quite well! I have actually begun to get some sort of control over the fighty stikks (or rattan sticks, baston or whatever you wish), both double and single. I am starting to see how things fit together, with and without weapons. Sometimes I can't really figure out how I'm supposed to do a particular string of movees, but most often I can figure it out after a while.
And then, Friday arrived, with lovely sunshine, and I absolutely could not resist: I took out my skis, and grinning rather broadly I'm afraid, I set out across the fields behind the house. And then I found a tunnel under the road (oh AM I going to use it for when I can run again!) and after following the broad path for a while... I found wide, wide fields, pristine and sparkling, with houses scattered far and wide, and forests encircling it, or dotted here and there on them. I found the tracks of other skiers, and followed them. After a while it turned out that the fields had turned into the fields of a golfing club. This reminded me that I am often not very interested in taking long walks, but skiing, oh, skiing is freedom! I could go anywhere with skis, through a forest or across fields, and hurt nothing and no one, and not be stopped. It's fast going, it doesn't hurt and I can go fast or slow.
I revelled in the feeling of freedom.
The track ran around the golfing area, though I didn't follow it all the way around the meandering edge, I stayed on the south side of a brook. But next time I am going to cross it and go out to the sea - it's not far, I've looked it up thoroughly on a map. Or, "far", I should say... This jaunt took me about two hours, and I think it was ten or twenty kilometres. I'm not certain. I loved it, regardless. And then I came back home, still grinning, had a long, good shower and then ate a nice meal. I ought to have stretched more than I did, but, oh well.
And theeeeen... today was again Open Floor, or Security Fitness. I couldn't resist it in the end, but went, and in quite high spirits too. And it was good, really good! Nice warmup with a mix of complex moves and physical exertion, too.
We mostly used the baston, sticks, building on what we did last week and variants of that. Blocking, hitting, but first and foremost: footwork!
As many martial artists know, footwork is paramount if you are to ever have a better understanding of fighting, whether said fighting is in competition, only amongst your art-mates, proper self-defense, UFC... or what ever. There are those arts who have lost that knowledge over the years, or simply do not need it anymore. However, the Filippino Martial Arts are often still very much grounded in real life application, and I am very, very glad of that, partly because it complements my iaido so well. If I ever were in a sword fight, I couldn't rely on simply walking back and forth. I would need to be able to dodge this way and that, step lightly and adapt. And with such a focus on kata, these things are often, if not overlooked, under-trained. We don't have the opportunity. The knowledge we may obtain, but the practice is far less often possible.
Oh, if I had the opportunity, I would learn. I certainly did get a grip of the basics when doing longsword fencing, and during my miserably few kendo lessons. But when you are armed or attacked empty-handed or with a knife, why, then it is very, very relevant to have it in your backbone to bloody well move not just back and forth, but to the sides and a bit of everywhere. So I am learning it at a high speed, which feels very good.
Today's practice, then, was good in many ways. I also learned a few new ways of blocking and checking, and we finished it all off with a "king of the hill" sort of thing. I did quite well, despite everyone there being more experienced in me in those kinds of arts. In fact, I DID get quite a good hit on the fourth participant (a man who has practiced FMA for 18 years) with the softknife, almost at the very start of our second bout, but maybe he was too surprised to notice. I did well, but most of all I am happy to find out what I can get better at! And it was all done in good spirit. He also went on to tell me, afterwards, a lot that I could get better at. I tend to prefer hesitating and grabbing the initiative from my opponent, and he gave some very solid advice on how to do that in a better fashion. Even after two hours of new information, exercises and physical exertion, a lot of what he said stuck.
Now, however... oh, am I glad I have learned to make those after-workout smoothies. My body is admittedly a little sore, and a little tired... And I am going to have a lot of bruises tomorrow! But that's all good, really, and getting hit in a safe environment in a way that does not give permanent injuries is good practice. Otherwise, I'm probably not going to react very well if it happens in real life.
Although... I do think of getting some sort of boob protection. When holding up a large blue mits, the force of someone's punches or kicks still spread through it and onto my chest, and when being stopped doing a pushkick, with one hand on my chest, well, that kind of hurts too.
...you know what, I ought to write something about how those things get in the way - boobs and crotches. Something for a future post perhaps. Today has mostly been about "wohoo yay six days of practice this week".
A lot of legwork, all in all, and they are pleasantly tired. And quite a bit of armwork too. Good, allround training this week!
And my question this week relates to that:
Do you only do your "routine", whether that be jogging, gymming or martial arts (or whatever)? Or do you sometimes add something else, just for fun, or to up the level a bit? Maybe one more session a week, or a new way of working out?
Until next week - enjoy using your body, enjoy keeping it strong, and take good care of it!
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Fun in training
Monday's iaido practice was certainly one of the better I've had lately, intense and focused. Not as good as last Monday's, but good all the same. Some of it was led by the sensei, but other parts were "do this kata, I'll come around if it's needed" and I definitely managed to focus quite well. I may have ironed out a few details too, that I've been having trouble with. Wednesday, however, something upset my stomach, and I had to stay in bed.
Tuesday and Thursday were given over to Kali Sikaran, of course, and oh my did I have fun. I was exhausted after Tuesday's practice, and found out that 10 oz gloves get really, really heavy after a few hours of hitting people and things, and acting as a punching bag, or blocking... etcetera. Lovely. Though my blood pressure did that odd thing that happens sometimes when as soon as I calm down, I feel close to fainting, and have to sit down for a while. Bloody annoying.
Thursday, oddly enough, we were only three at practice. This meant a lot of focus on details and techniques. Some kadena de maño, some knife fighting, mostly, and I had my one Valentine's Day greeting: me and Jen were practicing cutting eachother over the chest with mockup knives (before learning to block such a proper cut), and suddenly grinned. In Sweden, Valentine's is called something which is translated something like "All Hearts' Day/Day of All Hearts" - thus making cutting eachother's heart out quite funny indeed! Quite cheering, which gave us new energy and focus.
I feel a bit guilty that I haven't made use of the snow that's been lying thick outside, but I really haven't been feeling up to going outdoors for anything but "musts", which have been going to training, this week. My social phobia seems quite mild compared to before, those times I go out with such a definite goal in mind. I did make up for it a little by going to Open Practice (Security Fitness) for its two hours today. And it was great fun! Nastily (and therefore awesome) exhausting warmup and strengthening exercises, and then, variations on the same fighty theme with empty hands, knife and stick. The theory behind it was also explained, which is always beneficial, at least to me. It was all finished with an "all on one" circle - one person in the middle, the others around, making attacks that the center person meets with, well, anything, really. It is a very good exercise, helping one to not get a narrow focus, meet a variety of attacks and learn to take hits - we used soft padded sticks, for example, and so, a bop on the head when I didn't manage to block an overhead hit was a good lesson rather than annoying or painful. One learns to act on instinct instead of over-think, and, if having a weapon, using it. In Miyamoto Musashi's way of thinking, taking over the initiative from your attacker.
So as you can see, I've been having fun in practice lately. Sometimes it seems pure drudgery, and then one have to push through no matter what. And sometimes, one feels elated and happy and, well, one has fun! It has kind of been what's been keeping me alive lately.
And this aspect of training, fun... Do you have fun, training? Do you have any ways of making your training fun, do you ever do that, or, is it perhaps something you've never thought of?
I have of course spoken at length about the joy of running, the lovely feeling of cleansed mind after iaido and so on, but... sheer fun, that's a bit different. Joking too much must not be done, because that frazzles concentration and focus, but still - sometimes you need some smiles, some grins, some laughs, or at least something that just feels... well, fun, amusing. So what're your takes on that?
Tuesday and Thursday were given over to Kali Sikaran, of course, and oh my did I have fun. I was exhausted after Tuesday's practice, and found out that 10 oz gloves get really, really heavy after a few hours of hitting people and things, and acting as a punching bag, or blocking... etcetera. Lovely. Though my blood pressure did that odd thing that happens sometimes when as soon as I calm down, I feel close to fainting, and have to sit down for a while. Bloody annoying.
Thursday, oddly enough, we were only three at practice. This meant a lot of focus on details and techniques. Some kadena de maño, some knife fighting, mostly, and I had my one Valentine's Day greeting: me and Jen were practicing cutting eachother over the chest with mockup knives (before learning to block such a proper cut), and suddenly grinned. In Sweden, Valentine's is called something which is translated something like "All Hearts' Day/Day of All Hearts" - thus making cutting eachother's heart out quite funny indeed! Quite cheering, which gave us new energy and focus.
I feel a bit guilty that I haven't made use of the snow that's been lying thick outside, but I really haven't been feeling up to going outdoors for anything but "musts", which have been going to training, this week. My social phobia seems quite mild compared to before, those times I go out with such a definite goal in mind. I did make up for it a little by going to Open Practice (Security Fitness) for its two hours today. And it was great fun! Nastily (and therefore awesome) exhausting warmup and strengthening exercises, and then, variations on the same fighty theme with empty hands, knife and stick. The theory behind it was also explained, which is always beneficial, at least to me. It was all finished with an "all on one" circle - one person in the middle, the others around, making attacks that the center person meets with, well, anything, really. It is a very good exercise, helping one to not get a narrow focus, meet a variety of attacks and learn to take hits - we used soft padded sticks, for example, and so, a bop on the head when I didn't manage to block an overhead hit was a good lesson rather than annoying or painful. One learns to act on instinct instead of over-think, and, if having a weapon, using it. In Miyamoto Musashi's way of thinking, taking over the initiative from your attacker.
So as you can see, I've been having fun in practice lately. Sometimes it seems pure drudgery, and then one have to push through no matter what. And sometimes, one feels elated and happy and, well, one has fun! It has kind of been what's been keeping me alive lately.
And this aspect of training, fun... Do you have fun, training? Do you have any ways of making your training fun, do you ever do that, or, is it perhaps something you've never thought of?
I have of course spoken at length about the joy of running, the lovely feeling of cleansed mind after iaido and so on, but... sheer fun, that's a bit different. Joking too much must not be done, because that frazzles concentration and focus, but still - sometimes you need some smiles, some grins, some laughs, or at least something that just feels... well, fun, amusing. So what're your takes on that?
Friday, 8 February 2013
An all-round good training
I decided that those smoothies I came up with were worth doing, and so, I now try to keep some fruit at home, some frozen berries and also canned fruit. It is a good thing to be able to get something so filling in the stomach right after training, and the mix of ingredients once again gives relief from muscle soreness. Thus I make a new smoothie every time I go to Kali Sikaran practice, and have a sandwich after every iaido practice. It seems to be working out rather well, so far.
We all train for different reasons. One of mine is, very clearly, that it makes my body stronger, which I definitely approve of. For various reasons. Once, I worked hard at it because if I was to be superior to my tormentors in school not just in mind, but also in body, well, I'd have to work for it hadn't I. So I did. Then my knees got in the way until I discovered iaido, and...
It occurred to me many years ago by now, how much better I feel after iaido, and it has at times been the only thing that kept me going. I get edgy and skittish if I am unable to go to practice or train something. It is oh so easy to just sit still and try to fill my mind with something, to make it not go haywire or hurt. But practice, oh, once I get into the swing of it, there is no thing as good for clearing the mind and giving me the strength to go on, as training!
Iaido is particularily good for cleansing the mind. Kali Sikaran too, it seems, has the effect to clear my mind and calm me down somewhat. It is social in a wholly different way from iaido, and I seem to crave that. We may hit, punch and kick at eachother, but it is always done with respect and in the interest of mutual benefit. And I get to use my muscles to the very end of their strength - and that, often, is just what I need. With the way the public transport runs now, I also have about half an hour extra after training has ended, and I use it for extra exercises and stretching, and some socialising, and perhaps a bit accidental extra practice.
Yesterday I found a new nice tool for training - I think it is called the "t-rex", and the basic idea is two handholds on one string each, and then there's all manner of things one can do with those. The core-strengthening exercises were particularly brutal, and therefore, I must of course feel the urge to get one myself. My shoulders, too, had a nice time of being savaged and thus strengthened. I do appreciate meeting others who train, and especially martial arts. One can always share and learn from eachother!
To me, iaido and Kali Sikaran complement eachother in just the perfect way for me. I am overjoyed at the snow outside, and will definitely be exploring the area behind the house to see if I can find some nice fields to make tracks along, now that it's stopped being all thawy and icky again. I cannot run, as the way they keep the roads here... argh. Honestly, making them all spongy and sploshy, instead of letting them get hard and fast, so that one can run properly! But I can run in the apartment - yes, indeed, I discovered this after I returned after the holidays. It's not a big apartment, but if Nelson Mandela could run two kilometres every day in his tiny cell, then so can I in my apartment... All right, so I do not run every day, but the point is that I can, and I do, just to assuage my burning desire to run outside.
I like a good overall training. I love "finding new muscles", so to speak, and to learn how to work them, too. It does require cold showers afterwards, healthy food and after-practice eating, and good stretching, but once one gets into the habit of actually doing some sort of working out, one can just keep adding more if one likes.
So, like I said - the things I practice complement eachother quite well. Do you think about this aspect of your training at all, do you do it without thinking, or is it perhaps something you ought to think more about?
And - what are your methods to avoid muscle soreness, if you get it at all?
We all train for different reasons. One of mine is, very clearly, that it makes my body stronger, which I definitely approve of. For various reasons. Once, I worked hard at it because if I was to be superior to my tormentors in school not just in mind, but also in body, well, I'd have to work for it hadn't I. So I did. Then my knees got in the way until I discovered iaido, and...
It occurred to me many years ago by now, how much better I feel after iaido, and it has at times been the only thing that kept me going. I get edgy and skittish if I am unable to go to practice or train something. It is oh so easy to just sit still and try to fill my mind with something, to make it not go haywire or hurt. But practice, oh, once I get into the swing of it, there is no thing as good for clearing the mind and giving me the strength to go on, as training!
Iaido is particularily good for cleansing the mind. Kali Sikaran too, it seems, has the effect to clear my mind and calm me down somewhat. It is social in a wholly different way from iaido, and I seem to crave that. We may hit, punch and kick at eachother, but it is always done with respect and in the interest of mutual benefit. And I get to use my muscles to the very end of their strength - and that, often, is just what I need. With the way the public transport runs now, I also have about half an hour extra after training has ended, and I use it for extra exercises and stretching, and some socialising, and perhaps a bit accidental extra practice.
Yesterday I found a new nice tool for training - I think it is called the "t-rex", and the basic idea is two handholds on one string each, and then there's all manner of things one can do with those. The core-strengthening exercises were particularly brutal, and therefore, I must of course feel the urge to get one myself. My shoulders, too, had a nice time of being savaged and thus strengthened. I do appreciate meeting others who train, and especially martial arts. One can always share and learn from eachother!
To me, iaido and Kali Sikaran complement eachother in just the perfect way for me. I am overjoyed at the snow outside, and will definitely be exploring the area behind the house to see if I can find some nice fields to make tracks along, now that it's stopped being all thawy and icky again. I cannot run, as the way they keep the roads here... argh. Honestly, making them all spongy and sploshy, instead of letting them get hard and fast, so that one can run properly! But I can run in the apartment - yes, indeed, I discovered this after I returned after the holidays. It's not a big apartment, but if Nelson Mandela could run two kilometres every day in his tiny cell, then so can I in my apartment... All right, so I do not run every day, but the point is that I can, and I do, just to assuage my burning desire to run outside.
I like a good overall training. I love "finding new muscles", so to speak, and to learn how to work them, too. It does require cold showers afterwards, healthy food and after-practice eating, and good stretching, but once one gets into the habit of actually doing some sort of working out, one can just keep adding more if one likes.
So, like I said - the things I practice complement eachother quite well. Do you think about this aspect of your training at all, do you do it without thinking, or is it perhaps something you ought to think more about?
And - what are your methods to avoid muscle soreness, if you get it at all?
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