shanmonster | Kung Fu Socks

I got some kung fu training in, tonight. I trained outside with Pete and Dmitrii. I got there first, and practiced with my staff for a while. I noticed something pretty obvious: when it's a bit cold out (like it was today, with a chill breeze), my hands get stiff and almost waxy. This makes it very difficult to maintain a good grip on the staff. As a result, I dropped the staff a lot more than usual. I put myself through several drills, including passing it from one hand to the other, spinning it around my hands incrementally. So, the first time was a simple pass, then I rolled it around my hand once, twice, thrice.... I made it all the way to five times per hand, and then, between the cold stiff hands and the considerable breeze, the staff just kept plonking itself into the dirt. Drat. At least I didn't club myself with it. That thing picks up some pretty serious momentum!

I noticed a couple of guys sitting off to the side of the field, but they didn't wave at me. I assumed they were just loitering. But when Pete showed up, they wandered over. They're a couple of newbies from kung fu class. One of them was Sock Boy: the guy who always trains in his stocking feet. He may be a bit daft in his choice of footwear, but he works really hard in class. However, for whatever reason, the guys decided not to train with us in the field, choosing to go play basketball, instead. Maybe Sock Boy didn't want to get his socks all muddy in the field. Who knows?

Pete had a staff, too. But his was made of steel and weighed about seventeen pounds. I guess it's a bit for a giant drill. Godzilla's dentist, perhaps? I don't know. It must be some sort of mining equipment. Anyway, I couldn't even hold my arm out to the side, perpendicular to the ground, while holding it. I guess that means I'd better do more weight training.

When Dmitrii showed up, the two of us did kicking drills back and forth across the field. It felt good to be training again, but at the same time, it felt bad. My stupid asthma kicked in, courtesy of cold air and heavy exertion. Grr....