shanmonster

Kung fu was interesting, if injurious last night. To start off with, we've been working on weight placement during punches, and added on sliding steps forward. We did these drills for about a half hour on the balls of our feet. I didn't realize until we got home that this was exactly the wrong thing for me to do with my bad foot. Now my big toe feels like it's fractured. I sure do wish I could get some good medical advice on this problem. My foot has been swollen for about five years, now. In that time, I haven't been able to see the tendons on its top. This is the first time it's hurt in about six months. Before that, I'd grown used to the pain. Anyhow, it would seem I'll have to skip out on those kung fu drills, and that really sucks. I hate that I can't practice my technique properly. When my foot is really bad, I can't even go into a low arrow stance, because it puts too much pressure on the toe.

On the plus side, while we were holding horse stance last night, Sifu Ricky looked over at me. I was in one of my rare perfect stances, with thighs parallel to the floor. "Nice stance," he said.

"Thanks!" I said. "Enjoy it while it lasts." Everyone laughed, and a couple of minutes later, I found myself wavering between too high and too low.

Afterwards, I teamed up with Colleen for some kicking drills. We were doing sliding front kicks on one another. Both of us misunderstood the intent of the drill. We thought the person blocking was doing a soak drill--basically standing there and taking the kick on our forearms. This hurts like fuck. I gave Colleen some perfect shoe prints on her arms, and she knocked me in the elbow twice so badly that I had to switch arms for fear of serious injury. After several dozen of this masochistic treatment, we were informed we were to be sidestepping and blocking--something far less painful. Sheesh! Colleen actually enjoys the soak drills. I called her a sick fuck.

Sidesteps, on the other hand, I'm good at. It's really hard to kick me. This is where all my dance training comes in handy. I can swivel my hips easily, getting me out of the way of the strike, but keeping me in an ideal position to lay the beatdown on my opponent (complete with comic book sound effects, when I'm practicing with a friend).

In other news, Colleen told me all the boys in her grade six class think I'm hot (from having watched me dance on Monday). Once again, I'm a sex symbol to the underaged.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to squeeze in a weight-training session before I go to work. Ta ta for now!