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Yesterday was a gruelling day filled with all sorts of work in the metals studio. Oddly enough, I wasn't working on anything metal. The day was spent carving wax and mixing investment (basically, plaster like your dentist uses). I dearly hope my casting goes well on Tuesday. For all the hours spent carving my wax and attaching sprues just so, if it doesn't work, I might discover what true desolation is all about.
I was mighty tired, after the day's work, yet had just enough discipline to get my tired ass up to kung fu. After the requisite drills and run-throughs of fook fu, I got to work on gung gee. This is fast becoming my favourite form. When I first started studying it, I didn't like it. It's a hard form (as in hard-hitting) and it uses a lot of tension and strength. Going through gung gee once at full intensity is like working out in the weight room for an hour. And when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror while working on the form, it looks like every muscle is doing its damnedest to pop its way through my skin. Yowza!
After gung gee, I tried working on my staff form. I couldn't remember past the first four moves, so I drilled myself on these opening movements, doing my best to perfect my form. Unfortunately, I was making shit up without even realizing it. When Pete (a blue sash) came to help me, he showed me an entirely different sequence of movements than what I was doing. I was only doing the first two moves right, and even those were pretty bad. I think I have it straightened out, now. I hope I do, at least!
I also worked on some staff technique, all by my lonesome. I can get that thing whirling at a pretty good clip, but I seem to lose momentum when I do behind-the-back pass-offs. I really need to work on that, as well as over-the-head spins. They're a bit weak. At the end of the class, Colleen (a green sash) complimented me on my staff work. After she left, I tried spinning again and checked it out in the mirror. The staff moves a whole lot faster than I'd realized. When I'm focussing inwardly, things seem to move much more slowly than they are, in actuality. Interesting....
I was mighty tired, after the day's work, yet had just enough discipline to get my tired ass up to kung fu. After the requisite drills and run-throughs of fook fu, I got to work on gung gee. This is fast becoming my favourite form. When I first started studying it, I didn't like it. It's a hard form (as in hard-hitting) and it uses a lot of tension and strength. Going through gung gee once at full intensity is like working out in the weight room for an hour. And when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror while working on the form, it looks like every muscle is doing its damnedest to pop its way through my skin. Yowza!
After gung gee, I tried working on my staff form. I couldn't remember past the first four moves, so I drilled myself on these opening movements, doing my best to perfect my form. Unfortunately, I was making shit up without even realizing it. When Pete (a blue sash) came to help me, he showed me an entirely different sequence of movements than what I was doing. I was only doing the first two moves right, and even those were pretty bad. I think I have it straightened out, now. I hope I do, at least!
I also worked on some staff technique, all by my lonesome. I can get that thing whirling at a pretty good clip, but I seem to lose momentum when I do behind-the-back pass-offs. I really need to work on that, as well as over-the-head spins. They're a bit weak. At the end of the class, Colleen (a green sash) complimented me on my staff work. After she left, I tried spinning again and checked it out in the mirror. The staff moves a whole lot faster than I'd realized. When I'm focussing inwardly, things seem to move much more slowly than they are, in actuality. Interesting....
