Getting old -- or injured -- is not fun.

Classes today generally went well. At both the morning class and the instructor class, we worked on this sparring drill where you stand close to a large pad that the other person is holding, and then you have to step back and do a roundkick, (I think that's a #3 or #4, but I know it's not a #1 or #2). After each partner would take a turn, then we'd progress to where we'd shift weight in a similar move, but instead of making it two steps (step back, roundkick), it'd be a jump round kick instead. The idea is that depending on your height, it's either an offensive or a defensive sparring move. If the other person is too close and you are taller (like me), then it's "get away little bug" move. If you are "vertically challenged" like myself", said SW, then it's "I'm close enough to pop you one". So it can work either way. Most of the rest of the time, I was learning the rest of my form, Songahm #5. All I pretty much had to learn was first, review section 2b (which is a variation of 2a), and then see how the transitions go to reverse the rest of the form on the other side, and then I was done! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Now that I have my whole form, I have 4 weeks until graduation, 6 weeks until the interschool tournament, and 7 weeks until the big "A" tournament (Grandmaster is going to be there!) to perfect it.

I don't think it will be so much of a problem to perfect the moves. It's an easy enough form to do. But sometimes the easier stuff is harder to do, because you really need to be able to do it that much better. You need to have the hand-foot timing right. You need to get those wrist "snaps" in just right. You have to execute reverse sidekicks as such that you don't look like you are off balance or ARE off balance. In the morning, I was just learning the rest of the form just to learn the form. Tonight, I was given a drill to practice the reverse sidekicks, but the injury of my lower left back muscle made it near impossible. It wasn't even my knee giving me the problems, or not as much of the problems. I know why my sidekicks, and even my roundkicks hurt. It's because I'M hurt, short and simple. And today was a good day with this injury! I'm taking it easy, but the rest of my life hasn't made it easy for me to just recoop from this and other muscle pulls related to moving and just going on nonstop physically. Last night I went to bed, hoping that finally laying down and resting would help. Nope. My back was killing me, and my legs hurt. Even my hip joints, especially my left (where the back injury and the bad knee are) hurt. I could feel shooting pain going from my back all the way down to the middle of my foot. And that was WITH the analgesics. :-(

I think if I could just not have so much to do, and actually had a mini vacation where I could just relax and heal, I would be fine. But no such luck. So, I have to just be prudent and not go crazy in my training. I'm lucky I have instructors who are understanding and work with me. Now that I know my form, I think I've competed enough times to have an idea of what I need to work on. Even tonight, I was going back to the beginning of the form, just to get the first wrist flick right (it's a ridgehand strike) without it looking like I'm just wailing out to whack my arm out. I think if I take my time and work on it until I start building up some speed, I should be fine. I don't have to be perfect for graduation (very good, yes, but not perfect), but for the tournaments, yes, as close to perfection is needed. I also have the same amount of time to formulate my XMA routines, and review my kama routine, as well as review the SJB form, since I haven't done it in a while. And after the Sword Seminar on Saturday, I am hoping to do sword for the XMA weapon, so that will be *3* weapons I will be working on for the cycle and for tournament. I only have to do two for tournament-- heck, I only need to do one for tournaments, but might as well make it interesting. :-) (Yeah, I can't do things the easy way, can I?)

So, considering that I'm getting older, and I'm injured, this is not fun. But I'm getting through. I'll try to take a break between now and Saturday classes. Thank goodness my board breaking is generally fine for what I need to break for graduation (red belt promotion!), and while I need more sparring in, I think with some healing and a lot of stretching, and learning some endurance skills too (or better yet, so really decent head kicks or jump head kicks so I can get my points quickly and get the matches over and done with), I will be okay.