Even with injuries, I've still got it!

Saturdays are "specialties" days. Each half hour, different aspects of what we do are concentrated on, so for example, a half hour of nothing but spending time on board breaking techniques, a half hour only on weapons, half hour only on forms, etc. They are a lot of work, but I find that they've been very helpful in improving my techniques.

Today, due to my continuing back problems, I skipped sparring, but did the other classes (not a problem since I don't like sparring anyway). The first class was forms. We reviewed some things to make our forms stronger, but I couldn't do them very effectively with the back injury. I definitely know my form very well at this point, so I'm not too worried. Next was weapons, another easy one for me. We did some drills, and I was having fun goofing with the Charters sisters, as it was only them, myself and little Joshua. Joshua was being a little stand-offish, as he'd say he could do it himself, but then he'd want us to do it with him. So, I was working with him on it, as I really know this form well, and it helps if we can get those "helicopter" strikes down correctly. Lastly was board breaking. I really love board breaking the best I think. It's too bad we can't compete in that. Today, in an effort to get ahead a little for the next session, Mr. A taught us (the same group as weapons) a roundkick break. The Charters sisters need it for their next belt, and it is an option for my blue belt break supposed. I don't like my sidekick break, although I think I'd do it much better now, and front kicks are generally pretty easy for me, so I'm always up to the challenge. We did some drills to help us get warmed up and understand our foot positioning, and then we finally got to use the boards. My problem is a) getting my leg up high enough with the back injury, but I was holding my own, b) getting the torque needed with the same injury, and c)not rechambering so quickly when executing the kick. But sure enough, when I got the right amount of twisting and didn't rechamber, BAM! There it went. I think it took about 3 or 4 tries before I got it. For a first time, I thought that was pretty good! I'm excited about working on this one, since I really don't enjoy the sidekick, and I'll probably have to work on that one for the brown belt, so I'd just as soon do that when I need to. I'm just glad to learn something new to work on now. The next week or so is going to be SOOOO boring since it's another week or so before graduation, (I'm assuming that I passed to do it, as I haven't gotten my graduation papers yet,), and perhaps with the back healing up, it's just as well. I think the other thing I will be looking forward to with the next session is doing a different weapon. I've been doing the form for the bahng-mah-ee for so long, I'd like something different. I'm really hoping it's the bo staff. I haven't done anything with that at all yet. Or the kata. Either one, I'd have to buy new weapons, but that's okay. Even if I went back to the ssahng-jeh-bahng (numchucks for you non-TKD people), that would be alright. I want to get better, and that seems to be a common weapon to use, and yet I've hardly used it in all this time. I could use some more help with that.

I'm just happy with learning another board break and getting it pretty quickly. Yay me! :-)