Giggle fight!

After a slightly tiring day at work (I always feel like I'm not getting much done, and the time flies so fast!), I had regular class tonight. It was a really small class, maybe due to back to school nights or something like that. I dunno. But it was Pen, Matteo (whose mother's maiden name is the same as my last name, and she's from Chile), and the Indian boy whose name I don't know who tries too hard. The Indian boy is supposed to be in the black belt class now that he's a back belt recommended, but he got the times wrong. Since we happen to be working on the same form, he was allowed to stay.

For the most part, tonight's class was a giggle fest. Matteo is another good natured kid, and I warmed up with various kicks on the pad with him. Then, after stretching, we split into groups, where Pen and I practiced our form. I couldn't figure out the transition from segment 1 to segment 2 with the round kick/side kick combo. It felt awkward. Turns out I was making a roundkick, but in the wrong direction. Somehow I thought it was some sort of kick behind me instead of in front of me. DUH. Once it was corrected, it made a heckuva lot more sense. Em was coaching Pen and I, and while she's a rolling encyclopedia (since she's in a wheelchair, after all), she couldn't always explain the correction clearly to me, so that's when Mr. A was able to do it. So, the form is starting to come together. The segments aren't hard except I can't get the hand positioning right on one part, but I'm getting there. Pen and I love using our jahng bong (aka bo staff). Pen doesn't have the same flexibility in her wrists as most people do, so it's a little harder, but as we both agreed, we like playing with our new toys. The jahng bong feels very natural in my hands, to say the least. I think it's due to all that time with the bahng mahng ee (I have a reference for correct spelling now!). Pen and I practiced our form, or what we know so far, but we felt we were having problems with the last three strikes of the strikes drill. There are 9 strikes, and we couldn't get 7 through 9 properly. Em is left handed, and Pen and I are right, so it was getting a little confusing. Mr. A came along and showed us the corrections, and then it was "DING!" a light went off in our collective heads. It made SO much more sense. Board breaking was good, but not as successful as last night. I broke, but it took more tries. I have to work more on the power of my side kick in the release. But I'm just glad that board break is finally coming along.

Then it was time for sparring. Since I had been helping hold boards while other broke, I was a little slow on the get-go to get my gear on. I literally had about 2 minutes vs. Matteo, in which I think I would've won. But then....OH beware the wheelchaired one! Pen is practicing for a regional tournament, so she was really getting into it. Man, she was backing me into the corner! We both started really getting into it, and in the process, were giggling like crazy, because we generally very docile, peaceloving people, both normally conducting ourselves like the ladies that we are. But not in sparring! I got a good reverse side kick on her that worked, and both she and Em said, "Ooh, that was a good one." It was an all out fight, but we both couldn't stop laughing and giggling. I think that's part of the key for me to spar well, and just for sparring in general, that I can't always do well. You have to relax. I'm told time and time again that you shouldn't tense up and put all the energy into the executed moves, not into just the dancing around each other part too. I'm always tensed up, so a lot of my power is lost and I tired easy. I was tired after going after Pen, since she was really going at it. But I think it's that-- whenever I end up having a giggle fight with another person, I end up having more fun with sparring and do better in the process. Unfortunately, during a tournament, it's not going to be a giggle fight like it is with my friends in class, so that makes it difficult. So, this is something I still have to learn.

So, it ended up being a good night. I won't be in another class until I'm teaching my first on Tuesday! Yikes! Saturday is the breakathon at Pennington, and so no classes, and next Thursday is Back to School night, and I can't miss that. So, next week will be interesting. Today was my first solo day at work. I had to do a few things to help prepare for the breakathon, and I actually got a few calls in. I also dealt with a walk in, and handled a call about a birthday party in the mix, so I think I handled things as well as can be expected. It's amazing how quickly 3 PM rolls around (quitting time). With the exception of yesterday, I've had a hard time, so far, leaving on time. Today wasn't too bad. If it weren't for the fact that I have to go meet Drew at home getting off the bus, it wouldn't bother me to stay later. On Thursdays and Fridays I could, if needed, since JC works from home those days. I think I will need to learn how to be more proficient at work, to say the least. And get the hang of everything.

Do you think I'm entrenched in TKD yet? :-P