New Discoveries

Discovery 1

Something cool happened during last Monday's class. Our focus for the class was an application of the  triangle stepping pattern. Virtual training does have some limitations and yet there are positives as well. Not having a partner to work with provides me with time for more reps and because there is no obstacle in my way (opponent) I can feel if my momentum is broken and where it might need to be fixed. Not having to switch back and forth also gives me time to work on the other side when doing an application or technique. During Monday's class I added in some reps on my right side as well. This of course didn't feel nearly as good as the left side. The first 3 - 4 reps were pretty choppy and lacked any kind of flow. As soon as I got a bit more comfortable with my right side, I discovered that the knife hand felt better. I realized that I was more open and more committed. All 4 quadrants were working together better. Hmm..., interesting! The left side had been feeling really good. Working on the right side helped me to realize where I need to make some adjustments to get my 6 harmonies and the 4 quadrants working better.

I am seeing the benefit of taking some time to train on my not so good side. It helps to amplify areas that are not working. In addition it also amplifies sections that stand out as aha moments. I think the reason this works so well is because it is awkward and everything is slowed down. Both the good and bad is enhanced.

Discovery 2

The front thrust kick in Lao Gar 1 has been giving me some trouble for a while. Even though I felt like I was releasing after the knife hand, I couldn't get the kick to feel like it had much power. It always felt forced. As I was training today, I took a moment to think about what a front thrust kick feels like during our warmups. I tried a few and came away with the realization that when doing the front thrust kick in Lao Gar 1, I was only releasing my knife hand before the kick and forgetting about the rest of the body. Applying some basics and concepts from our practice drills has helped greatly and I now feel like I have it figured out. The kick feels much better now.

Namaste everyone!