Sifu Rybak often has us playing some type of interactive game that on the surface helps to build team spirit while also having underlying purpose and benefits.
The game we played Thursday night was for the most part enjoyable. However It didn’t take long for me to start feel stressed as multiple bean bags were being randomly tossed. I’ve never like having objects hurtling through space with me as the target, intended or not.
And then for an extra layer of fun/challenge we were told to only look when throwing to our target, otherwise eyes were to remain down at a spot ahead, relying on our peripheral vision and awareness. This is where my instinct to turtle/and close my eyes really wanted to asserted itself. I think I may have even closed my eyes at one point. Hmmm, not so good.
As I reflected on my thoughts and feelings afterwards, I found myself comparing the experience to sparring. What was most interesting was I actually feeling a shift in my perception of sparring. I'm not 100% sure I would pick sparring over the bean bag activity, but they are much closer than I would have thought prior to Thursday.
My thought process went something like this:
The wide open circle of multiple people with beans bags coming from random directions contained too many unknowns and variables. Where, when, accuracy of each throw and how many to keep track of was more than my brain wanted to take on.
When sparring a single opponent, my focus is narrowed down to a single individual and a much smaller area of awareness. I feel there is more potential for control and fewer variables. The unknowns are still there and adjustments still need to be made quickly and intuitively. This is something that can be practiced and skill developed over time.
Even though the activity was mostly about awareness and reflexes, I gained an appreciation for sparring. For the first time I'm beginning to understand more of the mental aspect of sparring as it applies to me, which I think will help me as I continue to work towards becoming more comfortable with sparring.
Totals
Push ups & Sit ups: 850/11195
Hand form: 9/193
Weapon form: 14/179
KM: 23/327
AOK: 24/373
Sparring: 11/82
Blogs: 1/14
Yoga: 30/7 hrs
Tai Chi: 14/196
MM:25/270
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