Allegedly Still Practicing
So the busy season begins! We drive up to MD Thursday and then back to NC the next day along with the millions of other lemmings. I have been in training this week, stretching my stomach for maximum expansion on Thanksgiving. This reminds me of an exchange I had with Sensei a few years ago that went something like:
Me: "Hmm, I drove past McDonalds and weighed the possibilities.. Aikido or a Big Mac? Eating a Big Mac would lower my center!"
Sensei: "It would broaden your center."
Me: "Oh.. there's that."
Anyway, still working out, shifting my schedule around to take better advantage of the classes nearby. Carrboro is 10 minutes from my house, so I have no excuse to ever miss those 7AM classes (now Monday and Friday) except for my laziness. Sometimes there is a huge mental battle being waged! ".. me want sleep.." "No, I need to work out!" .. and so on.
Saturday was the first time I had seen Jory in a while. He is our ranking student (3rd dan) and I can always count on learning something when I work with him. He said I have been practicing (judging from my technique). I guess it's true that I have made some improvement in the last few months. It's difficult to see incremental changes though. I really don't focus on the need to advance though, like some people are driven to achieve whatever milestone by such and such a date. Really, it's just a joy to be able to work out at all. However, one milestone: I can dress myself! After a few months wearing hakama I can tie it reasonably well (read: it stays on).
Me: "Hmm, I drove past McDonalds and weighed the possibilities.. Aikido or a Big Mac? Eating a Big Mac would lower my center!"
Sensei: "It would broaden your center."
Me: "Oh.. there's that."
Anyway, still working out, shifting my schedule around to take better advantage of the classes nearby. Carrboro is 10 minutes from my house, so I have no excuse to ever miss those 7AM classes (now Monday and Friday) except for my laziness. Sometimes there is a huge mental battle being waged! ".. me want sleep.." "No, I need to work out!" .. and so on.
Saturday was the first time I had seen Jory in a while. He is our ranking student (3rd dan) and I can always count on learning something when I work with him. He said I have been practicing (judging from my technique). I guess it's true that I have made some improvement in the last few months. It's difficult to see incremental changes though. I really don't focus on the need to advance though, like some people are driven to achieve whatever milestone by such and such a date. Really, it's just a joy to be able to work out at all. However, one milestone: I can dress myself! After a few months wearing hakama I can tie it reasonably well (read: it stays on).
posted by David at 4:54 PM
1 Comments:
It can be very frustrating not to see improvements. I feel like I'm at a perpetual plateau. Congrats on the progress with the hakama! Occasionally, I still have to adjust mine during class.
Post a Comment
<< Home