Formal Training Week 32

With my wrist injury beginning to heal and my bronchitis gone, I had a much easier time at Equa Do the following week. School had been stressful as I could not write and could barely push my chair, so I was looking forward to a workout, even if I did have to take things slow.

Warm ups were omitted for the most part to avoid irritating my injury but that doesn't mean I was not allowed to train. Instead, Master Eric and Sensei taught me how to use my hard half-cast as a weapon, and then allowed me to do some light sparring. I did not do much, however, as pain began creeping up on me again.
Before leaving Equa Do, I asked Master Eric whether or not the school would be interested in contributing to a local St Baldricks event where I was participating as a volunteer and Chad as a shavee. I was able to get a donation, so my next post on this blog will be about the event.

Misha

Formal Training Week 31 part 2

Following my wrist injury earlier in the week I was unsure whether I should attend class a few days later, but Sensei encouraged it. Despite feeling ill from bronchitis that had been diagnosed the day before and the pain in my wrist, I attempted to train.

When I arrived at Equa Do Miss Linda demanded to know the details of my injury and rounded on Sensei to berate him when she learned he had been the one to buy the boards. I had just managed to convince him that I did not blame him when she did this so it took considerable effort to smooth things over again.

After this I bowed in but found most of the Hapkido techniques too painful in my injured state. All I ended up really doing was practicing one handed cane work on the uninjured side. Even Tai Chi was too hard due to the major role wrist rotation plays. By the time I bowed out I felt horrible and wanted nothing more than to go home.

Misha

Formal Training Week 31 Part 1

It is rare that I attend class on a night other than Thursday but with pressure mounting both at school and home as my graduation from CLC approaches I was still having more panic attacks than usual this week. As a result, I called Sensei and asked him to bring me to Equa Do on Tuesday so I could use some of my fear and frustration productively.

On our way to class we stopped at Lowe's to pick up some boards so I could do a demonstration for the other students, whom Sensei told me were having issues with confidence. After warmups and a class spent working on variations of brush trap strike the time for my demo arrived.

The board was set up on two cement bricks as always but I found it impossible to break. At Equa Do we have a
"Three strike you're out rule" meaning that someone attempting a break has three tries before they must stop and try another time. This is in place to prevent injury.

However, by the time I struck for the third time I was in much more pain than when I have broken in the past, and that board was still intact. I can't really describe it but something about that break just felt wrong to me. I had already ruled out strength and positioning as the issue, so that left the board itself. It turned out on closer examination that this was the case and the board had been cut so that when laid horizontally for breaking it was cross grain. Breaking cross grain is the quickest way to injure oneself so I did a short knife fighting demo instead.

It turns out I did injure myself, spraining my wrist badly. Following difficulty with managing swelling and pain I went to the ER the next day where it was put in a half cast and I was provided medication.

Misha

Formal Training Week 30

This was a very difficult week for me. Without any clear reason I had experienced at least one panic episode daily and they were severe and difficult to control. When I entered Equa Do, somewhere I usually feel very safe, I was set off and immediately began to panic, thinking that all of those who were there and were instructors had alterior motives. I was terrified that if I did not live up to their expectations I would lose their affection, which is something I am relying on more and more as I prepare to go away to school next fall. I even went so far as to ask Sensei to remove me from the list of students enrolled at Equa Do and take me home. The panic was so overwhelming I was also suicidal and as a result was very difficult to calm. I ended up panicking for all but the last few minutes of my class time, but Master Eric understood and allowed me to train for a full hour anyway.
Rather than work on Hapkido however, Master Eric asked me to try something new. He began showing me the first few movements in a form of Tai Chi. It is rare that students be allowed to train in multiple arts at a time, and in fact when I first began coming to Equa Do Master Eric said I would have to wait til I had a good solid mastery of Hapkido before I began a second style.

The form of Tai Chi I am working on is called Synergy Tai Chi Qigong. It combines techniques from several other types of Tai Chi into a simple yet effective form of movement and meditation. Though in the sequence I am learning there are 24 movements I have only so far learned the first 3. This particular style of Tai Chi is designed for maximum health benefit, particularly to those with illnesses or conditions that limit them. It also provides a way for the older generations to become involved in martial arts which has heretofore been considered a youthful pursuit.
The first movements were difficult to master but I eventually got the hang of it. I am grateful for Master Eric's seemingly endless patience. I ended up learning not only part of the art of Tai Chi itself but also some of its guiding principles. Tai Chi focuses on fostering beneficial use and balance of ki energy, or life force, within the body. We focused on deep breathing and learning to sense and transfer our ki.
Then Master Eric revealed he had a surprise for me. Grandmaster Moore, who created Synergy Tai Chi Qigong, will be giving a seminar in Joliet on March 31st and April 1st and has asked that I attend in order to receive my apprentice instructor certification. Not only is he waiving the requirement that instructor candidates hold a black belt in another style prior to attempting certification but he and others were coming together to provide the seminar experience to me at no cost. Sensei has been given the same gift. I am excited and awed and cannot wait to attend.

Misha

Formal Training Week 29

This week was a little bit different as Sensei decided we would combine with the Women's Self Defense course for the evening. We warmed up seperately and in our own ways. Since Sensei and I finished first, we did some sparring until Heidi and Athena were ready to join us.

We covered the proper way to hold a knife, the ten point strike, and defenses both armed and unarmed. This lesson was difficult because Heidi and Athena, while they have undeniable talent, learn much slower than I anticipated. Since I was helping Sensei show them the ropes so to speak, and I had been given feedback as to teaching too slow the last time I had given instruction to others, I stepped it up. What I should have done was start out slow and adjust my pace as necessary.

When I didn't do that and one of the other instructors stepped in it hurt my pride a bit. However, I understand why Tony made the choice he did. The details of the rest of the lesson are fairly fuzzy in my mind, probably as a coping mechanism for how poorly I performed. That said, Sensei and I agree we will not be combining classes again any time soon, and when we do we will judge the skill levels of those joining us a little more thoroughly and err on the side of caution.

More soon.

Misha

Formal Training Week 28

The most recent week of my training was quite eventful. I was more than ready to train after a long day at college, and a pleasant dinner at the Italian restaurant next to Equa Do with Sensei and Erin. For quite some time now, because Sensei discovered I learn most things through instinct and teach myself, he has been allowing me to dictate what we work on during training sessions, taking the knowledge I gained on my own even further.

I had been having trouble lately with spatial awareness and found myself getting into more traffic jams in the hallways at school. So therefore I asked to work on sparring with multiple opponents, and Sensei agreed. I was able to best Sensei and Tony by using my improved mobility due to my chair, and went on to unarmed flow of combat drills after that.

Near the end of the evening I asked to practice blindfighting again and was attacked by both Tony and Sensei once more. I allowed myself to use the fact that there were two of them to my advantage, sending one flying into the other so that they got tangled up and had to regroup before attacking again. Finally I showed what I had been learning to Heidi, a brown belt, and was able to strike her jaw when she underestimated me, freeing my hands from her grapple and winning the match.

I have come so far in such a short time.

More soon,

Misha

Formal Training Week 27

This week's training was nowhere near as eventful as the weeks prior, but I made a promise when I began this blog to recap each week of my training, however short that recap may be.

Erin rejoined class this week, though her return was not altogether positive. She is a slow learner, which is not so much a problem, but she is also resistant to correction. This frustrates both Sensei and myself, although we care for her and love her very much. She constantly thinks she understands more than she does and ends up teching others incorrectly. I have been allowed to help instruct because I learn fast and couple that speed with proficiency.

This week was thus occupied with trying to teach Erin flow of combat, with basic weaponry, as well as four point blocking. She continually lost focus however, and insisted on meditating rather than training, so Sensei and I worked on speed and accuracy drills instead, with Anthony helping out where he could.

All in all, I was glad the night went quickly so I could get home and vent my frustrations.

More soon,

Misha