As if there weren’t enough curveballs from the year 2020…
We’ve all figuratively had our legs knocked out from under us this year.
Last Thursday it happened to me literally.
Continue reading “POP! Goes My ACL”
POP! Goes My ACL
Learn or Re-Learn Something New…So I’m Taking Up Classical Guitar Again
“I wouldn’t mind starting over as a white belt in another martial art.”
I’d half blurted, half muttered that comment to a friend I’d trained with at my old taekwondo school. We were talking about other martial arts that interested us. Having dabbled in hapkido self-defense training, I would like more formal training at that. Hapkido or judo–because throwing people on the floor is almost as fun as kicking them.
Continue reading “Learn or Re-Learn Something New…So I’m Taking Up Classical Guitar Again”
Stand Your Ground: What I Learned From Practicing Pyongwon (The Poomsae Series Part 13)
I love poomsae (taekwondo forms), and I never miss an opportunity to practice and learn new forms. Pyongwon is typically learned at 4th Dan although at my dojang we learn it at 3rd Dan. Several months ago I talked my Master into teaching it to me shortly before I tested for 2nd Dan, just to give me a fun challenge to play with. We already do things differently by teaching Koryo AND Keumgang at 1st Dan and move on to Taebaek at 2nd Dan, so why stop there?
This form is short and linear, but also powerful and intimidating, both to watch and to learn. This form taught me to be strong and solid in my foundation, which I had to rely on recently in “real life.”
Continue reading “Stand Your Ground: What I Learned From Practicing Pyongwon (The Poomsae Series Part 13)”
The Poomsae Series Part 12: Taebaek, Or, Old is New Again
I’m officially a second degree black belt now, and that means with a new rank I have a new form and a new addition to the Poomsae Series! Yay! Enjoy!*
“It’s like a recap since there are a lot of pieces from Palgwe forms,” my chief instructor said one day when we were discussing the second dan black belt form Taebaek. “Now you’re second degree,” he continued hypothetically, “So let’s make sure you remember all your old color belt forms.”
“More like a clip show like on TV,” I countered. “They’re too lazy to make new material, so they just put a bunch of random old stuff together.”
Continue reading “The Poomsae Series Part 12: Taebaek, Or, Old is New Again”
The Case For Getting Your Ass Kicked
“I think I went a little too hard,” a young red belt whispered grimly to me after a sparring match at a recent tournament. He and a young red belt girl also from our school were doing an exhibition match. Typically students from the same school don’t compete against each other, but because at the time the coordinators couldn’t find competitors in their age, rank, and weight class, these two agreed to have a friendly fight (or…well…we coaches and their parents agreed for them).
This little guy is a natural. He’s fierce, scrappy, and I’m so jealous of his jump spin kick. He was trying to hold back and be more controlled since he knew his opponent (and his classmate) was smaller and less quick in the sparring ring, but sometimes he couldn’t help going full force.