Tag Archives: TSD

Day Three (and Six Years)

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So a few days down, and the first gym session and first TSD session of the year are behind me. The gym was a killer. What I did before to warm up left me gasping and by the end of the hour I was feeling quite sore and very tired. There was thought behind it though, as I knew I had TSD the next evening, so the idea was to blow out the cobwebs before I got back in the dojang.

Um yeah, that one didn’t work out quite as I’d hoped… The warmup was still a shock to the system, so much so someone else got a nosebleed from the exertion :) But once we were back into the swing of things it was like I’d never been away, and I have to say I’m so pleased to be back in a dobok and working hard. The conditioning exercises at the end of the session left me with purple forearms today, but that’s all part of the fun :) .

The other part of this update’s title refers to the fact that last night was exactly six years to the day that I first started training in Tang Soo Do. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, in others, like yesterday, but going along for that first session in a cold school hall was one of the best decisions I ever made. Here’s to the next six!

Competition Build-Up

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I’m sure training blogs/tweets/facebook updates all over the country have updated this week with something along the lines of ‘British Championships this weekend, I’m excited/nervous!’, and here’s my addition to the pile. The 2010 EMTF British Championships are indeed on this weekend, and yours truly will be heading up with the rest of his extended TSD family to compete and savour the atmosphere.

I remember before the Europeans back toward to start of the year, I was very nervous. Firstly about seeing so many other TSD practitioners (who were bound to be better than me, right brain?), but also about competing on a Continental level. Obviously it’s not like playing in the UEFA Champions League or something, but within our art it’s a big deal, so I was rightfully anxious. This time around however, I feel much calmer than before. Is it because I’m cocky? No. Is it because I don’t care? Far from it. I think my perception of what the event is is just changing, that’s all.

Having been away and trained with some of the Senior faces in the EMTF now a few times, each time we go back it really does feel like meeting up with old friends, even though it’s still firmly within the bounds of the respect and traditions inherent in Tang Soo Do. I’m looking forward to going away to see all the familiar faces, to spend a whole day in the presence of like-minded individuals, and to watch our less-experienced members get another taste of competition. The like-minded individuals part is one of the nicest aspects of the trip for me I think. When we train with our clubs we’re part of a small group, but when we step outside and into the nearest shop, classroom of office, we’re dropped back to Earth with the realisation that the rest of the world doesn’t train. But get into a competition hall and it’s a different story, every person there is either directly or indirectly a part of Tang Soo Do and it’s a great feeling to know you’re surrounded by people with the same passion as you. If you’re reading this as someone going away to compete, and haven’t noticed it before, take a moment to take it in when you get there and stand in line, it’s deeply satisfying.

As far as my own competing goes, I’m feeling fairly laid-back about it as I write. It’ll be a different story in a few days time though, I’ve no doubt. For me there’s no more heart-fluttering a moment at a competition than hearing your name called for a category. The sudden realisation gives me a massive adrenaline shot – game time! It’s always been the same though; basketball matches, volleyball games, hell, even a game of Street Fighter against someone good, they all get it coursing through my veins. But I’m under no illusion that my forms are the best, and I certainly don’t expect to take medals. If I manage to earn one, great! For me it’s about the experience now, the couple of days away as a whole. That said, I’ll be damned if I don’t go away and give as good an account of my school and my instructors as possible.

The only two events I’m aiming to win this weekend happen the evening after the competition: Most Chinese food eaten at the meal, and Most Awesome Dancing at the club after ;)

Checking My Balance

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Is it just me or is it starting to feel distinctly Autumnal? Maybe that’s a bit of wishful thinking, as I write this it’s gorgeous outside and very hot, but that’s been the exception over the last few weeks rather than the rule. I know I probably sound like a bit of an idiot, wishing away summer, but I love autumn. Hell, have a search here for that word and see how much I do. It feels like the year’s speeding up now, and I think that’s the impending Bank Holiday making me feel like that, either way I’m looking forward to it.

Training’s still ongoing, and I’m still really enjoying it. I’ve finally nailed Jinto into my subconscious, and it’s really nice being able to concentrate on the performance of the moves rather than which one comes next. It’s a really tricky form to get right, there are very few ‘standard’ moves in it, save for a few punches, and so execution is going to take me a while to get right. The cats are already getting fed up with me stomping around the kitchen practicing – getting excited as I get near the food cupboard, and then shouting at me as I go back the other way again. The most difficult part so far is nailing the balance during the crane stance parts of the form.

I don’t normally have too much of a problem with crane stances in other forms, I feel relatively solid during Chil Sung Sam Roh, Sip Soo and Rohai, and to be fair even in Jinto. The problems come with the transitions from the crane stance to the snap and precursor for the front kicks. The snap entails a 90° rotation of the upper body and a repositioning of the arms, but in order to do that it means a lot of torque which needs to stop abruptly and in a very solid position, all while balancing on one leg. In itself it shouldn’t be as hard as it is, but because it’s a very unnatural movement it’s very difficult. I think the root of my problems lie with not applying the same amount of torque with the top half as the bottom, and because they’re moving in opposite directions it means if more force is applied in one direction than the other, I keep moving when I intended to stop. This throws my balance off and leaves me hopping around like someone who just had their foot run over.

Unfortunately there’s no short-cut to getting it right, I’ve learned now that there’s only one way to make it happen, and it’s just repetition, repetition, repetition. But repetition done correctly of course! It reminds me of something I read somewhere once, but I can’t remember where, or how it goes exactly but it’s along the lines of: “If you practise a form 1,000 times you’ll know the form. If you practise it 10,000 times you’ll be able to see your opponent. If you practise the form 100,000 times, other people will be able to see your opponent”.

Back On The Mat – Feel The Burn

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I got back into BJJ training properly on Monday after what feels like a LONG time out of action. I went back initially last week but only worked for the first half of the lesson while we were drilling positions (specifically escape from full rear mount) but didn’t want to risk wrecking my finger again. However this week I sucked it up a bit, bound my finger really well and got on with it. We worked a really good half-guard escape and transition to 100KG or arm bar which requires some really quick movement. Rolling for the second half of the lesson was a different kettle of fish. I was expecting to struggle after not having been for so long, but I really made hard work of it. I was completely gassed after my second rotation and one of the purple belts gave me an utter drubbing. At the time it was hugely demoralising and I found myself thinking ‘I really am terrible at this, why do I bother’, but with a bit of time I can look back on it and see a problem which is to do with me, not my training.

I am, and always have been, a bit of a perfectionist in many areas. I expect (rightly or wrongly) to be great at new things I try very quickly, and it’s my downfall. I’m guessing it comes because I am reasonably bright, and I do tend to pick up the basics and concepts of things quite quickly. Be it a sport, a language, a hobby; whatever. The problem is that it doesn’t last, and I have a really hard time moving from the ‘picked it up quickly’ phase through the ‘actually it’s harder than it seems’ one, and on to the ‘actually I can do it’ one. It’s always been the same and it probably always will be. Tang Soo Do, Japanese, learning to drive – all the same. I know that I’ve got to get on with it and work through the hard part, but at the time when you’re tired, frustrated and annoyed at yourself it requires a bit of fortitude to do it.

On to less reflective stuff then, time for some stupidity. I train on textured foam rubber matting five days a week and have done for quite a while now. In all this time I’ve only given myself a small amount of mat burn maybe once or twice, usually doing things like ‘zombie crawls’ during warmups. At BJJ on Monday I managed to put two burns on the top of my foot, one of which is about the size of a plum, and it REALLY hurts. I should end the story there and let you guess about what incredible guard pass I was going for, but the truth is much less impressive. With my instructor being Brazilian he’s fond of football, and so we had a game of five-a-side to warm up. Muggins here had a rush of blood to the head when he saw an opportunity to slide tackle and make a dynamic save, and in the process took the skin off the top of his foot. It hurts like crazy, and my decision to wear nice tight patent leather shoes to work seems less and less clever with every step I take. Doh!

On Tuesday night we had the first time an outside group has used the TSD academy building, and a few of us went along to show some support and have our first try at Korean Yoga! It was really good, not what I was expecting at all, and I think I’ll be back. I was surprised just how hard I had to work, and how much stress my muscles were put under in certain postures. The mixture of high effort and utter relaxation is a great one, so I was surprised when the session ended and I felt pretty much the same as normal. That feeling didn’t last for long though, within five minutes I had to sit down because I felt like I was going to fall asleep, and that night I slept like the proverbial log. I know that a lot of the relaxation and concentration works with Alpha waves in the brain, and I find it really fascinating. It’ll be really interesting to see how the Qi Gong aspects crossover with TSD.

I’ve got a busy few weeks ahead now, I think they’re going to fly by. Mrs AdamR has her 30th birthday, I’m going to see Dragonforce, I’m off to Germany for a week and then I have.. well, I’m not going to think about that now, I’m already starting to get nervous O_o.

Drilling

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I’m a Fire Marshal at my place of work, which means I essentially get no more pay than if I wasn’t, and have to shepherd people around the building in the event of a fire or bomb(!). I don’t mind too much, it’s nice to have on my C.V. if nothing else, and it’s fun putting out fires on the training courses. We had a surprise drill today which broke the day up nicely, even if it did mean donning my oh-so-attractive fluorescent yellow tabbard and shouting at people in the cold. I’m not sure why anyone wants to know any of that, but it was fresh in my mind so I thought I’d share. I’m sure that you, my lovely readers (yeah, I know you’re still out there reading), are enthralled.

I’ve spent some time doing a different kind of drilling lately, putting finishing touches to the house and attaching various things to walls. Generally all the DIY has gone really well so far, but I came close to snapping over the weekend when I tried to put a long curtain pole up in the bedroom. I was really pleased with all my planning and preparation, making sure everything was measured, spirit leveled and ready to go. However, fate and the builders conspired against me. I started drilling into the wall which was going great, but with about 5mm still left to go before the hole was deep enough to hold the rawl plug, the drill came to a complete standstill. Actually that’s not very accurate, the drill itself was still spinning like a Dervish on speed, but it just wouldn’t go in any further! Casting my mind back now, there’s a large metal lintel I remember the builders putting in during the build, but at that point I couldn’t have cared less. I was hot, tired and practically deaf thanks to the drill’s incessant screeching of masonry bit against metal, and ready to throw the damn thing out the window. After plenty of swearing, a foul mood and some less-than-perfect drilling, there is now a very nice curtain pole up and I’m no longer waking up at dawn ready to bare all at the neighbours thanks to the privacy of curtains. I’m sure the neighbours are glad too.

The third of my trinity of tenuous drilling links today relates to training last night. We started out as we always do on a Wednesday night with a Senior class, doing my best to indelibly stamp the new self-defence and knife defence on my subconscious. I quite enjoy them, especially the take-downs and armbars on the knife stuff, and i think they’re finally sticking. I stayed on for some kickboxing, and it was a treat to drill some of the other kinds of self-defence there too. Easily my favourite of the bunch involves avoiding a kick and ploughing in behind for the double-leg, immediately sprawling for some semblance of back mount, followed by a nice easy RNC. These days I don’t need to be told twice to take the back if I get a chance ;) .

It’s going to be a hectic few days now. I’m taking tonight off, my neck is still a bit funky and I feel like I could do with the rest, but from then on it’s training on Friday, followed by training on Saturday, then 3 hours on the road and my first taste of BJJ competition on Sunday (with the obligatory 3 hour drive home afterward), and back to BJJ on Monday night. I should be ready to drop come Tuesday.

Touching (Or Should That Be Tapping) Base

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You might have noticed that I’ve got a bit slack at updating this over the last few weeks. I could say that I’ve been on a secret spying mission, or maybe abducted by drug lords while hunting for treasure in Peru, but in truth I’ve just been utterly rubbish. So what’s new I hear the assembled masses holler…

Work on the house continues apace, and it’s so close to being finished now it’s tortuous.  The old stairs are out, the new ones are in, and as I type the ceilings should be being plastered. The builders are paid in full now, and I can tell you it’s no fun walking through town with a bag stuffed full with twenty pound notes! I was eyeing everyone suspisciously like they’d been following me all day and had a master plan ¬_¬

My Xbox 360 gave up the ghost this week and has (for the second time) decided that rather than playing games and streaming my music and films, it’d be much happier showing the dreaded three red lights…. Once I can muster up the ‘can-be-arsed-ness’ to find the Microsoft number again I’ll get it repaired, it’s very annoying.

I have yet another new interest! A couple of weeks ago I went along with my friend to his first class in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I’ve been back to every class since. It fits in nicely with my current training and I’m absolutely loving the technical – and very tiring -  aspects of the grappling. I’m covered in more bruises than a peach in a washing machine, have burned elbows and aches all over, but it’s great fun. It can be frustrating, but having something click and start to work feels awesome. It means I’ve had to buy yet another Gi (or dobok as is the case for Tang Soo Do), although this time it weighs easily twice as much as any other I’ve had. The heavy weave is really necessary as they take a heck of a beating on the floor, and are used for the locks and chokes. Some people really seem to like the look though.

And finally, to bring us bang up to date,  I went along to the Princess Pavilions in Falmouth last night to watch The Eagles Of Death Metal. I can’t imagine they’ll have known what they were letting themselves in for when they agreed to play there, but what we lacked in size and gradieur we more than made up for in effort and noise. The band themselves were awesome, every song sounded the way it should and the guitar riffs just tore through the place. You’ve never seen a more charismatic front-man, and it was so refreshing to see a big band like that who obviouslt didn’t take themselves too seriously.  What a great gig.

"I love you so hard baby...."

"I love you so hard baby...."

Ah, There You Are

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It probably hasn’t gone unnoticed that I’ve been a bit slack on the posting front for the last couple of weeks. In all honesty, most of the posts would read “Stayed up late, watched rubbish, ate and drank too much”, but I figured I could do with a rest mentally as well as physically. There have been some things of note happening, so here’s a quick run-down.

Christmas itself was good. We did the obligatory Christmas social events (meals with parents, seeing friends) which were great as always, and on the big day it was nice and relaxed. I had a lot of nice presents including some games I’d been after, music, films and books. And naturally socks and smellies :) . We took the pup out for a run in the woods in the afternoon and came across loads of people with the same idea, it was so quiet and peaceful, the total opposite of how Christmas is for many I think.

Since then I’ve not been up to much at all really, except yesterday which saw our Tang Soo Do club meet up with the local Tae Kwon Do clubs for the annual “Blow out the cobwebs” event on one of the beaches at Newquay. Last year was my first time, and I was really looking forward to going down again for a spot of training and a dip in the sea. It didn’t disappoint. We started off with a warm-up run around part of the headland, which meant running through the sea, which in itself was a good indicator of the tempeartures we could expect at the end of the hour. Then it was on to the usuals; basics in lines, self-defence, one-step sparring and lots of forms (patterns for TKD guys). It felt good to give Pyung Ahn Sa Dan an airing, I think it’s finally starting to get there, there’s a long way to go yet though. At the end of the lesson we’re asked to remove our belts and approach the edge of the water, then we perform basics whilst marching forwards into the Atlantic. There were a few bemused looking surfers, wrapped from head to foot in neoprene, watching as we kept going further in, until we were given the signal to go for it. Like some kind of giant, hairy, dobok-clad salmon in I went, and it was just the most refreshing thing you can imagine. After weeks of drinking, eating rubbish and messing my body clock about no end, it’s exactly the wake-up I needed.

Now all that remains really is New Years Eve, which by the sounds of it I’m going to be spending in the company of my old friends, which suits me perfectly. I hope you all had fantastic Christmasses, and here’s looking forward to the multitude of good intentions and broken resolutions for 2008 ;) .