Got a new hobby

CL1.1 and I have taken up a new activity. We've just got back in (about an hour ago) from our 3rd week's training.

We've taken up martial arts We're learning how to do this

 

Can we see the video of CL1.1 putting you in your place, please?

Good for you! (Both!!!) ... I love just how "connected" you are with cl1.1 and the rest of your family. Top job

PS: Is the grunting optional?

 

Hmmm, I'll stick to my knitting I think. It's safer.
Good for you. Good exercise and bonding time.

 

Good job you're bigger than him! Do you make as much noise as them?

 

He will and all. I had a slight advantage in that I did martial arts years ago, so some of it is naturally coming back, but the lad has a bigger advantage of a younger mind and body. He's just starting to get the most basic moves now, and watching him yesterday, partnered up with a very good teacher, the penny dropped, and I nearly died of shock when very calmly and fluidly he did exactly as he'd been shown, and nearly flipped the teacher.

Those that have been doing it for a while make a fair old noise, but us newbies are concentrating too much on what our arms and legs are doing. There's no spare thinking capacity left over to think about doing the shouts

Its funny because its a bit like dancing. Teacher tells us our feet are wrong so we go about looking down at our feet until that looks right, neglecting our arms, then look at our arms and neglect our feet. I'm sure in time both arms and legs will move fluidly, and then there's be time to learn to scream someone's eardrums out

 

This is going well. My 10 year old nephew has joined us now. He's loving it too.

In Thursday's lesson, one of the instructors paid particular focus to CL1.1 and I, and gave us a couple of points he wants us to work on hard, because our test is next month. I told him I'm not putting us in for the test, because I don't think we're ready, to which he replied that the big man had been watching us train without us knowing, and he has personally picked us out to put us forward for our first test. I was well pleased with that news

I am also strangely pleased because I have a sporting injury. My knee is all strapped up. Sounds bad yes? But this you don't get sporting injuries without doing sport, and this is my first sporting injury in more than 20 years. I did a kick during training, overcooked it a bit, and nearly ripped the lower half of my right leg off. There was even a crunchy clicky noise.

So, with a done in leg, I now have just a couple of weeks or so to perfect my moves Oh, and apparently, because I'm over 18, the test requires me to smash a lump of wood with my bare foot. So when the knee bandage comes off, I guess it will be replaced with a foot plaster

 

I bet that hurt Clue,I was going to say take it steady but that would be difficult when trying to smash a lump of wood with your foot
Sounds like you've both enjoying it and doing well,nice one

 

I've been persuaded to do my first test. So, its up early tomorrow to head off to an especially arranged last minute class to refine any points that need refining for the test, then lunch, then I do the test.

Anyone who wanted to wish me luck my be tempted to tell me to "break a leg". Lets not eh? Part of the test apparently involves me attempting to smash a piece of wood with my bare foot, so my leg might actually be in plaster by next week.

 

How did it go Clueless?

 

I wont know for a few days yet whether or I passed or not, but my gut feeling is kind of 50/50.

In terms of how did it go in general though, well, started at 10AM, then it was very physical training and testing right til 3PM, so I came out well and truly exhausted. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. CL1.1 did all the training part, but not the test this time. He's decided to wait til the next chance so he's not feeling under pressure. He loved the training part too, and he tells me he thoroughly enjoyed watching the testing going on (the test lasted an hour and a half and was very, very physical).

It started off with the whole group of those being tested doing activities as a group, basically demonstrating various kicks and punches and blocks etc that we've been taught, then, we got asked to partner up and have a jolly good scrap, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Semi-contact of course, the goal was to show how we could apply what we'd learned, not to bust each other up.

Then came the bit I was dreading. The smashing of the board. I had to go first as it was in grade order and I was the lowest grade in the test group. I walked up, bowed to the panel of judges, turned to the bunch of lads huddled holding the board, bowed, composed myself, and hoofed it one. Disaster. It didn't break. Worse. One of the lads holding the board started jumping around in pain. I had hit the board but somehow the force had gone through the lad's wrist rather than through the board. My instructor had a quick word in my ear to stay calm and do it again, but compose myself, so I did. It was weird. It was like something out of karate kid. On the first attempt, I kicked the board. On the second attempt, I sort of imagined that the board wasn't there, and my target was someway behind it. I don't think I've ever had such mental focus before. When I let the kick go, I didn't even think about what my leg was doing, I just picture my foot firing off like a missile, and let out an impressive yell. The noise was amazing, all at once there was the slap of flesh on board, the crunch of board smashing, and the echo of my Bruce Lee sound effect

I got a good round of applause, which was nice.

My kick was easy. I watched some of the higher grades do theirs. One of them, testing for a much higher grade, had to jump over two nervous volunteers and then smash the board before he'd landed. That was impressive.

I don't care if I passed or not. I just thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The energy in the room was incredible. Everybody, young and old, male and female, black belt and beginner and even audience, everyone was just willing everyone else to succeed. It was just brilliant.

And for me, I got an added bonus. CL1.1 had sat in the audience while I did the test. When I walked back to join him, he said simply, "daddy, you did it, didn't you. I saw it smash". Fabulous.

(and fueled by adrenaline and pride, I even managed to keep my limp to a minimum as the ball of my right foot felt like it had actually split open on impact )

 

Well done! At least you didn't break a leg! I know next to nothing about martial arts but know it takes concentration/focus and an inner feel for what you are doing. You were obviously well tuned in for the second board smash. Let us know the result please.

 

Well done Clue!
Sounds like you have done really well -dead impressed!
Did a bit of judo when I was younger so know it takes a lot of mental and physical effort to facilitate the tasks!
Great that you and young Clue can enjoy learning together!
Good luck!

 

I did judo for a while when I was a kid. Loved it. To be honest, I think judo is brill. Any fool can throw a kick or punch, but not many people know how to bounce straight back up after a fall, or lock someone's arms and legs up to immobilise them. That's the thing in our club. Our style is sort of like karate, and sort of like kung fu, but also has locks and throws and break falls, although not to the extent that judo does.