Neck Break Stuff

Yesterday was gymnastics day at Hapkido. I just don't see the point of doing this. The risk of injury is high and it will do nothing for self defence or fighting ability. OK, maybe it will, but I don't see how. If you plan to join a demo team or become an action film star, then maybe.

I'm still not able to do a front flip, but at least I can feel my landing improving and I suspect the Master is also starting to support my in air turning less. I just need to find the time to work on it alone and focus on what I do wrong. With me you have to start slow. Later I will keep up with the blistering pace, but you have to start slow.

We did back flips as well. I am still far from doing that one, but all in good time. I'm not 16 any more and I only just finished my second month. What did scare me was when Master moved the mats to the wall and preceded to demonstrate that action film favourite of running to the wall, taking two steps against it and flipping back. What the...?! I'm suppose to do that? I did it, with a lot of assistance. I'm starting to get the hang of what things are suppose to feel like. Call it body awareness, if you will. At least I haven't broken my neck yet.

Not breaking anything, yet, is not good enough for my girls friend. She is in Korea for two weeks. It has been three months since she has been home. I thought of skipping Hapkido this week, but I know that if I start skipping classed then I will get lazy again and we all know what happens when you give in to laziness in training, so Girlfriend must spend an hour with me in the Dojang. Girlfriend did not like the gymnastics AT ALL. The HATED the wall running and said she NEVER wants to watch me do that again. I don't blame her.

One BIG problem with the gymnastics is that it puts a lot of strain on the ligaments around your ankles. Maybe I should start wearing my ankle support every time we do stuff like this. There is just no point getting injured for something like this.

Oh, I must mention this. We did spinning/jumping kicks yesterday. I didn't fall once and I reached the highest when we had to do a straight up jump kick. I was a sprinter in school. Most sprinters can jump fairly well, just like most long jumper are normally quite fast.

At least once a week I think to myself: "Sweet! I'm doing Hapkido IN KOREA!"