Having a perfect body is not nearly as important as learning to listen to its voice. -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path Kung Fu Sunday.
SK started out by saying that he'd been talking to CM about some class structure stuff, and CM had asked what rank everyone was- of which SK wasn't sure and wanted to verify, since we haven't had any tests in a coon's age and nobody ever wears their rank sashes. Everyone told what their last written test had been and their last practical test had been (as soon as you pass an in-class test, you are given a copy of the written take-home test for the following level). I was standing in the back with my head down and cleaning my glasses, and silently cursed him when he prompted me. We had *JUST* talked about this in the car and he knew I wanted no part of it; why did he have to call me out in front of everybody? I mumbled "Irrelevant." More prompting. "I don't even remember." "I call B.S." Grrrrrr, I hate it when you do that.
Thus things had already started off on an annoying foot as we moved on to Bung Bo Kuen. I have neglected this form, and was relieved to make it through the first rep with only one minor momentary bobble. JM did fine, but Nemesis and JoE have obviously neglected it more than me- they were lost and had to be walked through it slowly a couple times before it started coming back.
I was dismayed at the distressed emotional reaction that started happening in response to working Bung Bo Kuen. Not *DOING* the form- being *WATCHED* doing the form. This remains my poorest form, IMO, in my poorest style (Mantis), and the version I have is slightly different from everyone else's because I learned it first from CC. Additionally, this is one of the forms that I detest working slowly because it ruins the flow- which is the aspect I *most* need to work on. JoE gets frustrated when he sees me going faster, and then I feel guilty because everybody in this class normally spends so much time waiting for **ME**. The teachers are all weird about trying to make any corrections on me, because they dont want to step on CC's toes. When we work apps, it's confusing because I usually have different apps than they do, and I have to change my technique in order to work their apps with them. I have all sorts of emotional baggage around this form because CN held me hostage with it for months and wouldn't let me progress until I had done a ton of remedial work on it and spiffed it up to what he felt it should look like.
Anyway, as soon as SK started walking Nememsis and JoE slowly through the form, and it turned to the south so that I was now alone in the front row (with JoE directly behind me), I started freaking out. I stepped out into the entryway and repped it by myself a few times, at my own speed, while they were going over the steps. When they were back up to speed and we were going to rep it a few more times, I stepped back in and once AGAIN got called out in front of everyone, until I was forced to explain in front of everyone that this is an awful form for me, and I was feeling really self-conscious, and didn't want anyone watching me.
I moved up to the front of the room, putting myself at the north end because the majority of the form faces south and east and west. JM moved over to take the hot spot at the south. She was welcome to it, IFAIWC.
SK was explaining a technique and made reference to "popping" and "locking" which made me grin. The dance style known as "pop and lock" does bear a little resemblance to Mantis. SK wanted to know what I was laughing at, and I said I'd tell him later. I'll have to see if I can find a little dancing on Youtube to send him which will show the flow similarities.
Apps of the little hopping hip-switch followed by the low right-foot kick with the splitting Mantis claws. SK added a Right-handed parry at solar plex level during the hopping hip-switch. This is a complex move to begin with, involving the arms and feet and hips all doing different things. It is full of cross-body movements of the sort that make my brain cells short out trying to keep track of the left and right. You're also balancing on one leg. Add in a brand-new detail and make me try to do it with a partner, and this is just a recipe for a train wreck. Particularly after my class had started out on some crappy notes, I was quite surprised to find that by the second try, this was working exquisitely- to the point that I was knocking JM down with every rep. That's always fun. :) She complained that once more I was kicking in the exact same spot every single time. I didn't feel too bad about that seeing as how she refuses to cut her fingernails and thus was clawing me repeatedly in the throat when it had been her turn.
After a while, she started shifting her leg back before I kicked the knee. I couldn't knock her down any more, but as long as I cranked her head back by pressing the forearm of my Mantis-clawing hand along her jawline, I could almost tip her over sideways. Finally I gave that extra little push and did exactly that, and then it was time for a good side control. She started trying to buck me off by hipping straight up (and not adding a body turn or a shrimp or any arm bracing or anything)... dang, she's rusty, I taught her better than that! I held her down while I took off my glasses with one hand and slid them across the mat out of harm's way, and then I just lay there for a while and let her flail. Eventually I moved leisurely to a north-south, and was hunting for a bicep grip to armbar her with when SK yelled across the mat, "Hey, none of that! I *WILL* come over there and tickle!"
Next: the opening moves of Punch and Jab (aka Spear Hand).
Begin standing straight with arms chambered, looking east. Turn east and step out with rt foot into hill-climbing stance. Meanwhile, left hand parry across chest and then press down toward rt hip while rt hand sweeps across body at hip level and knife-hand strikes to south. That hand bounces off the hypothetical opponent's hip and comes up the center of your chest to press out to east in a willow palm. (Don't cheat the extention here...)
Double Mantis claws gather in a little clockwise circle to chest level, little hop to face south, and drop smoothly into a deep lunge (left leg straight). Both hands slam palm down on the mat.
Bounce right back up into a front stance facing east, left leg in front. Simultaneously, left Mantis claw extends out in front of you at chest level, hooking toward the left, then pulls back to chamber at waist as right fist punches forward. This is a powerful push/pull motion.
After Punch and Jab, slo-mo sparring with a designated attacker and defender. JM bailed on the sparring for the second class in a row. Me attacking JoE first. We ended up on the ground and he was trying to heel hook me. I tried a leg lock, but I just have not been taught this stuff.
JoE attacking Nemesis. It amuses me how Nemesis keeps falling into the Black Crane guard stance.
I was sucking a breath to remind SK (again) to not neglect assigning himself a turn, when he called up me to attack him. Yay. I had forgotten all about his bum arm. Then he settles into a White Dragon ready stance with his right arm behind his back. Okay, not so much Yay now. It's always a bit hard on the ego to get the snot beaten out of you by a guy with his dominant arm tucked in his rear waistband.
Back to one of the main problems I've always had while sparring SK- he starts doing lightning-fast Snake strikes at changing levels, and I can't seem to stop myself from chasing them around (which is exactly what *NOT* to do). I tried some of the chi sau which had been flowing so nice for me with Nemesis, but that's trying to beat a Snake at his own game! I was able to barely hold my own with that, which is actually probably pretty good. (We'll ignore the fact that he was doing it with his retarded hand...)
I stepped on the toe of his sock a few times to hold him in place while I tried for some belly strikes. I'm still reaching down with my arms reflexively to try to block kicks. I **MUST** break myself of that habit. I managed to slide overtop of his arm and get him in the throat a few times (with Snake strikes! Hee hee hee). Seriously, I need to try to remember to not engage classmates using *THEIR* dominant style. That's just like me trying to battle Rihanna in wrestling takedowns. I don't have to try to beat them at their own game. I should be trying to beat them with *MY* game.
(pic- More people I don't know; I found this amongst the PanAms photos and I thought it was pretty cool.)
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