A year's training in Review

I'm beginning now, to see the last year of my training with a little wisdom brought on by hindsight. Three things.

Just Right: I passed my fitness component of the test and I attribute it to the last several years of attending Sifu Laurie's Shaolin Fitness classes. The biggest impact the class had on my fitness test results was the kicks. Kicks account for 8 of the 21 test scores used: if you don't pass the kicks component, you will fail the entire test. Sifu Laurie has worked us hard on our kicks over the years; from technique, strength building, balance, core, stamina, strategy, practice, mini goals, homework, challenges - everything that is required to develop our kicks to acceptable standard for the test. The process at sihing level, takes no less that a year of regular attendance at the class; one cannot improve on these things in any less time than that. I attended the classes for several years, and every class was worth the time, because every step of my improvement in kung fu classes could be partly attributed by the work I did in the weekly Shaolin class. Sifu Laurie also worked with us on the other test components: many classes were devoted to the shuttle run and agility run, flexibilty, chin ups and flexed arm hang, horse stance and lateral agility drill. Furthermore, some classes were devoted to health issues such as injury care and prevention, hydration, proper breathing and relaxation. I am convinced that a passing grade on the fitness test is 81% attributable to attendance at Shaolin fitness for at least one year, if not more - 10% is attributable to home training, and 9% to the spring boot camp.

Too much: Starting in March, I began to experience aches and pains, which of course were my body's signal to me that I may be injuring myself. The osteoarthritis in my ankles and left knee began to flare up. I thought I had done the right thing by seeing the doctor, being referred to a physiotherapist, reviewing my body weight, adjusting my training methods, and changing my diet to incorporate foods and supplements that were appropriate for my condition. As it turns out, I was doing everything right except one thing. I believe I overtrained, and my body never had the chance to heal. The reason I have come to this conclusion is because of my hindsight observations. In the two weeks leading up to the test, the pain in my ankles and left knee was almost crippling, my hips were getting stiff, my left shoulder had limited movement. Even so, I continued to train, telling myself that there were only a few weeks left, and I must stick to my training plan. I made it through the test, in pain, and with the help of advil, and some entreaties to the examiners to please be aware of the my list of injuries. Since then, I have eased up on my training. With a lot of guilt at first, I noted that I went three days without ANY fitness conditioning. I adjusted my training to address some details brought up in the test, and the intensity changed from a focus on the entire test to one of strategic and specific targets. Then, yesterday, I noticed that my ankles were healing, my left knee could bend a little more, my shoulder felt less bound up. There was less pain. And my kicks and jumps had more vitality. So now I am in a position to review the entire year of training if I want to because I kept a record of my training as well as when my issues with pain began and what I did to adjust. Obviously I didn't have it quite right, so if I have to go through the process again (and I hope I don't), then I can refer to my detailed notes and come up with a much more intelligent training regime. Less is more.

Too little: One of the examiners in the test noted that I knew my techniques, but I had not acheived the level of proficiency at some of them where my execution of the technique was sufficiently convincing and ruthless. My interpretation of this is that, though I know the bell block defense to a knife attack for example, (bell block to the nerve bundle above the wrist, followed by a wrist trap, jerk the opponent towards self, reverse punch to head, cross step towards opponent, arm bar to elbow, duck under and apply wristlock), I had not practiced it enough that the complete technique was one swift and effective application done with accuracy and intensity. Over the last couple of weeks, I have worked on fixing that. The breakthrough came last night at sihing class and today at open training with sihing kichko. On both occassions we practice one technique only, over and over again for a minimum of a half hour. It is essential to practice with a good partner, who will keep up the pace of repetition with minimum talk which is 100% focused on technique critique, then systematic correction/repetition. Additionally, that partner must be someone who will push you beyond your limits. As Sihing Kichko said today, we often practice a technique for 10 minutes, note some minor things that still need work, then move on, fully intending to iron out the minor things later - but we never do. And she noted, that because we practiced for longer than we thought we needed, we began to notice other things to perfect, nuances and details; and at the same time the technique began to be executed without the thinking about it. It is essential to get to this point. In my year of training, I don't think I did enough of this with respect to my knife and choke defense and the one steps and close combats.

So we get older and wiser.