Cross-Training

There's something about the beautiful weather that makes me want to get out of the apartment and do as much as I can possibly cram into the weekend, especially activities that are high chi. I hate the idea of sitting around in my apartment like a slug, wasting away the sun and the warmth.

Saturday, after a four hour seminar, I went with a friend to McCarren Park in Brooklyn and played some vigorous badminton and frisbee for a few hours.

Sunday morning, I made it to Temple for a small class of less than twenty. Shifu worked us really hard -- making us hold the last position in yiluquan for an eternity. And both sides! I also got some love from him when we were practicing forms, and he and Heng Mo corrected the last bit of erluquan that I've been working on for the past month and a half.

Then Sunday night, I met up with my dude for a swing dance with live music by Billy and the Blue Vipers. I was concerned that after the rough morning of kung fu that my legs would be spent for the dance, but surprisingly, I had loads of chi. I might have sucked at all the twirling around and stuff, but for the most part, I just focused on the fun and didn't worry about looking like an idiot -- I think a lot of that lack of worry had to do with how we carry ourselves during training.

I had an opportunity to play a softball game in Central Park on Sunday afternoon; I opted against it so I could be refreshed and showered for the dance in the evening. I wonder how I'd feel if I had just done it!