After Tuesday's class, I wrote about a nagging Shaolin sword injury that has plagued me for the last few weeks. To detail it better, I've found that the Shaolin sword appears when I'm extending my right leg out straight and at an angle, so a little pain comes when i'm doing caijiao, lunbi caijiao and zhengtitui fully, and during cetitui, waibaitaui and lihetui, cos they involve some kind of rotation/angling of that leg, but it is most apparent during pubu, most likely because I am actually putting my weight on it. I am frustrated because if I do pubu and dip to my left, I can extend my hand to my foot quite easily now, but going to my right, I cannot dip down all the way and am hesitant to shoot my palm past my knee. Gong bu seems okay. The actual pain itself? I feel like some fingers are digging into my leg just under my right buttcheek and pinching really tight. Curiously enough, when I am just walking around, I feel no trace of my injury.
So during yesterday's training, I once again struggled a bit with finding the right balance of training to build up my chi versus being careful not to injure myself further. Not easy! I deliberately got in line last for basics to force myself to slow down so I wouldn't feel the pressure of anyone at my back. I started out doing kicks with my right leg at half mast, but then for the later kicks, I opted to work only the left leg, forgoing any further lifting of the bum leg. During stretching, I did what I could by myself and tried to do a little with my right leg. For forms, I did what I could as well, avoiding dropping into a full pubu on that side during yiluquan and doing a full kick, which must have looked a little funny to those who might have watched me.
It's not easy because I love training and putting my all into it without thinking too much about whether or not to go full chi, whereas now, I have to be careful not to let my right leg fly. Focus and control are even more key. Also, being last in line means slowing down significantly as I am behind people who started training after me. And while I do not consider myself fast by any means, even in my injured state, I am able to go faster for some of the basics and have the endurance to use more of the carpet, so it's caused me to be even more mindful of others who are training near me.
All this slowing down has made me appreciate the fact that I have indeed progressed in the fifteen months or so that I've been training. It also forces me to know my body and listen to when it's going OW! I guess it's another instance where I've got to be patient and allow myself to progress at a pace that's right for me.
So during yesterday's training, I once again struggled a bit with finding the right balance of training to build up my chi versus being careful not to injure myself further. Not easy! I deliberately got in line last for basics to force myself to slow down so I wouldn't feel the pressure of anyone at my back. I started out doing kicks with my right leg at half mast, but then for the later kicks, I opted to work only the left leg, forgoing any further lifting of the bum leg. During stretching, I did what I could by myself and tried to do a little with my right leg. For forms, I did what I could as well, avoiding dropping into a full pubu on that side during yiluquan and doing a full kick, which must have looked a little funny to those who might have watched me.
It's not easy because I love training and putting my all into it without thinking too much about whether or not to go full chi, whereas now, I have to be careful not to let my right leg fly. Focus and control are even more key. Also, being last in line means slowing down significantly as I am behind people who started training after me. And while I do not consider myself fast by any means, even in my injured state, I am able to go faster for some of the basics and have the endurance to use more of the carpet, so it's caused me to be even more mindful of others who are training near me.
All this slowing down has made me appreciate the fact that I have indeed progressed in the fifteen months or so that I've been training. It also forces me to know my body and listen to when it's going OW! I guess it's another instance where I've got to be patient and allow myself to progress at a pace that's right for me.
