Let's do the time warp again!

Everyone goes through cycles in training; someone moves, changes jobs, takes a break, and we see less of them for awhile. Then with a resurgence of chi and some free time they come every day for a month. Now with several people cross training gymnastics, starting school, spending more time in L2, and gearing back up after the summer, the group of faces in the evenings is cycling again.

Of course that also means we get the wonderful joy that comes with seeing a face that's been absent for awhile. Last night the door buzzed and I answered it, someone put their hand over the camera, but I suspected I caught a glimpse of a long lost shaolin brother. Turned out I was right as Heng Nai walked through the door.

I didn't know Nai that well before he moved, but he was one of the first faces I remember seeing when I started training and it was great having him surprise us all. On top of that, Randy trained with us last night as well, something that also used to happen more when I first started but hasn't as much lately. Xu taught which was more normal when I started because I was taking day classes. Then when Zhou (who signed me up in the first place) showed up halfway through class, my nostalgic return to last summer was in full swing.

It was a great class, a great time to reflect on where I started and how much I've learned. I really felt like I attempted every move with as much chi as possible, especially my jumps, and my erluquan felt a lot better, so I felt really ready and was really happy when I got to learn a little more.

When we went out for soup after it was fun having a totally different crowd around the table. On the way home I got to ride the train with Heng Shi, who I've never had the chance to chat with for very long. Lesson: Making new friends and learning new moves is fun, but it's nice to appreciate and continue developing those you already have. Ah metaphors!

Missy Elliot - Work It

Thanks Jeremiah!

"I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it."

So yesterday I tried something new. I tried doing my pubu chuanzhang on the opposite side. After a few futile attempts when i first learned it, I had relegated that to the bottom of my list, never wanting to try in the middle of class and slow the line down. Luckily, at the park on Saturday Sucheela and I worked through it and I was able to implement the new side during basics last night. I was still a little slow; there were times when my brain backfired and I rotated the wrong way or made a fist in chamber at the end instead of my extending arm. Oops. But mostly it worked out ok. It's funny how I train so hard to create muscle memory for my moves, then I have to undo it all to change sides... Teach me not to wait so long to do both.

Next up - I can put them off no longer - left handed cartwheels.

Non je ne regrette rien

Saturday was my birthday and a chi-fabulous, though grueling day. I have never sweat so much in my life. I am the newest member of the shaolin shower club, a rather disgusting and dubious honor. But I haven't been able to dwell on this newest landmark in my training because I'm so frustrated with myself for not training on Sunday. I had very reasonable and necessary reasons to take the day off, but that doesn't assuage my guilt. Once again it strikes me as amazing that the thing that left me breathless and positively drenched in sweat the day before is something that I regret not doing the following day. I can't think of a single time when I've thought I need to take a class off when I haven't wished I had just gotten my act together and gone. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control are one thing, but when I miss a class because of things I could have addressed earlier I get exasperated with myself. But instead of continuing to beat myself up uselessly, I'm going to appreciate the reminder of how much I love training, how much I love hanging out with my fellow dorks, and how much I need to stay on top of my laundry.....