Tuesday, May 6, 2008

You've been sworded!

There was a lot of rumor, mystery, hearsay and legend built up around the infamous Shaolin butt-sword. Every time I got a minor pain or injury in my hamstring I would fear that the alleged-horror of the SBS had descended upon me at last. Luckily, those pains always worked their way back out again to where I began to think the whole thing was a myth. Or at the most an injury cast upon the less fortunate by the wrath of God. Or Buddha, if that's your style, but I don't know how wrathful he is...

Damn my hubris. About a week and a half ago during L2, I was doing my best to pop during biantui and something gave up in my leg. It was very nearly debilitating so I started doing the other side. Alas, by the end of class both legs were condemning me for doing this stupid thing called kung fu. There's no question this time. I've been sworded. On both sides. A double butt-sword!?! I feel like a medical miracle. Only in a bad way.

The left side is definitely worse than the right so I have taken the last week or so very easy, cutting my usual 4 or 5 training days to 2-1/2 (the 1/2 was movie night). And I have been careful not to get over-zealous with the left side kicking. The pain has been ebbing slowly, though there are moments in class when I hit a pubu or a zhengtitui funny when it re-asserts itself. But I'm hoping that with conscientious stretching it won't turn into this 2 year extravaganza experienced by some people. I guess I should count my blessings that it's taken this long to strike me. Still, the only swords I want involved in my kung fu are from learning weapon forms. Uh oh... I just thought, there isn't a Shaolin butt-nine-section-whip is there?

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