Ice Doesn't Hit Back

Well, if you've been checking out my video uploads to the YouTube channel, it's probably obvious that my ear/ head has been feeling much better this week, and I'm back to my daily workouts. I won't copy all the segments here, because it's kind of redundant. Some of the highlights were breaking my prior best on decline push-ups, pull-ups, and horse-stance hold, not to mention my ice-breaking session of yesterday morning. In regards to the latter, I know that demonstrations of breaking things is not generally supported within FMK. However, in this particular circumstance, I'm actually merging my practice with an attempt to assist Wilson, the redhead duck. Plus, I'm serious about enjoying my winter, since this season comprises more than half the year where I live. The way I look at it, breaking ice isn't wasteful or destructive. It's like the winter version of rice-bag training, and can add diversity to the training regime. I certainly had a lot of fun playing in the water. Here are a few of my videos from this week, to show the breadth of practice...

On other notes, it was nice to hear from my fellow online Todai - Kang, Alex, and Ling - on this blog. I'm committing myself to posting an update here at least once a week, and if you guys could do similarly, I think it'll help the four of us keep motivated and active with our training. For myself, I'm enjoying the routine of conducting some practice every morning in the park. I know there are people who live around the park, or who routinely walk their dogs there, who are getting used to seeing me practice there. I'm hoping, at some point, one of these people will be curious and inspired enough to approach me, and that in this manner I might find a training partner eventually, for sparring and such

Being out in the open air with the birds every morning is really helpful, my meditation. Afterward, I'm ready to address whatever circumstances the day holds for me. The vision I have for my own artistic development is becoming more clear through this process. One aspect that has been presenting itself repeatedly lately is the importance of gaining skills in the immediate aid of injury, as well as in longer-term healing. I don't think it's a coincidence that injured animals keep coming to me, as they have been for the past few years. Just today, I received a mountain cottontail with a compound leg fracture from a local women's shelter. I have a friend who is a retired veterinarian, and we're probably going to have to perform an amputation. Each such experience teaches me something that prepares me help in future circumstances. So too, I think we should be developing medical/ physical therapeutic skills by working with our own bodies, paying close attention to injuries and imbalances as we train, and working to fix them. The more we learn about our own bodies, the more we should be able to observe and diagnose in others, and help those who train with us