kickboxing blues

I'm getting really bored with kickboxing. I keep reassuring myself that it's good exercise and good socializing, but to be honest, the classes are nearly uniformly the same. A warm up with shadow boxing, followed by being drilled in a million and one punches, followed by muscle training or sparring (which is the same thing as near as I can figure) and then either stretching, or more drills. There are occasional deviations, but they're rarely interesting.

I'd like to say I'm the kind of person who can dedicate myself to one thing and stick with it, but to be honest, I need both mental and physical stimulation to stay interested in some sort of physical art. This is why I've trained in fencing, judo, jujitsu and karate in addition to taijutsu (and now kickboxing). There are of course, other issues involved (fencing - I disagreed with the rules of fighting and it was seriously messing up my instincts, judo - there was too much forced exercising and not enough variation, jujitsu - the instructor was a nazi and the beginner level was boring and easy, karate - more variation but god do I hate katas), but in the end, it boils down to I got bored with the routine either because I already knew most of the things they were teaching or because I learnt most of the things they were teaching (keep in mind that after less than a month of Judo, I could take down a male brown belt one of two times).

Taijutsu and Bujinkan is rarely if ever boring. Sometimes we'd have to do basics, which, if we were lucky led to me and another black belt horsing around in a corner, but if not was at least only for a class when Sensei Jack wasn't there. Even if something we were being taught was boring (and it almost never was), we never stayed on one technique for more than a class or two and only the first half of class was devoted to hand to hand combat so you were sure to see at least a little variation once we switched over to a weapon (and you never knew when it was going to be "let's attack each other with keys" day or something *g*).

I know I haven't learnt everything at kickboxing, but I've reached a high enough level that the classes are becoming too routine. I know I shouldn't quit - when I took August off, I was practically jumping out of my skin by the end of the month from excess energy, but I also don't know how to make the class more interesting for myself. Not even the prospect of seeing lots of fit Japanese men with their shirts off and covered with sweat moves me much anymore (probably because I have enough imagery to last a lifetime, but still).

I miss Bujinakn.

kickboxing blues

I'm getting really bored with kickboxing. I keep reassuring myself that it's good exercise and good socializing, but to be honest, the classes are nearly uniformly the same. A warm up with shadow boxing, followed by being drilled in a million and one punches, followed by muscle training or sparring (which is the same thing as near as I can figure) and then either stretching, or more drills. There are occasional deviations, but they're rarely interesting.

I'd like to say I'm the kind of person who can dedicate myself to one thing and stick with it, but to be honest, I need both mental and physical stimulation to stay interested in some sort of physical art. This is why I've trained in fencing, judo, jujitsu and karate in addition to taijutsu (and now kickboxing). There are of course, other issues involved (fencing - I disagreed with the rules of fighting and it was seriously messing up my instincts, judo - there was too much forced exercising and not enough variation, jujitsu - the instructor was a nazi and the beginner level was boring and easy, karate - more variation but god do I hate katas), but in the end, it boils down to I got bored with the routine either because I already knew most of the things they were teaching or because I learnt most of the things they were teaching (keep in mind that after less than a month of Judo, I could take down a male brown belt one of two times).

Taijutsu and Bujinkan is rarely if ever boring. Sometimes we'd have to do basics, which, if we were lucky led to me and another black belt horsing around in a corner, but if not was at least only for a class when Sensei Jack wasn't there. Even if something we were being taught was boring (and it almost never was), we never stayed on one technique for more than a class or two and only the first half of class was devoted to hand to hand combat so you were sure to see at least a little variation once we switched over to a weapon (and you never knew when it was going to be "let's attack each other with keys" day or something *g*).

I know I haven't learnt everything at kickboxing, but I've reached a high enough level that the classes are becoming too routine. I know I shouldn't quit - when I took August off, I was practically jumping out of my skin by the end of the month from excess energy, but I also don't know how to make the class more interesting for myself. Not even the prospect of seeing lots of fit Japanese men with their shirts off and covered with sweat moves me much anymore (probably because I have enough imagery to last a lifetime, but still).

I miss Bujinakn.

tenki, hon, kaku, uta

The weather has seriously been weird lately. It's so damn warm for February. I actually switched to my spring coat today. I just took a walk to throw out my garbage (two blocks down and by the pond) and it was still nice enough that I could have left my coat unzipped. I have a theory that my cold this weekend might have been allergies since one of my students was struck down in much the same way, but it could just as well have been one of those virus thingies I never seem to get (bacterial infections love me. er, yay!)

I've been reading Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who fanfiction recently. Now if I could just find a SH/DW crossover, my life would be perfect *g*

Feeling depressed that there is no way I can finish my book before I start grad school again. Also, rather worried that I will most likely be taking the Japanese driving test next week.

Someday, I'll figure out why this is my favourite song in the world.

tenki, hon, kaku, uta

The weather has seriously been weird lately. It's so damn warm for February. I actually switched to my spring coat today. I just took a walk to throw out my garbage (two blocks down and by the pond) and it was still nice enough that I could have left my coat unzipped. I have a theory that my cold this weekend might have been allergies since one of my students was struck down in much the same way, but it could just as well have been one of those virus thingies I never seem to get (bacterial infections love me. er, yay!)

I've been reading Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who fanfiction recently. Now if I could just find a SH/DW crossover, my life would be perfect *g*

Feeling depressed that there is no way I can finish my book before I start grad school again. Also, rather worried that I will most likely be taking the Japanese driving test next week.

Someday, I'll figure out why this is my favourite song in the world.

There's something really annoying about getting a blister on top of your blood blister.

Days like these remind me of how much living in Edinburgh affected me. It was cloudy and rainy when I woke up today and I was so tired I ate breakfast then went back to sleep for awhile before my first class started. I was really cheerful for most of the day because it rained lightly all morning, but it was warm (about 12 degrees Celcius) and then in the evening, it became really windy. Both of which are fixed in my mind as perfect weather. Oh well.

Kickboxing is more interesting on Wendsdays, I've noticed. There was a new guy there who obviously had trained in a different style. His kicks really hurt. I'm not sure what to do about my allergies and/or cold at this point (how do I tell the difference?!). I was using my handkerchief that I use to wipe off the sweat during class as a tissue at one point. It's insane that I can't go an hour without needed to annihilate a tissue. I can't decide if I should be training in this state either. I feel exhausted and coughy but that's not too unusual after a workout like that. The guys who I'm sort of friends with at wendsdays classes think my punches are great. They mean "for a girl" of course, but oh well.

I really wish people would stop classifying a Doctor Who/Torchwood story as a crossover. Every time I see one, I kinda get this feeling like "Eww, there's a Torchwood in my Who." And for the other fandom I'm reading, Sherlock Holmes slash reminds me of Hornblower slash probably because both fandoms go to far too much effort to work through the historical details plus the illegality of the whole business.

On Tuesday, a girl at my nursing school class asked me for advice outside of class on how to become better at English. This made me feel like an actual teacher for once. Today, my Mine kiddies were writing notes about me in class (though why they wrote "Today, sensei is angry" is beyond me (They think I can't read kanji. hah!)) and this also made me feel like a teacher, though it also made me nostalgic for the days when I wrote notes in class. Of course, if I catch them with notes again, I'm going to get their parents to yell at them. I'm kinda annoyed M. let them go on with it for so long.

My student brought me pocky today and I spent twenty minutes trying to convince her that Americans import pocky from Japan (or at least, Asia). "Is pocky the same in America?" Yes. Yes, it is. The pocky was for Valentine's day which was sweet of her. Also got green tea kitkats from N. yay! I gave everybody origami valentine hearts with candy inside to cheer them up (I am highly unromantic and therefore uneffected by this holiday, but some of the others needed hugs, or at least sweets:))

There's something really annoying about getting a blister on top of your blood blister.

Days like these remind me of how much living in Edinburgh affected me. It was cloudy and rainy when I woke up today and I was so tired I ate breakfast then went back to sleep for awhile before my first class started. I was really cheerful for most of the day because it rained lightly all morning, but it was warm (about 12 degrees Celcius) and then in the evening, it became really windy. Both of which are fixed in my mind as perfect weather. Oh well.

Kickboxing is more interesting on Wendsdays, I've noticed. There was a new guy there who obviously had trained in a different style. His kicks really hurt. I'm not sure what to do about my allergies and/or cold at this point (how do I tell the difference?!). I was using my handkerchief that I use to wipe off the sweat during class as a tissue at one point. It's insane that I can't go an hour without needed to annihilate a tissue. I can't decide if I should be training in this state either. I feel exhausted and coughy but that's not too unusual after a workout like that. The guys who I'm sort of friends with at wendsdays classes think my punches are great. They mean "for a girl" of course, but oh well.

I really wish people would stop classifying a Doctor Who/Torchwood story as a crossover. Every time I see one, I kinda get this feeling like "Eww, there's a Torchwood in my Who." And for the other fandom I'm reading, Sherlock Holmes slash reminds me of Hornblower slash probably because both fandoms go to far too much effort to work through the historical details plus the illegality of the whole business.

On Tuesday, a girl at my nursing school class asked me for advice outside of class on how to become better at English. This made me feel like an actual teacher for once. Today, my Mine kiddies were writing notes about me in class (though why they wrote "Today, sensei is angry" is beyond me (They think I can't read kanji. hah!)) and this also made me feel like a teacher, though it also made me nostalgic for the days when I wrote notes in class. Of course, if I catch them with notes again, I'm going to get their parents to yell at them. I'm kinda annoyed M. let them go on with it for so long.

My student brought me pocky today and I spent twenty minutes trying to convince her that Americans import pocky from Japan (or at least, Asia). "Is pocky the same in America?" Yes. Yes, it is. The pocky was for Valentine's day which was sweet of her. Also got green tea kitkats from N. yay! I gave everybody origami valentine hearts with candy inside to cheer them up (I am highly unromantic and therefore uneffected by this holiday, but some of the others needed hugs, or at least sweets:))