Making Progress

         I've been working on tweaking certain areas of my weapon form, and expanding on the form as a whole; and it's been going well.  There was a piece of the form that felt really chunky at the beginning, and I had asked Master Brinker for his advice. We played around with the movement, and he suggested adding in a roundhouse.  I went through the movement a lot.  The roundhouse didn't seem quite right, but the spinning back kick did, and it really brought the flow that I was needing.  This has been the most fun I've had making a form, and also the most informative.  It has highlighted the movements that my body flows naturally into, even though I've purposefully placed movements that my body doesn't naturally flow into, it has still been working really well.  My footwork has definitely improved and my kicks are getting there, though I do still have a slight swing to my spinning back kick.  

        For my hand form, I've been practicing Lao Gar 1&2, and again have been making good progress.  First, on really focusing on what my hands are doing, especially when utilizing knife hands.  Secondly, I've been revisiting certain foot movements, like the opening, and trying to eliminate the hippity-hop thing I was doing.  I slowed it right down and just cross stepped and then brought my other foot over.  I did this a few times, and then tried to speed up that movement.  It's less of a hippity-hop now.  All in all, good.  With both my weapon and hand form, what I've really noticed is a freedom in movement.  I'm not feeling as restricted, and not just in my hips, an overall feeling of openness in my movements.

        Mentally I've been doing much better.  The sun and warm weather definitely play a big part in that.  Been feeling more and more motivated too, which in turn has reflected as an increase in my numbers.  It has been nice to get outside and have space to move around.  I've even been called to write more.  I know, I know, it's a requirement I set for myself and have until know been failing at this.  Can hear the voice in my head "If you're not writing, or don't want to write, the best thing you can do is WRITE."  I'm blogging though, and that's still writing... just not the other writing I said I was going to do.  Well, until next time.