Ready to get rid off those extra X-mas pounds, More Chi Train harder!

Amituofo!

I desperately need to get rid off all those extra X-mas pounds.
The pain in my rib has been getting worse for the last weeks, but since a couple of days it is dropping.

However, since I could not jump, run, bend forward, lean backward, rotate or bend sideways, I haven't been doing much training.
On request of Sam I took over Sam's kung fu class last Tuesday, cause he was I'll. I had the students doing some other stuff than usual. Practicing balance, tigerclaw strengthening etc... Was a lot of fun but it didn't improve the pain in my rib (yes of course I did everything myself as well), it made it worse. So that was pretty much all training I did in the last 2 weeks.

Today I feel like I can rotate and bend my body a bit again, so I am going for some stretching and maybe some strength exercises during lunch break again. Hope to get into full-pull training mode soon, since I need to prepare for a one month Kung Fu trip :)

Amituofo!

Expanding horizons: Thai boxing

Amituofo!

Last evening Sam invited a Muay Thai fighter, who also trains kung fu if he can find time between muay thai practice, to give a training in Mauy Thai boxing.
Was really fun, learned lot's of ring fighting techniques. Was really intense, had no breath left at all at the end of the training. And of course we did some rounds of sparring to round it up.

I desperately wanted to fight the trainer, since I think you can learn a lot from people who are more skilled then you, so I asked him to spar the last round with me :)

I gave it my all, but I think I did not event hurt him one little bit :(... He gave me a couple of punches that would have knocked me out if he gave it more then 5% of the effort that he gave now :)

It was really fun to fight with some one who actually trains for fighting matches and it showed me that I would stand a chance against such a guy ;)

so..... More Chi, Train harder! 

But now first let my bruised rib heal for a couple of days.... :(

Almost there!

Next week I will start running 5km as warm up for my lunch training sessions. This week I still am at 3.5km with 2x 200m sprint. As soon as I can run 5km within 20 to 25 minutes again I consider myself fully recovered from knee surgery :) !

My hip/back also feels better, as long as don't sit to much.
My shoes do need surgery I am afraid :)


Lately I am focussing more on Kung-fu practise rather than power training. So lots of running, stretching, Ji Ben Gong, Tao Lu, Qi Gong, stretching and more stretching. I can really start to notice that some previously tight muscles are starting to get more and more flexible. At the same time training my knees has improved my stability and balance quite a bit.

Some Tao Lu desperately need more attention though... Especially the forms we do not practise in Kung Fu class. Xiao Hong Quan for instance really is crappy at the moment, I can't find the flow and feeling in this Tao Lu. This will take some work to get right.

BTW: I want to share the great feeling I get from training and show other people that they can literally make themselves feel super just by getting active on a daily basis. So I am playing with the idea to start the new year good by starting a little business.

If you, or someone you know, would like to get fit(ter), get focussed, calm your mind, become more open minded, and learn how I experience Shaolin mentality and Shaolin Kung-Fu. Then let me know!

Leave a message. 

I will be giving daily classes during lunch hours and if there is interest also before work early in the morning. I'll not be teaching you how to do sports, I'll be trying to teach you how to form a mindset that will motivate you to get healthy, stay healthy, and will enable you to choose your own path and be great! 

Any one can do it, the only thing you need is the right attitude!

So if you are interested, let me know!

more info will follow

Finally!

It is Friday! Yesterday I had to skip training... so today I am extra energized! Let's do this!



Amituofo!

Wintertime - my favorite time of year for training!

Not because I like it so cold.... but because some frost gives beautiful scenery. And since a lot of people stay in, it is a lot quieter in the park and more animals show up (looking for food, so please help our little friends out a bit and share some of yours).

Cold is nasty for the muscles, but I do love running and doing Qi gong in the cold. Somehow it is easier to get in the 'focuszone' when you can see yourself breath...

I really start to like this spot for training and active mediation :)

A little training update:
For the last weeks I have been trying out what I can and can't do with the latest injury (my hip/lower back has a problem again). Sitting still does not improve the pain, so that is a good thing. Stretching seems to relieve the pain. Kicking seems to make it worse although last week I tried 'bag' practice with kicks, and it has not really got worse. So maybe it is mainly the stretch kicks when I am tense.
This evening I will try stretch kicks again, see how it feels tomorrow.
I was doubting if the injury felt like a jammed nerve, or an infected joint... but the pain has moved a bit now, its more in the hip and less in the back, so I think it is the joint that is acting up. Had that before, so that will just take some time to heal. At least I can run and train, I just need to be care-full with kicking high and fast.

Did I already tell you that Shaolin Kung Fu is not just sports... it is also teaching you a lot about your body.
A Kung Fu friend of mine told me he always is inspired by how I put myself in pain when I train even with injuries....
I told him: "I do not put myself in pain, I am exploring what causes the pain and what makes it better, but I will not stop moving just because I feel a little pain"
For me that is also part of Kung Fu and Chan. Pain will come, pain will go, but life goes on in the meantime and it is not use full to sit still and wait when you are in pain. Explore and find what you can do and let go of the pain. Then all of a sudden you'll notice the pain is gone... just because you put focus back on your practice rather then on your pain :)

Needles and stretching

Amituofo,

The pain in my hip/lower back has not really decreased since last week. I'm trying everything to get rid of this issue, and I feel that eventually it will... now just find the most efficient way.

Last Sunday I got introduced to acupuncture. Sam always has acupuncture done when he feels his lower back acting up again, and he is really helped by it.
To be honest I do not know if it helped me. It was a fun experience really and felt really strange to 'trigger' muscle activity by sticking needles in your butt...

For the moment I will stick to not doing kicks, and doing lots of stretching. That helped me before so lets see how it feels in a week.

Yesterdays Kung Tao training was awesome (yes, injury does not mean no training). Sam decided to do sparring every two weeks and I really missed that a lot in the past year. Its just fun to work on some skill application.

Amituofo!

Old injury gone, time for a new one....

Pfff... the downside of training a lot is that the change of hurting yourself also increases...

Last week Friday I did something wrong with kicking exercises and I hurt my hip/lower back. Saterday it was just a bit stiff, Sunday after training it felt pretty ok, but monday after training it started hurting again, and during our Tuesday evening Kung Tao training the pain was getting worse with each kick I did. And after the training I couldn't lift my leg without pain.
So yesterday I give my body some rest, and it feels a bit better now.

Today I will only do stretches and some Tai Chi/ Qi Gong... see if that makes things better...

Amituofo!