A training log may be exactly what I need, I shall have to give this a try, but be warned I’m old, beat up, arthritic and have two bad knees and an ankle I apparently enjoy breaking since I have broken it 3 times (2 when I trained Long Fist, once jumping down a flight of concrete stairs because I was late for a meeting). And if that is not enough I am currently dealing with tennis elbow…and I don’t even play tennis. Basically do not expect anything overly exciting… remember I’m old. I am getting back to training after a long break so I am taking it slow and not to do what I use to do in my misspent youth which basically was doctors be damned I’m training…of course that was generally followed by more doctor’s visits Since I have done nothing today so far I will start with yesterday Yesterday early morning Santi Shi training, nothing long only about 5 minutes per side. Then did tea cup and rice bowl drills from Baguazhang Followed that with work on Piquan from Wuxingquan. Later a 1 mile walk and then worked on something that comes from Taiji and is best seen in the Taiji from practical method from Chen Zhonghua, basically opening and closing chest and back and sinking and raising the waist and circling arms, and shoulders. I can point you to a video to better show these if you like but it is not me doing it and I am not selling anything. Later 20 minutes on the exercise bike. I will not get home until late tonight but I hope to get in some Xingyi.
Yesterday, yup got home late just like I said Did Santi Shi standing, again not long, only about 5 minutes per side Trained Piquan and this is a form of piquan I have not done in a while, and to be honest when I did it I did not really try to look at it as a form separate from the piquan I had previously learned so I never did quite get the timing so I have been having a problem with the timing, I think I got it last night Did 15 minutes on the stationary bike Did a short 20 minute Yoga Asana, I have been lax and not doing my yoga and I have seen a noticeable difference in my flexibility, which was not to good to begin with after the injuries However I think I have discovered something and that is I am not so sure I should be using the stationary bike. Every time I start using it my knees start to hurt throughout the day and the back of the joint, behind my right knee gets very painful and hard to straighten out after I sit for a while, so the stationary bile may be going bye bye. I shall give the treadmill a try and see how that goes.
Tonight I strapped on the tennis elbow thing and went to my basement and did a back routine and a chest routine, I was being very careful not to hurt the arm and I got through and I felt great. After that I did some stretching. That was followed that with a lot of work on Piquan.
July 25: 3 mile walk and did Abs work and once again work on Piquan. Also tried doing some shoulder work but I could not because of that tennis elbow issue July 26: Bagua turning spinning Qigong and another form my Taiji shifu calls 12 pieces of Brocade July 27: Nothin'. I did do a lot of thinking about diet and realized I was getting away form goof eating habits and back to bad so I have made a correction and hopefully that gets me back on track, so far so good
Last night NOTHIN' My elbow was hurting so much from over use I ended up a pin cushion so alleviate it I did do a few Yoga poses but not much else. I did find a Kubodo school fairly close to my house I was surprised I found intriguing and I think there may be another Sanda class near my house that I might look into. But not with this damn elbow.
Holy Physical exertion Batman, I was able to climb the stairs today without knee pain. Still here, still working out but mostly for flexibility, muscle endurance and aerobic so nothing really exciting to report.
Interesting occurrence last night. Did some aerobic work as well as some work on the chest and back and then went to start working on Xingyiquan. Started with Zhan Zhuang..... then I had the urge to do taijiquan… so I did part of the Yang Long form and that then went to the first part of the Chen 18 form and then I found myself doing some silk reeling... never did get to Xingyiquan... and I really enjoyed doing Taiji again A few months back I was doing my Taiji and all of a sudden had the thought "I don't want to do this anymore" so I stopped...I had been doing Taiji for 20 years so it came as a bit of a surprise. I tried to do it a few times since, even tried to get myself to do the form as it comes from William CC Chen.... nothing worked so I just stopped...then last night it just started up again it began just as quickly as it ended And in a couple of weeks it is all going to stop for a bit.... I have eye surgery coming up so I can see again..... one eye ok the other is real blurry and in sun light without sunglasses it looks like I'm trying to see things through a sugar donut Xingyiquan class tonight, possibly the last one for awhile due to the pending surgery
Always good to take a break if you feel the need - you don't make any progress if you're not enjoying your training! Hope your surgery goes well - keep us informed!
Did a little more of the Yang long form tonight, did a little more of the Chen18 tonight and did quite a bit more of Chen Silk reeling.... nothing else this evening
Last night about 20 minutes of just aerobic work then Xingyiquan, work on Piquan and Bengquan, followed by a little work on the Chen 18 form. Basically I am trying to remember it, it has been a while since I trained it at all. Eye surgery coming up (date changed) on the 28th and the 2 weeks later the other eye so there will not be much training for about 3 to 4 weeks after the 28th. But, to look at this with a positive POV. Maybe that is just what I need to get this stupid tennis elbow to clear up.
I posted a clip of my daughter doing the 18 form in this thread ,might be of some help http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115990&highlight=london+competition+tai+chi Good luck with the surgery.
Did a 40 minute workout last night (aerobic, abs, and Yoga based body weight stuff) and for the first time in years I am sore today and it is an awesome feeling. But on the other hand it is a bit depressing because, before the injury marathon, what I did last night would not have been enough. But just the same, it is more than I was able to do a couple months ago and I feel pretty good today
Only did Taiji last night, Yang and Chen. But this lead me to a comparison of striking a light bag (old uppercut bag). Now I do not see a difference in power between the two but I do see a difference in approach, or at least in the strikes, based on the postures, I compared. I am not as up on Chen posture names but I think it was the "Hidden Thrust Punch" compared to Yang Block parry punch" The Chen punch is typical of Chen with the internal reeling and then release of energy, it is quite powerful and quite direct and when done correctly (meaning better than I do it) a very impressive strike that has the ability to knock the other guy down. The Yang strike is almost an after thought and, at least by appearances, much more relaxed. Equally as powerful and impressive with the ability to stop the other guy but I think it would come as more of a surprise to the guy hit by it. Of course it could just be my flavor of yang, but it tends to wait and allow the other guy to show you where to strike, basically to work right you need a whole lot of calm relaxation and patience. And not that Chen does not do this, but from this comparison it seems it simply does no have the time for such thing and would rather just hit the other guy and get it over with. Of course with this comparison you have to consider the source...me.... and although I am rather Awesome... and Attractive (and there is not charge for that)... I am a long time Yang guy and a not so longtime Chen guy, by comparison, and I am just getting back to training after a long injury induced hiatus... So I may have missed the boat completely on this.... I shall ponder this more...and of course hit the bag more while I'm at it
Did the aerobic, abs, and Yoga based body weight stuff again last night and then....the week caught up with me.....sleep ensued... Feel a little sore again today and I like it.
Swimming later, yang taiji, a little of the chen 18, some silk reeling as for saturday, I was mr mom and only got a walk in that is about 2 miles weekends are not long enough
ok, I'm a little slow on the uptake here...... DAMN!!! I just realized I am doing Chen again and my knees aren't hurting........ This is something to celebrate as far as I'm concerned. I stopped any serious work with Chen because the knees couldn't handle it...I'm happy
Last night 30 minutes of aerobics and then first section of the Yang Long form and then a little Chen.
Weight loss, yoga and giving the time to heel.... and with that said time to do some Yoga. I have been lax of late and letting it go and I can REALLY feel it in my joints