Something Sifu said during class last week came back to me. He was talking to the more advanced students during the last set of Chen Ch’eng and he pointed out that one particularly long motion has been broken up into three different numbers, and that if you perform that sequence on the numbers, it’s choppy and fragmented. When performed as one long sweeping fluid motion, it’s much more effective. I should look into my other forms for instances of this happening. I doubt Yun Tung has anything like that, though. It’s just a bunch of stances chained together, with hand techniques and kicks added in later.

Practiced out in the lot next to the walking track at the apartment. Lots of room to really go all out. Worked on Chen Ch’eng some, and I think my hand placement on the scorpion on-guard transition to grab and backfist could use some work. All-in-all, though, it feels really good. I have to really pay attention, though, because I tend to forget to pivot and sweep in with the dragon claw groin strike. Working in that lot was fun, because the ground was wet and the grass was slippery. I had to pay a lot of attention to my footwork so that I didn’t slide all over the place. Made me feel like I was really rooting properly. I also had a lot of room to work CSB/sidekicks, and I feel a little better about them. Not sure of myself, but better.

Worked Plum Blossom B some more and it’s really coming together. Feels a lot better. Also worked on my empty hand strikes and they seem a lot more comfortable. Need to continue to work these from both sides, paying attention to blocking with the lead hand on the long strikes.

Needs attention:
CSB-sidekicks
back kicks
sink-and-turn with bicep bottomfist, vertical punch, palm strike
Plum Blossom B
all openhand strikes, both sides, with blocking
Chen Ch’eng position 27, scorpion to backfist hand position

My first tournament. Against two orange belts and two other yellow belts, I placed first in the forms category with Yun Tung. I felt like I gave a good solid performance. My balance was off a little on the double kick combos, and I think I rushed through the last half of the form, but apparently it was good enough to get me the winning slot. One of the other yellow belts really screwed up his form, and the other seemed kind of weak, but the orange belt who got second place was really good. I felt great about winning. I think I’ve finally got a pretty decent grasp on the formal salutation.

In the sparring category, I got placed against a big guy from Gymme’s Taekwondo in Petal and he trounced me. I think it was called at 6-1. I went into the fight with a plan to attack the head, but because he wasn’t wearing headgear, he kept his head well protected and because I was focusing on that one target, I left myself wide open to his kicks. I stuck to that plan even though it obviously wasn’t working. I need more time in the ring. A lot more. I need work on my footwork, especially entering, especially against guys who focus on the long range.

One of the main frustrations was that after sitting there for six hours, I got one fight in, lost it badly, and got handed a second place trophy. The guy in the other yellow belt division got screwed even worse. He fucked up his form, so he got nothing there, and then he got one fight, lost it, and got handed a third place trophy. AND he got to watch Adam fight Rob to see which of them got the first place and which got the second. Total rip-off. I felt horrible for the guy. At least I got my forms trophy, he just got jacked.