A few random observations on "backsliding". My training partner moved out of town over 6 months ago. He left behind a couple of students, but the most advanced one had his second kid born, went through a home foreclosure, and then got really involved in a band. I haven't seen him since. The next best one has been out-of-state on his job for months at a time and still isn't back to regular training. The lowest ranking one joined the army and shipped out.
So that leaves me and a small group handful of beginner-intermediates. With no advanced people to train with, I'm rapidly forgetting our system's advanced Chi-sau training sections. I still do the forms up to the Bart Cham Do... I knew about half of that, but seem to have forgotten most it. What's the point of reapeating moves awckwardly, incorrectly or that you do not fully understand anyway? Even the Luk Dim Boon Kwun form, short as it is, seems like a chore when there's nobody to do paired training with! With any luck, I'll be able to travel to work with my instructor this Spring. But in the meantime, my higher-level skill are slipping. Sad.
On the other hand, my remaining students are my laboratory. I keep modifying and reworking old lower-level drills, and of course, try to lead by example. Funny thing that. For an old guy with messed up legs, I'm finding that my stances and steps are faster and stronger, my punches both quicker and heavier, and in general my basics are better than they've been for a long time. Even though I'm back to working "beginning" stuff a lot, I'm a much "better beginner" each time around, and I'm feeling like my "higher level" skills are going to benefit too. Kind of makes the whole situation more bearable ...even worthwhile. Any thoughts?
So that leaves me and a small group handful of beginner-intermediates. With no advanced people to train with, I'm rapidly forgetting our system's advanced Chi-sau training sections. I still do the forms up to the Bart Cham Do... I knew about half of that, but seem to have forgotten most it. What's the point of reapeating moves awckwardly, incorrectly or that you do not fully understand anyway? Even the Luk Dim Boon Kwun form, short as it is, seems like a chore when there's nobody to do paired training with! With any luck, I'll be able to travel to work with my instructor this Spring. But in the meantime, my higher-level skill are slipping. Sad.
On the other hand, my remaining students are my laboratory. I keep modifying and reworking old lower-level drills, and of course, try to lead by example. Funny thing that. For an old guy with messed up legs, I'm finding that my stances and steps are faster and stronger, my punches both quicker and heavier, and in general my basics are better than they've been for a long time. Even though I'm back to working "beginning" stuff a lot, I'm a much "better beginner" each time around, and I'm feeling like my "higher level" skills are going to benefit too. Kind of makes the whole situation more bearable ...even worthwhile. Any thoughts?