What a great night!

[Carol]

Tonight I had plans on getting together with a friend for some outdoor training. Its hot outside, but the humidity isn't too bad. I know a place down by the water that's basically a peat bog. Its covered with trees which helped take the edge off the temps, and while the ground isn't flat, its very spongy. Nature's practice mat. So about 30 minutes in to hittin' each other, our attempt to train becomes comical. Fatigue is setting in and between sweating and bug spray we're....slippery! Both of us took some good tumbles.

I get up from giving the ground a good inspection :lol: and I notice my training buddy is slowing down a bit too. I ask him if he's doing OK. He doesn't really say much...until a cool breeze blows across the water. That was unexpected...and very refreshing. We stop to take a water break. The breeze was steady and it felt like the temps had dropped a 5 degrees in a minute's time. My buddy pulls out some battered rattan sticks from his gear bag. "How about we keep going until Mother Nature kicks us out?" I agree.

We each take sticks, and have at it while the sun goes down, the wind picks up, clouds roll in, a smattering of rain falls here and there, thunder starts rolling. We kept at it until it was too dark to continue safely. Bloody AWESOME!

How about the rest of you? Any one else have stories about training when the atmosphere is just perfect?

 

[Flea]

I do!

The city had been paralyzed by an ice storm that cut utilities to almost half a million people statewide. Downed power lines were everywhere, but otherwise the roads were passable. I didn't get any call about a cancellation, so off I went. I got there to find the street light outside operational, but no power in the building. We worked in our jackets, illuminated only by the street light outside. There were only three of us and of course the whole neighborhood was dead quiet. It was mystical, and I was disappointed when the power came on toward the end of the night. I've never had a practice quite like it.

 

[oftheherd1]

This probably isn't exactly what you are looking for, but once in Korea, I was in a one-on-one with my GM. There were supposed to be at least two other students. The thing was, there was a certain amount of time alloted for everything. When we were doing multiple in line kicks, we would do our set, and could recoup while the others did theirs. Same for the other training, including practicing our usual set of kicks against the focus pad. As the only one there, I wasn't told that I would do the usual amount I did, and go to something restful. No, I got to do mine and the other's as well. First I thought I was going to die, then I feared I wouldn't.

No idyllic setting and no bonding with other students for me. But I did stagger out with a renewal of respect for myself. I think my GM was a little impressed too. Oh, did I mention I was a little run down from the flu at the time?