Sleepless in Portland.
I had another one of those nights where the only way I knew I slept was I dreamt. Our black belt test is mere weeks away and I am whipping myself into a tizzy.
The last couple weeks my training, both in class and out, have been disrupted with my mother’s death and the arrangements for her memorial service. Now I have nothing to distract me.
I feel pretty good about my street fighting and forms. Even sparring is okay. I’m ready to answer any probing personal questions. I need to work on my forms breakdowns and fighting principles. Bike commuting has done great things for my physcial stamina.
The thing that has me worried most is the stances.
I can hold a horse stance, it’s not pleasant, but I can do it.
The “toilet bowl” is a stress position that I believe has been banned under the Geneva Convention.
Japanese sitting position (kneeling) seems like it would be easiest of all, but not for me. My right ankle, the one I crushed several months ago, still does not bend all the way forward. If I lean back into a proper Japanese sitting position, I put pressure on the bones of the tops of my feet. If I lean forward I put pressure on my knees. In any position, it compresses my legs.
I just have to keep reminding myself what Laura says: trust the training.
