Random Scribblings in the Margin

4th dan (ie, a higher grade than my instructor). Got her black belt in 1993, when I was nine or ten and still in primary school.

I'm very, very glad I didn't have this information before I fought her. I was nervous enough. I saw one of the other competitors backing up so fast she fell off the edge of the mat, and was determined that whatever happened, I wasn't going to do that. And I didn't. This fool rushed in.

And obviously she wiped the floor with me. I have never been so drastically outclassed in my life. I think every single point she got was by punching me in the face. But suddenly, I'm not feeling so bad about that.

NOBODY DO ANYTHING INTERESTING IN THE MEANTIME.

Big anti-cuts demo in London yesterday; contrary to media reports, it was not an orgy of violence and there were not widespread pitched battles with the police. On these legs? Darling. I could sit on the floor and snarl, maybe. My feet and knees don't like me right now.

Wife was full of preparation and planning and sandwiches and earplugs. Earplugs make large noisy crowds vastly more pleasant. barakta got us on the coaches. Our Unison steward was also a saint of organisation and looking-after-people.

I hate it when the clocks go forward. Very strong coffee this morning. Lost an hour's sleep and am not happy about it. That was mine, dammit. I was using it for sleeping.

Now I have to bike to work (public transport so bleeding unreliable of a Sunday) and get everything done quick. Then I have to bike over to the main dojo so I can do a two-hour black-and-brown-belt course on a kata I barely know (enpi) and certainly can't perform (there's a 360-degree jump out of kibadachi into kokutsudachi. HAHAHAHAHAHA).

Doctor reckons it's just bruised, cos I can feel and move everything, even if I'm not as bendy as usual, and the pain's staying where I got kicked and not radiating anywhere. So that's a relief.

I had my first capoeira music class yesterday. It was also my first class taught by Mestre Valdir (equivalent to Kyoshi Richards at karate) rather than Formada Vicky (equivalent to a first or second dan black belt, I think). We did an hour of music followed by an hour of playing. I can now sort of play the tambourine! Things I have learnt: ( Read more... )

I had my first capoeira class yesterday. It lasted three hours, and subsequently I hurt. It's zero-contact! Why do I hurt? (Because it requires leg strength and flexibility that I just don't have. Yet.)

I like it, I think. It's so totally different from karate that years of muscle memory is kicking my ass. I see a kick coming, I smack it out of the way and counter with a punch. Or I catch it and knock them over. I certainly don't turn my back on my opponent and do a cartwheel!

I went with falling_softly, and we were both very shy. I think we found it difficult, too, because we're used to the Japanese etiquette of karate. When in doubt, "osu, Sensei" and bow. Karate is honour-based and capoeira is trickery-based. Karate is lawful and capoeira is chaotic? Yes, that works.

I was also amused that my martial arts career has gone Kyokushin karate --> quick dabble in Southern mantis kung fu and kick-boxing --> Shotokan karate --> capoeira. I started off with the nasty full-contact stuff, and got gentler over the years.