Lou_be_Lou figures out healthy......

[Lou_be_Lou]

Now back to challenge land rather than survive lecture sidequest.....

 

 

 

I play guitar mainly, but I started out playing violin. I haven't touched my violin in years, so nowadays it's mostly guitar. I've had some experience with base, but nothing too big.

In regards to jazz, my first introduction to Jazz guitar came from Django Reinhardt. I was playing some of his stuff in the school music rooms and the music director recommended me to the jazz band. One of my favorite memories is playing Reinhardt's "Belleville" in the school music show with the double-bass guy, the sax guy and the back-up guitarist.

Aw, that was almost four years back! I have no idea what happened to those guys, quite a shame we lost contact.

 

So, you're an accomplished martial artist, a scientist and a musician?!

 

YAY for Django!  Awesome having a jazz band at high school.  And hmmmm yep, re martial arts, science and music - means I have to remember to not give bass students or project students burpees........  No idea how it all fits together beyond the simplicity of it all makes me happy.  Seems like a very good reason for keeping on doing all of the things.

 

Challenge update:  bass practise - its all happening - have played every day - am noticing the difference already.  Would love to find more time for this.  Yay for 6 week challenges as otherwise most of these wouldn't have happended....

logging food: find this amazingly boring but am doing it anyway. 

food choices: "It starts with food" has finally arrived - am going to read a little before sleep o'clock.

Taking care of myself: hmmmm did too much monday and tuesday, so was a wipe out yesterday - resorted to a sofa nap and an 8:30 bed time, this worked.  Much better today.

 

Exercise: Yoga yesterday, YAY!  Quote from class = "inhale slow, long and sweet" !!!!

Jujitsu today - huge number of new techniques, struggling with wrist locks on the men mountains, but did good hip wheels, and scissors naked choke hold.  Also did my first ever Indian death locks.  They're not quick...... Why would anyone ever use them?  Especially the leg variation - having got someone into it, what are you meant to do, drag them around after you?

[Teirin]

Loved the video, thanks for sharing with us!

 

Good couple of days and good on you for getting the extra sleep when you needed it.

[sarakingdom]

scissors naked choke hold

 

I'm certain that what I'm imagining here is not what you were practicing.

[Balmung the Tyro]

Well, for some reason the video is not working for me....and now I feel deprived.......

[y.werin]

I feel I've learned something from that video. It seems the tetrahedral life is a joyous one.

Note, wrist locks. You looking to flip or just drop? Do you do OK with them? I like to momentarily drop the pressure halfway through the technique (but without regressing the placement, if that makes sense).

[y.werin]

I should add though that my wrist locks are ugly beyond belief. Effective, but shovel-face fish ugly.

[TourdeForce]

well done on all the bass-playing, so glad that's coming along...also on getting to yoga and jujitsu although I must admit I think I understand more about tetrahedrals than martial arts 

 

have a great weekend!

[Lou_be_Lou]

Loved the video, thanks for sharing with us!

 

Good couple of days and good on you for getting the extra sleep when you needed it.

I could happily list sleep as a favourite hobby, only, like the scissors naked choke - that would be open to misinterpretation.........

 

 

I'm certain that what I'm imagining here is not what you were practicing.

oh yes, I always think its name has to be a misprint - really! you want me to do what?????

 

 

Well, for some reason the video is not working for me....and now I feel deprived.......

sorry........  doesn't work for me on my pc either.....  grrrrr re mp4 file format

 

 

I feel I've learned something from that video. It seems the tetrahedral life is a joyous one.

Note, wrist locks. You looking to flip or just drop? Do you do OK with them? I like to momentarily drop the pressure halfway through the technique (but without regressing the placement, if that makes sense).

just drop with the wrist locks, only hand size and strength is an issue for me with some of them..... and I'm generally not great at wrist locks.  I'm sure that practising them will help..... Strange that.  Might add that to my dating criteria - willingness for me to practise locks on them....?    But not in a creepy way.

 

 

well done on all the bass-playing, so glad that's coming along...also on getting to yoga and jujitsu although I must admit I think I understand more about tetrahedrals than martial arts 

 

have a great weekend!

Ha ha.  Yes please to the weekend.  Hopefully it'll involve plenty of music for me.  You too!  Maybe without the music, but have a good one.

 

Having a tired friday - lots of tiredness from everyone at work today - I'm blaming yesterday's referendum - such a lot of energy and stress and uncertaintly kicking around for the last few months.

 

Despite that, made it to lunchtime yoga - brilliant class, got to do a prelude to a scorpion pose - kind of a three legged dog/scorpion hybrid into one legged scorpion chaturanga (v v briefly).  Fun.  Well fun except for lots and lots of frog stretches, Cheechoe would've loved it.  I know they're good for me, but ow.

[Teirin]

I needed to allow VLC player to see the video but it did work.

 

Naked usually just means that it doesn't use the Gi/uniform.  We giggle over it too. 

[RisenPhoenix]

Sheesh, I'm late.

 

Didn't know you also did the science-things for employment!  My first thought: "Oh, good.  I'm not the only scientist who is crap at washing his hands when not at work."

 

>.>

 

<.<

 

Also wrist locks.  I <3 wrist locks.  My partners at the dojo sometimes hate me. (And practicing very difficult hip throws for my next ranking.  More of the hating on me.)

[Googolplex]

Great video!  I have a vivid memory of a chemistry professor demonstrating translation, rotation, and vibration of a water molecule by wearing a hat with a O on it and gloves with H on them.  And then running, spinning, and waving his hands around at the same time. 

 

That was 25+ years ago, so these things really do stick with people.

[SevenFootGeek]

 

Also wrist locks.  I <3 wrist locks.  My partners at the dojo sometimes hate me. (And practicing very difficult hip throws for my next ranking.  More of the hating on me.)

 

My and wrist locks, we're like this

 

 

Hapkido has a lot of wrist locks and when I have to teach them to the always-smaller-than-me students, it comes down to leverage points.  The strong ones try to force it and the uncertain ones stand there looking worried.  Wrists are so delicate that strength should never be the issue.  When you try to muscle through it, one of two things happens.  Either you cause your partner/opponent a lot of unintended pain or an injury occurs.  Since my style of hapkido is illegal in competition, our objective is usually to destroy the wrist, so we pay a lot of attention to avoiding injury in class.  

 

In class, if your partner is fighting, then they're actively preventing you from learning how the lock is applied and also increases the potential for injury, which drives me nuts.  My personal pet peeve in martial arts is working with people who don't let you practice to allow the technique to work.  Only after you learn and are comfortable with the lock should resistance be applied, especially wrist locks, as I already mentioned.  When your partner is relaxed, this gives you the opportunity to manipulate the joint to find the pain points and the angle that produces the most effective result.  Once you have that, it doesn't matter how strong or mountainous your opponent is.  

 

I have worked with women who were maybe 120 lbs soaking wet and taught them to do a wrist take down that I simply could not fight against.  But only because I gave them the time with little to no resistance so that they could understand the movement they were trying to achieve.  Similarly, in our black belt classes, I work with an actual man-mountain who refuses to go down when technique is wrong.  Bad at lower ranks (he doesn't do it anywhere near as aggressively with coloured belts) but at black belt, when we know the techniques and are refining application, he is incredible to work with.  When the techniques work, you see his eyes go wide with pain and the tacit acceptance that either he falls where I'm pointing him, or his wrist is going to break.  To give a frame of reference, at 6' 10", I weigh 235 lbs.  This guy is 6' 4" and weighs in at 260 lbs and he is strong.  He cannot be forced to move.  Technique beats strength, every time.

 

So, yeah.  Long rant, but I hope it's helpful.  

[karinajean]

When you try to muscle through it, one of two things happens. Either you cause your partner/opponent a lot of unintended pain or an injury occurs.

Yes this all the way. My opponent was practicing shoulder throws on me and muscled one, and that's how I tore my ACL. If he had been relying on technique he would have noticed my leg was stuck between his.

Which is, you know, just a super crummy accident. Poor guy.

Since my style of hapkido is illegal in competition, our objective is usually to destroy the wrist, so we pay a lot of attention to avoiding injury in class.

I love everything about this bit. Is that weird? My school of Tkd is not aligned with competition and we practice lot of arm bars, grappling techniques, and the occasional eye gouge. My instructor offers a very well blended self-defense instruction in addition to our traditional basics and forms

Sent from my iPhone while riding a unicorn through the cosmos.

[Lou_be_Lou]

I needed to allow VLC player to see the video but it did work.

 

Naked usually just means that it doesn't use the Gi/uniform.  We giggle over it too. 

Ah, now it makes sense!  Still sounds very very wrong, and yes, worth a giggle.

 

 

Sheesh, I'm late.

 

Didn't know you also did the science-things for employment!  My first thought: "Oh, good.  I'm not the only scientist who is crap at washing his hands when not at work."

 

>.>

 

<.<

 

Also wrist locks.  I <3 wrist locks.  My partners at the dojo sometimes hate me. (And practicing very difficult hip throws for my next ranking.  More of the hating on me.)

I'm getting better at doing all of the hand washing.....  nothing at home feels quite as crucial to get off me vs the gunk at work.......  What flavour science?  I'm biochemistry/parasitology/protein stuff, need to learn more about lipids.  Yay for challenging hip throws - can understand your training partners being daunted by that one.

 

 

Great video!  I have a vivid memory of a chemistry professor demonstrating translation, rotation, and vibration of a water molecule by wearing a hat with a O on it and gloves with H on them.  And then running, spinning, and waving his hands around at the same time. 

 

That was 25+ years ago, so these things really do stick with people.

YAY - for me its antennapedia - fly mutation with a leg instead of an antenna - our entire class lifted a flappy arm up to eyebrow position during the exam - impossible to forget after that lecture.

 

 

 

So, yeah.  Long rant, but I hope it's helpful.  

Awesome rant - all of the helpful!  Oh yes re the impossibility of learning on a resisting subject - but also oh yes re eventually needing enough resistance to know that you've got the technique.  I also just hate it when a technique is put on too hard - learn control dudes.  The coaches are good when they spot it - they know we all do this as a hobby and have day jobs that need functioning limbs.  

Definitely all of the helpful.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Yes this all the way. My opponent was practicing shoulder throws on me and muscled one, and that's how I tore my ACL. If he had been relying on technique he would have noticed my leg was stuck between his.

Which is, you know, just a super crummy accident. Poor guy.

I love everything about this bit. Is that weird? My school of Tkd is not aligned with competition and we practice lot of arm bars, grappling techniques, and the occasional eye gouge. My instructor offers a very well blended self-defense instruction in addition to our traditional basics and forms

Yes yes yes.  Not weird - I'm with you on this.  Still utterly ugggggghhhhh re you and your ACL - though also hugely in awe of how well your rehab is going.  Meantime, oh yes to learning eye gouges.  Hope I never ever need to use one.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Oh yep, me again - like most of the other monks - I have a cold.  Just a head cold, but it is horrible.  Spent much of saturday in bed.  This helped.  I'm getting better - but grrrrrrrr.  Feels like a complete fail at my main goal of getting healthy.  I did make amazing chicken soup though. Tasty tasty.

 

Plus I was better enough tonight to go to kickboxing - as always, it was fun.  Slightly gentle class as almost 1/2 the class had head colds - I figure that means the rest of them will have it very very very soon.  Oops.

[Teirin]

Nooooooooooo!  Glad you're feeling at least a bit better now.  The jumping around helps clear the sinuses?

[Kishi]

Well, maybe it's not so fun, but on the other hand it also means you aren't exceptionally weak in your immunity either. Get some rest, drink some water, eat some broth. You'll be good.

[TourdeForce]

gah, sorry you're not feeling well! I'm sure the referendum took something out of everybody, even I was tense sitting in my office in Kenya and following the news!

 

Hope the chicken broth is working its restorative properties for you! Have a good week 2

[Lou_be_Lou]

Nooooooooooo!  Glad you're feeling at least a bit better now.  The jumping around helps clear the sinuses?

helped the sinuses a little - not as much as tonight's jujitsu - who knew?  Brand new cure for blocked sinuses = being thrown upside down!  Brilliant.

 

 

Well, maybe it's not so fun, but on the other hand it also means you aren't exceptionally weak in your immunity either. Get some rest, drink some water, eat some broth. You'll be good.

All of the soup plus all of the veges!

 

 

gah, sorry you're not feeling well! I'm sure the referendum took something out of everybody, even I was tense sitting in my office in Kenya and following the news!

 

Hope the chicken broth is working its restorative properties for you! Have a good week 2

Was it referendum stress or virus ridden undergrads?  Seems like 50% of folk at work have colds of different flavours - brilliant, this way we can trade them.

 

Week 2 is improving - am much more vertical, am beginning to have a brain again, managed good work at work today (got results that I'm desperately trying to not be excited about cause I think they're slightly artifactual, but so close to being "real" - hopefully by tomorrow afternoon I'll be convinced enough for a happy dance), think I was useful at last night's rehearsal (principal double bass in that orchestra - so part of my role is driving the orchestra's engine, and they were being mighty sluggish, so I had some fun pushing things along - meantime I'm trying to behave as I disagree a bit with the conductor re how to approach mozart...... oops). Then jujitsu tonight - brilliant!!!!!!  Had some good coaching on technique for a couple of throws - turns out they have foot work in common, wow, cleaning up the foot work has made a huge difference. Managed to get an "excellent throw" call when we did a demo at the end of the class.  I'm thrilled.

 

Scary stuff tomorrow......... I have a date!  And its an internet dating date, so we've emailed and texted, but its effectively a blind date.  They sound interesting.  I'm working on staying calm - in a no expectations, just curious kind of a way.  Hope I like him in person..........  Might need to deploy 20 seconds of brave.

[Teirin]

Good luck on your date!  Also, congrats on the excellent throw recognition. That's always a good feeling.

[Kishi]

Ohoho, I've heard my best dating stories from such dates. Good luck!

[karinajean]

I'm excited for your date! Internet dating is a wonderful horrible thing. Hope you get the best side of it.

Sent from my iPhone while riding a unicorn through the cosmos.

[TourdeForce]

good luck for the date, may the odds be ever in your favour! 

[Lou_be_Lou]

Good luck on your date!  Also, congrats on the excellent throw recognition. That's always a good feeling.

Plus the throw felt awesome - easy and smooth and fast.  I'ld like more of that please.  I've been practising my footwork - am determined to remember how the start of the throw went.  Cause, I'm going to keep that version.

I'm excited for your date! Internet dating is a wonderful horrible thing. Hope you get the best side of it.

 

Ohoho, I've heard my best dating stories from such dates. Good luck!

 

good luck for the date, may the odds be ever in your favour! 

 

Many thanks for all the luck!!!

PHEW!!!!!!!  The date was good - I am so relieved.  He is human! We happily chatted for several hours - have yet to plan a re-match, but the possibility was discussed and we're both interested in more chat, and there was a bit of a spark, so hopefully we'll arrange something soon.  If anything I'm now more nervous as I'm now more interested.  And I fessed up to being coeliac - he didn't run for the hills (or if he did, he hasnae told me yet).  Mind you, it wasn't a drunken kissy date, so I didn't get to use my classy "beer+kissing=vomit" line. 

 

Yesterday was also a good day for the challenge:

- got to yoga - "hug the ground with your feet", "let your inhalation delight your body"

-good bass practise (have done some most days, but yesterdays was good - except for two weird things 1) my sound has gone flabby for some reason 2) i'm getting a blister in a new spot - think my hands have lost weight, so i've found a bony bit where i used to have padding.  Ouch.  Getting practised at a small strategically placed bit of strapping tape. 

- kitchen cleaning is going well - i'm re-calibrating to doing dishes when there are fewer to do.  Its good, much less mess.

- trying eating fewer carbs, feeling pretty good on more veges, more meat and a bit of good oil.  Breakfasts are starting to transform - they've been chicken soup, or grated carrot, avocado and herring.  YUM.  Huge mindshift from some kind of muesli/gf porridge.

-food logging is happening - but in a freudian moment - I've lost my food diary!!!!  Its nowhere obvious at either home or work.  DUH.  So I now have only 3 days of records kept.  Oops.