Comrade Kyellan: Kettlebell Trains YOU!

[Oramac]

21 minutes ago, Kyellan said:

 

I am the DM. I have eyes everywhere. You'd best remember that. >.>  <.<

 

And yes, you're right. I think the cruciform restriction would work well for a 'default' (for people who don't know much about weapons) but, being the merciful and wise DM that I am (muahaha) I would allow for any reasonable argument in that direction from somebody who knows the weapon.  

 

Oh boy.  I'm getting more and more nervous for the one-shot you want to run after the Mudder! 

[Kyellan]

12 minutes ago, Oramac said:

 

Oh boy.  I'm getting more and more nervous for the one-shot you want to run after the Mudder! 

 

Speaking of, you should keep this discussion in mind for that event. =) It's entirely possible that it may be important, or at least relevant.

[Oramac]

3 minutes ago, Kyellan said:

Speaking of, you should keep this discussion in mind for that event. =) It's entirely possible that it may be important, or at least relevant.

 

Uh oh.  I'm taking notes!  

[Kishi]

A friend of mine who's big on the local CMA scene posted video of a Bartitsu tournament, particularly cane fighting. It came out looking an awful lot like jian work. If I could find the damn thing, I'd post it, but.

[Kyellan]

4 hours ago, Kishi said:

A friend of mine who's big on the local CMA scene posted video of a Bartitsu tournament, particularly cane fighting. It came out looking an awful lot like jian work. If I could find the damn thing, I'd post it, but.

 

Ooh, if you find it, please do! That would be very cool to watch. I haven't learned any jian/ghim yet, but it's probably in my future. I think I'd like to do the twin dao first (especially since I have a pair arriving tomorrow!!) if Sifu will take me that route. I'm not quite as fond of what I've seen of our jian/ghim technique as my Kung Fu buddy is. (He's dying to learn it, haha) I've found that I like the directness of the dao.

 

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When I woke up, I initially thought that today was going to suck like yesterday. I gave it a go, though, and found that I was in good enough condition to go ahead and do a kettlebell workout. I did not do the TGUs today because I'm having knee troubles again. These are old and familiar issues for me, so it's nothing new or anything to worry about, it's just annoying and will pass before long.

 

I did, however, do 100 two-handed swings of the hardest-hard-style that I could manage. Also dropped the recovery time to 25 seconds from 30. It ended up being a hell of a workout.

 

Warm-Up

 

Prying Squats 2x5

Strongfirst Hip Drives 2x10

Diamond Pushups 2x10

 

Workout

 

2-Hand Kettlebell Swings 10x10 (16kg, 15 seconds on, 25 seconds recovery)

 

I tried to pay a bit more attention to the movement of my knees during the swings and found that I think my form had been slightly off. It felt better when I made sure my knees tracked straight forward on the down motion. I think they tend to splay out to either side a bit if I'm not concentrating on it.

 

I'm much happier this morning, having gotten my kettlebell work done for the day. It really does make for a fantastic wake-up routine!

[Oramac]

3 minutes ago, Kyellan said:

I tried to pay a bit more attention to the movement of my knees during the swings and found that I think my form had been slightly off. It felt better when I made sure my knees tracked straight forward on the down motion. I think they tend to splay out to either side a bit if I'm not concentrating on it.

 

I'm glad you're finding and fixing things, but correct me if I'm wrong here.  AFAIK, the knees are supposed to stay exactly in line with the toes, just like during a squat.  If the toes are angled out, so should the knees.  

[Kyellan]

3 minutes ago, Oramac said:

 

I'm glad you're finding and fixing things, but correct me if I'm wrong here.  AFAIK, the knees are supposed to stay exactly in line with the toes, just like during a squat.  If the toes are angled out, so should the knees.  

 

Description fail--that's what I meant. Making sure the knees stay over the toes, rather than out to the sides farther. On a normal swing I believe I have a tendency for the knees to go farther out to either side on the downward swing, rather than ensuring the tight over-the-toes track. Everything felt much better when I aligned correctly.

[Oramac]

3 minutes ago, Kyellan said:

Description fail--that's what I meant. Making sure the knees stay over the toes, rather than out to the sides farther. On a normal swing I believe I have a tendency for the knees to go farther out to either side on the downward swing, rather than ensuring the tight over-the-toes track. Everything felt much better when I aligned correctly.

 

*wipes sweat from brow*

 

Good to hear!  Keep it up man.  Sounds like you're executing your plan well.  

[Machete]

7 hours ago, Kyellan said:

 

Description fail--that's what I meant. Making sure the knees stay over the toes, rather than out to the sides farther. On a normal swing I believe I have a tendency for the knees to go farther out to either side on the downward swing, rather than ensuring the tight over-the-toes track. Everything felt much better when I aligned correctly.

 

 

Knees out is usually fine, as long as you're on those "three points of contact" with your feet (AKA "Eagle Talons") and externally rotating the hips, given that there's not a case of hypermobility. This allows you to have create more stability. There's actually a drill for the Hip Hinge where your partner gives you a tactile cue to ensure that you drive those knees out.

 

[Kyellan]

Thanks @Machete--the extra info is very much appreciated!!  

 

--------------

 

So, in case you're wondering where I've been... I got unpleasantly ill starting on Tuesday, and I've been down-and-out sick ever since. I've been home from work since Wednesday, sometimes actually working at home and, in the case of yesterday, huddled up under a blanket binge-watching police procedurals on Netflix (Crossing Lines is really pretty good, y'all) alternately shivering and sweating with a sore throat that never quite got bad enough to be strep, but bad enough to make me regret my continued existence on a minute-by-minute basis, and utterly rob me of the ability to speak above a whisper. Not a whole lot of fun, let me tell you.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm finally in the end-phase of whatever virus decided to make my life miserable this week. I'm staying out of the office again so that I don't pass this thing on to anyone... it's probably out of contagious phase by now anyway, but I still can't really talk at all, so there's not a lot of point in my going to an environment where I'll be expected to stress my swollen vocal cords.

 

So, another day of mostly rest for me. I think I'll be feeling just better enough in time for the demo tomorrow, thankfully. Gonna take it easy again today so that I can get to the last practice tonight (I didn't go Wednesday because I had another commitment... probably shouldn't have gone to that either, but what are you gonna do...) before showtime tomorrow.

 

Hope everybody else's week has been better than mine!

[Oramac]

Ouch!  Sorry to hear about that man.  Definitely rest up and get better.  How much sleep do you normally get (not sick)?  That can make a big difference in everything too.  

 

Good luck with the demo tomorrow too!  I'm sure you'll rock its face off! 

[sarakingdom]

Ouch, my sympathies. I've had a minor sore throat this week, and have been having a major bout of the I-cannot-evens, but nothing like yours.  Police procedural marathons are the recommended treatment.

[Toshimi]

6 hours ago, Kyellan said:

So, in case you're wondering where I've been... I got unpleasantly ill starting on Tuesday, and I've been down-and-out sick ever since. I've been home from work since Wednesday, sometimes actually working at home and, in the case of yesterday, huddled up under a blanket binge-watching police procedurals on Netflix (Crossing Lines is really pretty good, y'all) alternately shivering and sweating with a sore throat that never quite got bad enough to be strep, but bad enough to make me regret my continued existence on a minute-by-minute basis, and utterly rob me of the ability to speak above a whisper. Not a whole lot of fun, let me tell you.

 

 

If you get a chance, boil some water, pour it over a cut lemon let it steep for about 5 mins, add honey. It will help coat your throat and give you a boost of vitamin C, and not talking at all. Even a whisper can stress the vocal cords. 

 

Hopefully you start feeling better for this weekend!

[Kishi]

Yoga, veggies, and sleep. And medicine if necessary, but if not, those first three are pretty potent.

[Kyellan]

13 hours ago, Kishi said:

Yoga, veggies, and sleep. And medicine if necessary, but if not, those first three are pretty potent.

 

Not potent enough, it seems. I finally dragged myself to the doctor yesterday because I woke up with only about half of my hearing and a ringing in my head like somebody had hit it like a gong. Turns out my viral laryngitis is gone (leaving behind a devastated set of vocal cords which still can't really function at all... not that I helped them or was nice to them during the illness itself) but it was replaced by a bilateral ear infection and a full-blown sinus infection as well. 

 

So... yeah. I'm here at home again because there's really no point in my going into the office unable to both hear fully and speak. I'm on antibiotics now for the infection, just took my second dose this morning. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling well enough to drag myself back to work.

 

On a brighter note, the demo actually went off really well. I was massively sick for the whole day, but I felt like I had an obligation to live up to, so I did. Everybody kept themselves together and did their parts to the best of their ability. My sword form was probably the best it has ever been, and all of the pieces went together just fine. I came home pretty much immediately afterward to rest, but the damage was done... I was much sicker, and spent the morning running the prize booth for our games (we had a dunking tank, a throwing-star game, a strongman-bell-ringer thing, and a duck-fishing pond for the little kids), which meant a fair amount of talking. My voice is probably going to take a week to recover after what I did to it.

 

We did get two full angles of video, so hopefully there will be enough to put together a kind of highlight-reel/trailer thing for our school out of it. That's going to be my intention, at least. I'm hoping to get Sifu's permission to use the other half of the video (one half is on my iPad) to put something together. I'll of course give him my half as well so that he can do whatever he likes with it, but I'd really like the opportunity to try and find a highlight reel in there.

 

Can't do yoga because bending down at all causes the fluid pressure in my ears to make my eardrums hurt like someone's trying to pierce them. I'm drinking water, herbal tea and keeping food to a mostly-minimum. My appetite didn't suffer under the initial viral problem, but ever since the infection started on Friday, I've lost about half of my sense of smell too, which means food is mostly gross, sticky texture. So, I'm really not all that interested in food. I'm not starving myself, of course, and I have to eat with the antibiotic anyway, but it's just not all that pleasant.

 

Anyway. Hopefully 36 hours under antibiotic tomorrow morning will put me in a better place. I hope so, at least, because this really sucks.

[Oramac]

1 hour ago, Kyellan said:

I was massively sick for the whole day...My sword form was probably the best it has ever been

 

Lesson: always be massively sick for sword demos!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, so not really.  Don't do that.  Definitely get better.  Better is good.  Get better!

 

Sorry to hear about the sickness man.  It sounds like you have a solid gameplan now for dealing with it, but I'm sure it still sucks.  I'm really happy to hear the demo went well too!  Looking forward to video when/if you can release it.  

[UnknownUser]

Take a note from CW's iZombie: Sriracha + chilli powder + cayenne powder + cumin.  3/4 will give a nice warm glow to any meal.

[Kishi]

Well, do remember, there's standing yoga and prone yoga as well. It's not all about bends and such - just a vastly disproportionate amount of it. :'D

 

Anyway, yeah, man, you got to rest. Get over this thing!

[Kyellan]

36 Hours After We Started Fighting Back

 

Well, I still can't hear all that well, but I can kinda-sorta talk again and my head is feeling much clearer on a mental level. I believe the antibiotic is winning battle after battle against the infection, but we still haven't won the war.

 

Regardless, I HAD to get out of the house today, so I came into the office. I've been basically trapped in the house for the last five out of seven days, and all of the last three, save for my short trip to urgent care on Sunday. I simply could not take it anymore. Fortunately, my office is overall fairly quiet and I've got headphones to help drown out the ringing in my ears, so I should be okay.

 

We'll see if I can make it all day... I might decide to go home after lunch if I start heading downhill. 

 

My hearing and my voice are important to me. I want them back, dammit.

[Oramac]

I understand being restless.  Getting out for a bit can help.  Just be mindful of how you feel and definitely take care of yourself.  

[Kishi]

If you're going to get outside anyway, might as well get some sun. The Vitamin D will help you feel better - I seem to recall it having something to do with immune function...

[Kyellan]

60 Hours Since We Started Fighting Back

 

My head is clearer still--I've got most of my mental faculties back. I didn't even realize how bad off I've been, brain-wise, but turns out I've been pretty far gone. I feel like I can actually think again, so yay for that. I've also regained about 60% voice usage. Still missing my higher registers, but regular conversation is almost normal, if a bit croaky at times.

 

The damn fluid and swelling in my ears, though... that's still the worst part. The pain, pressure and tinnitus hasn't really subsided at all. In a quiet room I feel like I'm in a bubble. I'm hoping it will be next in the recovery process, because it's really annoying. High-pitched sounds come in all sparkly and sharp, and I'm missing the lowest frequencies entirely right now, particularly in my right ear. 

 

I'm still tired, mostly. There's no way I'd make it through a Kung Fu class right now, even a light one. Plus, the ear problem is still causing me some minor balance issues, and bending down or stretching right now causes the fluid pressure to shoot up and the pain to come along with it, so I'm not going back to class until Friday at least. I really hope I'll be better by then... that'll make it only a week until the tournament.

 

Honestly, I'm trying to decide whether to even go to the tournaments at all this time. I already know I can't do the WMAF tournament on the 11th (too close to the Mudder), and If I'd had the full two weeks of feeling great to get back in the swing of things, do some sparring, and get some practice in, I'd feel good about the one on June 5th... but as it is, I'm missing the whole first week of practice, pretty much. I dunno. Maybe I'll just go down and enter the beginner weapons division and do my sword form. Still needs some thought.

 

Hope all you wonderful people out there are feeling better than I am.

[Oramac]

Glad to hear you're getting better, but I'm sorry it's not going as fast as you'd like.  Regarding the tournament, maybe do like you did with the Boston Marathon?  Just go, and see if it works itself out.  I'm assuming it's already paid for, in which case it's a sunk cost anyway.  

[Kyellan]

38 minutes ago, Oramac said:

Glad to hear you're getting better, but I'm sorry it's not going as fast as you'd like.  Regarding the tournament, maybe do like you did with the Boston Marathon?  Just go, and see if it works itself out.  I'm assuming it's already paid for, in which case it's a sunk cost anyway.  

 

Actually, I haven't paid for it yet... I can't remember whether this one's pay-on-site or whether I just haven't seen the paperwork yet, but either way nothing's committed at this point. I don't really want to do my starter hand form again... I've already won several first-place rankings in the Beginner division with it, and with an extra year of practice, it just seems... sort of dishonorable to do the same form again, even though it has improved since last time. Especially because one of the newer guys in our school might be doing that same form, and he's got a lot less time on it than I do. Competing against him seems wrong, somehow.

 

I'd be the only one from my school in the beginner-weapons, though, so I feel much better about that.

 

I'll talk to Sifu about it on Friday, and see if there's any updates on what we're planning. Maybe I'll just end up sitting these two out, and competing again in the fall. It's really not all that important to me... I like learning the art, I love the workout, but the public aspect of the whole thing (tournaments and demonstrations and such) is definitely an afterthought. I don't care a whit about ribbons and medals and cheap prize swords... I just want to better myself.

[Oramac]

I see what you mean.  I'd tend to agree with you, knowing that.  Sounds like you have your shit together with this stuff, so just get better!!