Kicking Rhythm

I think I'm finally starting to figure out how to really kick the hell out of the bag.

I've had a lot of trouble with properly torquing my leg over on the rear Thai kick. My toes would end up pointing at about 10:30, when they should have been all the way over at 9 o'clock.

On Tuesday night, I was feeling rough. I hadn't eaten well, and I was dehydrated. However, I got into this rhythm when we were doing our bag drills that I hadn't felt before. I was rolling my toes all the way over, pointing them at the wall, and consistently hitting the same spot over and over.

The most satisfying dent began to appear in the bag, as I kicked it again and again.

Granted, I chose to walk away from the squats at the back of the 3-man drill, as I thought I might pass out, but it felt great to know, if only for that day, that I'd managed to do one thing consistently well.

A lot of new students have started recently, and while I may not be an expert, I am learning how to help my partner make subtle improvements to his or her technique. I may still make the same mistakes in the heat of the moment, but I'm starting to understand my mistakes, and that's the only way to truly move beyond them.

And yes, I'm still getting better at jumping rope. No, I will not be joining an inner-city double dutch team any time soon, but I don't hit my feet as often, and my stamina seems to increase every time we start class.