Ouch.

Last night, class was interesting. For faux Chinese values. After helping with the kids classes, I took the upper belt class. I took a break during the Kardio Kickboxing class and cooled down for a bit. The end of the KK class and the beginning of the lower belt class combined so that their warm down and end stretch and our warm up and initial stretch were simultaneous. This is normal, and not a huge deal, the adult underbelt class is the last class of the evening on Mondays and the adult upper belt, KK, and adult lower belt classes tend to merge on either end during the warm up/warm down in the interest of not falling behind schedule.

What is abnormal is Master Lightfoot shortening the warm down/warm up. He dismisses the KK class, and asks us to stand up and face Grand Master Rhee. I'm thinking "Why are we looking at the poster on the back wall" when I realize that he means over by the studio entrance, as Grand Master Rhee just walked into the studio. We do the normal show of respect (he lives in McLean, so he's a regular at graduations in all the JRI TKD schools in the DC area) and have a seat on the mat.

He's brought friends. He's got five or six professors from the University of Pusan who are visiting GMU, and he'd like them to see some of what we've been learning. GM Rhee is credited with being the first person to put martial arts to music, and in addition to traditional TKD forms, we learn musical forms. He'd like his friends from SK to see some of them. This is fine, he wants Hanguk (Korean for Korea) and Meeguk (Korean for America) demonstrated; these forms are done to the respective national anthems for SK and the USA. So, on the floor are Master Lightfoot (fourth Dan, should get his fifth this summer), his wife (third Dan), Laura (first Dan), Daniel (Purple), and me (Brown). The three Black belts are instructors, and Daniel and I are upper belts who are attending a lower belt class, so we all know Hanguk (this is the form we learn at Green, which is the highest rank in the lower belt curriculum; the two Green belts who happen to be attending this class are still learning this form so they sit out).

We run through Hanguk; all goes well. On to Meeguk. Daniel sits out, as this is the form he's still learning. Hanguk goes by, and then it's my turn to sit down. And as I do so, I realize that the strained hamstring that I'd been taking it easy on is now a proper injury, as I just ran through two forms back to back, and was so concentrated on not fucking up in front of GM Rhee that I'd not remembered to keep my kicks a little lower than my normal height. My right hamstring is killing me. If I'd have remembered, I'd have popped 800mg of ibuprofen on the way out of the house this AM.

Next, Master and Mrs. Lightfoot perform Might for Right to Exodus, which is the original musical form. It's the form I'm currently learning as a Brown belt. Laura also sat this one out. I don't know why, she's preparing to test for her second Dan and has excellent form and technique. If she stands with her back against the wall, she can put her toe against the wall behind her with either leg, so kick height isn't something she's got a problem with either. She was more than capable of performing out there, but she's not always the most confident person. I'm pretty sure that's just part of her being 17.

After the form, Master Lightfoot did a board break at GM Rhee's request. He only went over four chairs and through two boards last night with a flying sidekick. He wasn't in his best fitting dobok and hadn't really had a proper warm up, so six chairs and as many boards as his holders can properly secure was right out. GM Rhee then did a short punch through a board just to demonstrate technique. He chatted with his guests for a few minutes, and then they wandered out. I was afraid he might stay and instruct. He's apparently done that before, and after just injuring myself and already having taken an earlier class, I was so not up for a class from GM Rhee. We continued our class and then I went home, took a shower, and died for the night.

And hey, look at what missysedai diagnosed us with:

You May Be a Bit Antisocial ...

Antisocial? That may be a bit of an understatement. You think rules are meant to be broken - and with gusto! Having no fear, you don't even think about consequences. But people love you anyway... you've got a boatload of charm.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Me? Antisocial? Gee, no one would EVER have guessed that.

Ouch.

Last night, class was interesting. For faux Chinese values. After helping with the kids classes, I took the upper belt class. I took a break during the Kardio Kickboxing class and cooled down for a bit. The end of the KK class and the beginning of the lower belt class combined so that their warm down and end stretch and our warm up and initial stretch were simultaneous. This is normal, and not a huge deal, the adult underbelt class is the last class of the evening on Mondays and the adult upper belt, KK, and adult lower belt classes tend to merge on either end during the warm up/warm down in the interest of not falling behind schedule.

What is abnormal is Master Lightfoot shortening the warm down/warm up. He dismisses the KK class, and asks us to stand up and face Grand Master Rhee. I'm thinking "Why are we looking at the poster on the back wall" when I realize that he means over by the studio entrance, as Grand Master Rhee just walked into the studio. We do the normal show of respect (he lives in McLean, so he's a regular at graduations in all the JRI TKD schools in the DC area) and have a seat on the mat.

He's brought friends. He's got five or six professors from the University of Pusan who are visiting GMU, and he'd like them to see some of what we've been learning. GM Rhee is credited with being the first person to put martial arts to music, and in addition to traditional TKD forms, we learn musical forms. He'd like his friends from SK to see some of them. This is fine, he wants Hanguk (Korean for Korea) and Meeguk (Korean for America) demonstrated; these forms are done to the respective national anthems for SK and the USA. So, on the floor are Master Lightfoot (fourth Dan, should get his fifth this summer), his wife (third Dan), Laura (first Dan), Daniel (Purple), and me (Brown). The three Black belts are instructors, and Daniel and I are upper belts who are attending a lower belt class, so we all know Hanguk (this is the form we learn at Green, which is the highest rank in the lower belt curriculum; the two Green belts who happen to be attending this class are still learning this form so they sit out).

We run through Hanguk; all goes well. On to Meeguk. Daniel sits out, as this is the form he's still learning. Hanguk goes by, and then it's my turn to sit down. And as I do so, I realize that the strained hamstring that I'd been taking it easy on is now a proper injury, as I just ran through two forms back to back, and was so concentrated on not fucking up in front of GM Rhee that I'd not remembered to keep my kicks a little lower than my normal height. My right hamstring is killing me. If I'd have remembered, I'd have popped 800mg of ibuprofen on the way out of the house this AM.

Next, Master and Mrs. Lightfoot perform Might for Right to Exodus, which is the original musical form. It's the form I'm currently learning as a Brown belt. Laura also sat this one out. I don't know why, she's preparing to test for her second Dan and has excellent form and technique. If she stands with her back against the wall, she can put her toe against the wall behind her with either leg, so kick height isn't something she's got a problem with either. She was more than capable of performing out there, but she's not always the most confident person. I'm pretty sure that's just part of her being 17.

After the form, Master Lightfoot did a board break at GM Rhee's request. He only went over four chairs and through two boards last night with a flying sidekick. He wasn't in his best fitting dobok and hadn't really had a proper warm up, so six chairs and as many boards as his holders can properly secure was right out. GM Rhee then did a short punch through a board just to demonstrate technique. He chatted with his guests for a few minutes, and then they wandered out. I was afraid he might stay and instruct. He's apparently done that before, and after just injuring myself and already having taken an earlier class, I was so not up for a class from GM Rhee. We continued our class and then I went home, took a shower, and died for the night.

And hey, look at what missysedai diagnosed us with:

You May Be a Bit Antisocial ...

Antisocial? That may be a bit of an understatement. You think rules are meant to be broken - and with gusto! Having no fear, you don't even think about consequences. But people love you anyway... you've got a boatload of charm.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Me? Antisocial? Gee, no one would EVER have guessed that.

Ouch.

Last night, class was interesting. For faux Chinese values. After helping with the kids classes, I took the upper belt class. I took a break during the Kardio Kickboxing class and cooled down for a bit. The end of the KK class and the beginning of the lower belt class combined so that their warm down and end stretch and our warm up and initial stretch were simultaneous. This is normal, and not a huge deal, the adult underbelt class is the last class of the evening on Mondays and the adult upper belt, KK, and adult lower belt classes tend to merge on either end during the warm up/warm down in the interest of not falling behind schedule.

What is abnormal is Master Lightfoot shortening the warm down/warm up. He dismisses the KK class, and asks us to stand up and face Grand Master Rhee. I'm thinking "Why are we looking at the poster on the back wall" when I realize that he means over by the studio entrance, as Grand Master Rhee just walked into the studio. We do the normal show of respect (he lives in McLean, so he's a regular at graduations in all the JRI TKD schools in the DC area) and have a seat on the mat.

He's brought friends. He's got five or six professors from the University of Pusan who are visiting GMU, and he'd like them to see some of what we've been learning. GM Rhee is credited with being the first person to put martial arts to music, and in addition to traditional TKD forms, we learn musical forms. He'd like his friends from SK to see some of them. This is fine, he wants Hanguk (Korean for Korea) and Meeguk (Korean for America) demonstrated; these forms are done to the respective national anthems for SK and the USA. So, on the floor are Master Lightfoot (fourth Dan, should get his fifth this summer), his wife (third Dan), Laura (first Dan), Daniel (Purple), and me (Brown). The three Black belts are instructors, and Daniel and I are upper belts who are attending a lower belt class, so we all know Hanguk (this is the form we learn at Green, which is the highest rank in the lower belt curriculum; the two Green belts who happen to be attending this class are still learning this form so they sit out).

We run through Hanguk; all goes well. On to Meeguk. Daniel sits out, as this is the form he's still learning. Hanguk goes by, and then it's my turn to sit down. And as I do so, I realize that the strained hamstring that I'd been taking it easy on is now a proper injury, as I just ran through two forms back to back, and was so concentrated on not fucking up in front of GM Rhee that I'd not remembered to keep my kicks a little lower than my normal height. My right hamstring is killing me. If I'd have remembered, I'd have popped 800mg of ibuprofen on the way out of the house this AM.

Next, Master and Mrs. Lightfoot perform Might for Right to Exodus, which is the original musical form. It's the form I'm currently learning as a Brown belt. Laura also sat this one out. I don't know why, she's preparing to test for her second Dan and has excellent form and technique. If she stands with her back against the wall, she can put her toe against the wall behind her with either leg, so kick height isn't something she's got a problem with either. She was more than capable of performing out there, but she's not always the most confident person. I'm pretty sure that's just part of her being 17.

After the form, Master Lightfoot did a board break at GM Rhee's request. He only went over four chairs and through two boards last night with a flying sidekick. He wasn't in his best fitting dobok and hadn't really had a proper warm up, so six chairs and as many boards as his holders can properly secure was right out. GM Rhee then did a short punch through a board just to demonstrate technique. He chatted with his guests for a few minutes, and then they wandered out. I was afraid he might stay and instruct. He's apparently done that before, and after just injuring myself and already having taken an earlier class, I was so not up for a class from GM Rhee. We continued our class and then I went home, took a shower, and died for the night.

And hey, look at what missysedai diagnosed us with:

You May Be a Bit Antisocial ...

Antisocial? That may be a bit of an understatement. You think rules are meant to be broken - and with gusto! Having no fear, you don't even think about consequences. But people love you anyway... you've got a boatload of charm.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Me? Antisocial? Gee, no one would EVER have guessed that.