Just got back from another class. Tonight was Muay Thai/JKD technique work, and western boxing.

I am pooped. 😎 I am pumped.

Lots of people in class tonight, including at least 3 new folks. That was cool. It’s nice to get to know other people that start at about the same time as you as you become a “class” (like a graduating class) together, going through the same things, learning, getting hit, bruised, banged up together.

During the Muay Thai/JKD class, I realized how much I need to unlearn from what I did in the past. Changes in mechanics, how to approach things. Working to break the old paradigm, leave it behind. Don’t discard the knowledge, but allow myself to accept the new motions without the old stuff tripping me up.

I also found it interesting that for all I know, how much of it I don’t really know. That is, I know it in terms of having it memorized in my head, but not memorized in my muscles, if you will. So much of the Kuk Sool work was memorization and very little on practical application of what you had memorized. This was one of my problems with my practice. So while I’m here in class working, my brain recognizes a lot of angles, joint locks, throws, sweeps, but my body doesn’t know how to put them into play smoothly and dynamically. This is one reason why I left, and one reason why I started at this new school. Theory is good, but you need application of that theory to make it truly useful.

I shouldn’t paint the picture that I’m totally inept. Rather, the difference between my previous martial arts study and my current martial arts study is one of actual application and practice. So far every class I’ve taken at this new school, I’m coming home exhausted, sweaty, smelly, muscles are tired and sore the next day, I took a few shots, I have some bruises. There’s no cooperative dancing. Sure we’re learning, sure we’re doing drills, but it’s work. I like this.

Another thing I’m finding I like is the limited focus. In Kuk Sool, there’s such a broad curriculum that you dabble in little things all the time. Plus each class was a grand unknown as to what was to be worked. Here at Warrior’s Edge, the classes are well-defined as to what you will be doing. If you go Monday at 7:30 PM you will be doing western boxing, period. But note, that’s the only western boxing class all week. But so far, I’m liking that. It allows me to go to class to learn, then I go home and spend the week practicing the few things that I was taught. Come back next week, show what I learned, learn a little more. It seems to be a better fit for actual learning: the class is a class, meant for teaching, not to just come and “get a workout” (tho certainly you get that). At my old Kuk Sool school, I don’t think a lot of people there practiced outside of class (apart from ensuring stuff was memorized); thus, class time was practice time too. I think that detracted. Go to school to learn, then leave and do your homework.

Speaking of all that tho, after tonight’s MT/JKD class, I thought to myself that I might want to review some Kuk Sool techniques, such as Ki Bohn Soo. Keep the locks, angles, sweeps, and throws in my head.

Well, this post has been rather rambling. Just a lot of disjointed thoughts after tonight’s classes. I’m happy I made the switch.