In our last class before the fall break, and now the latest shut down (grrrrrr), a challenge was issued to all students to do 1000 front thrust kicks before classes resumed. That is 11 days to do 1000 kicks, less than 100 a day. Totally doable, and I will admit, much needed. While only a handful of students and instructors participated, to me it seems like we had some fun doing it, I know I did. As of writing this blog, I am at 800 out of 1000, with 1 day to go in the allotted time frame, I need to put a big push on to make this goal. And that's kind of the point of this blog.
Without a goal, it is hard to push yourself. If the goal had been to do "some" front thrust kicks, I never would have even considered 1000 in 11 days. But the goal was set, the bar was raised, the challenge laid out for all to see. I accepted the challenge and started towards the goal, and every kick I made suddenly had multiple purposes. Not only an I trying to reach the goal set by the Sifus but about half way through my 1000 kicks, my understanding of my kicks changed. BOOM!!! Again, what I thought was going to be just a routine set of kicks to reach a number turned into a quantum leap in the understanding of my front thrust kicks. I started to "feel" like the "kickers" look ( the kickers are the students and instructors who's kicks look like poetry, natural and smooth with beautiful timing and power ). My upper and lower body suddenly connected, I felt rotation and transition in my hips and upper torso where before it was disconnected and just along for the ride.
Thank you Sifus for this learning experience, to be taught without knowing you are being taught is a great feeling to suddenly be aware of. It wasn't about the numbers, it was about the self discovery, I am looking forward to the next challenge, maybe 1000 round house or side heel in the same time frame?
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