muscle memory

 i finally made it back to body combat class today.  yay!  it had been a few weeks since i'd been there, as my schedule had been bumped all over the place and completely discombobulated by the addition of homeschooling my middle school daughter to what was starting to become a slightly more independent lifestyle.  with both kids in school, it was nice to go to the gym as much as i wanted, get my errands done alone, and yes, have plenty of alone time, that much-cherished necessity of a thoughtful introvert like myself.  oh well.  i'm learning to roll with the punches, and literally, that means rolling through the rest of the week as best as i  can, with the constant companionship of my sweet girl at home, but yet still finding a few slices of time here and there for myself, for those PUNCHES, like in this class of kickboxing and other great martial arts moves choreographed to music for a very intense and satisfying work-out that has become my addiction. (a healthy one, at least!)

 i took these photos as sneakily as i could during class today.  this first one, though blurry, catches a glimpse of Robb, the instructor, in his usual black and red outfit, at the very front of the room, if you're able to zoom in.

a good mix of oldies today. one of my favorites, a remix of zombie by the cranberries.  what i love best about this track is the tiger claw.  here's an instructional clip from youtube that explains it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKN-Ub_XaJ0  (ignore the cheesy music at the beginning)

  


i'm loving this tiger claw move, happy that i've been growing my fingernails out lately, so i can really imagine the trails of blood i'm leaving on my opponent's face.   the pattern so far is claw, claw, and 2 knee strikes.  then, to make it even more fun, Robb tacks on a couple jump-kicks to the sequence: HOO-AHH!!  fun, fun, fun.



on one of my water breaks... (i easily guzzle over 16 oz. of water in this class..) i notice the class is starting the next song, one of my favorite oldies, the muay thai smasher-thrasher to the song speed by teenage riot.  brawler punches, elbow strikes, oh my.

(this clip is slightly hilarious, these chicks look mad!!! oh and the crazy blonde in the middle..i think she's my spirit animal!!!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuhbXWYfYg8

 (yes, that is our class to the left, doing the brawler thang...)

the work-out today is a familiar one, i've heard these songs before, and even though i am unable to consciously, mentally recall what move comes next, i am grateful for this funny thing called muscle memory that suddenly kicks in right when i need it:  for example, we're doing this long sequence of jab-cross-jab and then Robb stops us and says, "now watch what comes next...", signalling that he's about to change it up with a new pattern.  my brain had no clue what was coming, but then my body starts doing an upper cut, hook, side kick sequence right in sync with the instructor.  it's amazing how we're wired like that.  reminds me of something i learned from martha graham, one of the great modern dance pioneers who revolutionized the technique and thinking behind movement, not only as a performing art, but as therapy and a window into our human individuality.  i studied her technique and writings while in college. i remember reading how her father, a doctor, once caught little martha in a lie, and upon observing the difference in her body language when telling a lie as opposed to the truth, he remarked, "martha, the body never lies."  so true.  (even ask shakira) when your body knows something, whether it be a move in choreography that has been practiced so much it still returns, even after years of dormancy, or a physical response to a person or a thought, it cannot lose that response. it is involuntary, a reflex you don't think about, it just happens. that body language.  or that feeling of repulsion from something that just doesn't "feel" right. you get a vibe, a gut feeling about something that makes your insides crawl for some reason you can't explain. stimulus and response.  like when you meet someone and you have a gut feeling they aren't someone you can totally connect with, there's an unexplainable missing link.  your mind is confused, because on a logical level everything would seem to line up.  and if you struggle with a sense of disconnectedness between your rational thoughts, emotions and gut feelings like i do, you may find yourself ignoring your gut feelings and doing what "looks" right, especially if it wins the approval of others, seems to meet an important need in your life, and feels like it's an easy option, all laid out on a silver platter.  a no-brainer.  a good deal.  that's why i love dance so much.  when i'm dancing, i am thinking, feeling, emoting, all at the same time. interwoven.  if a gut feeling comes upon me while dancing, i can't ignore it, it's part of the whole equation. all parts of me recognize it and process it correctly.  guess i just need to dance my way through life. helps me make decisions better. might get some strange looks when i'm boogie-ing down the trails of life, but oh well.

i'll be back next week, wearing my boogie shoes again.

g'night!!!