It’s night: today officially has about an hour left before it is tomorrow. I did push-ups, sit-ups and squats in the morning and evening. In the morning, I rushed through because I expected a call from a recruiter. I was able to get in some exercises, as well as make a cup of coffee before the phone call. Getting push-ups out of the way always feels like a major accomplishment, so it’s nice to have that psychological boost before a conversation like that. It went well.
Work is odd, now that my lead, as well as my direct report, are both furloughed. I spent some time studying Houdini’s crowd software. Houdini is an off-the-shelf software package popular for various effects, particles (smoke, fire, explosions, debris scatter) in particular.
Exercises after work are often tough, particularly push-ups. Earlier in the day, I experienced some pain in my hands and wrists; that worried me. However, my hands were perfectly fine after the exercises. I did “chest” style ones; admittedly, the sixty on my fists, on the floor, were tough during those last ten. When I switched to the mat for forty “tricep” style ones, I dropped to my knees after ten. I didn’t worry about staying up longer. Evenings are about getting through them, not perfecting form or pushing myself harder. Just not stopping is an accomplishment.
Squats with alternating punches, performed outside on the balcony, were easier. I practiced the punches, keeping in mind pulling my fists back into hikite, before beginning squats. That helped. I also did lower-ab focused exercises there, too, as well as the leg stretches. My legs, thighs in particular, are tight these days.
Tomorrow evening will be my first time to teach Zoom karate for the Martial Arts Club. I’d like to teach Tensho. Recently I found an excellent video of Bobby Lowe, so I can show that. Tensho is one kata that doesn’t require a lot of room; many of the students do not know it, and it just looks cool. I first learned it as a lower rank from Sensei in Malibu State Park, during a karate camp-out. He had camp for the black belts, brown belts and junior shodans. S was too young to go, but F was already a junior shodan. I went on the “mom” pass, so I got to practice high-rank kata with them. That was one of my favorites. I think I was a yellow belt then!
