Motion...

It is no surprise to those who know me to find out I love dancing.. or moving.. or flowing around.. I would dancing in the kitchen when I was younger while I cooked... Sometimes it would lead to burning the food cause I would get distracted haha... Sometimes I would talk to my mom in the kitchen and spin around and purposefully slid on the fake wood flooring the whole time (I have no idea how my parents found my antics amusing!)... I have always been a mover. I am incredibly animated, I use my hands like crazy while I talk.. and I seriously cannot be still while I talk, my entire body acts out what I am trying to communicate. Then, to top it all off, I have spent 19 years training my body to move and flow in slow motion or fast spurts...

So, it is no real surprise that I love dancing... I thoroughly enjoyed the classes I took this weekend (I'll post a couple videos later to show what I learned). But, one of my favorite things that sets dancing apart from the martial arts is the grace and flow of it all, where as the martial arts accentuates my strength and endurance, my capable side; dance accentuates my grace and beauty. I love them both, even though I am not the best or most skilled. I like dance because 1. I feel graceful and beautiful, but it takes skill and hard work to accomplish. 2. It's a solid work out that leaves me exhausted... Plus as a bonus my body gets the chance to work out weird muscles in the process..

After this last weekend of dancing literally all weekend, I feel awesome. very tired, but very excited about the hard work I put in and the fun I had... Not to mention the cool people I met and had the chance to learn from.

Videos to come :)

Martial Arts & Dancing...

Endorphins change things... Or, at least we are told they do. And, I can certainly attest to the fact that when I am more active I feel better, my joints do not hurt as much, my body holds itself together better (part of the disorder thing I have). But, mostly I just enjoy the way my body looks more, I like when my muscles have just that little extra touch of toneness then they do when I am not working out. I find I am more confident in what I wear, and I like the way my body looks in general when I am more active.. Maybe yet another reason I LOVE summer...

So, I have gotten a gym membership again (well a free week pass until my paycheck comes and I can afford the real membership), and I have been invited to audition for a dance group this weekend. I figure I would probably REALLY enjoy the dance group, which is 12 weeks of 2 hour dance classes on Saturdays. PLUS, the gym I am going to has a cardio kickboxing class.. Yahtzee!.. Also, I think it might have a pool as well.. Double Yahtzee! With all of these things working with me, I will be in fantastic shape in no time, and I will be happier in general, partially because I will no longer just be going home to do homework.

I am excited to be tone again.. and to get to punch things.. swim away my stress.. and dance.. which means laughing a LOT. Martial arts and dancing!?.. Yess Please!

Giddy...

I do not tend towards being giddy.. I mean, all the time I am easily excitable.. I get loud and animated for pretty much anything haha.. But, the typical "little girl" giddiness really does not happen to me often... And, lets be honest.. I have not been giddy about anything in a very long time... Let me give you a bit of insight into how odd I can be... haha

Last night, I got home from work and running a couple errands, and just had a lot of pent up stress that was threatening to completely run over me again. So, I decided I needed to work off extra energy and I went running. I was annoyed when at 2 miles my knee began hurting again and I had to walk... But, at least I got 2 miles in. Plus, it was hot and muggy enough that I was sweating as though I had just run 10 miles. When I got home, I got a text asking if I wanted to "play with sticks" ... which essentially means do some martial arts training.. And, the answer is ALWAYS yes, if I can fit it into my schedule at all. But, the problem in living where I do is, there has been no one who cares to really learn or has the training to actually allow me to get a work out in. So, to be honest, I have not trained seriously in about 2 years. Which, for someone who has had martial arts as a significant part of her life since she was 7, that has posed quite the challenge mentally and physically not to have that outlet... But, such is life, and you must adapt, so I have.

However, last night I got to train. Not the all-out-hardcore until I cannot move type training.. but, I got to begin teaching the basics again, and have my partner pick it up insanely quickly, with technique that is only in need of some basic tweaking. The awesome thing was, once they had the basics, they pushed it, they went harder and faster.. which means that I got to as well. I was impressed though to find that for the most part harder and faster for them did not mean a lack of technique or a loss of the tips and changes I had made to their technique. It was definitely a nice change of pace to teaching... And, since they are a lot bigger than me, it means I have to really be on my game while at the same time allowing my muscles to remember the movements that are so familiar.

Several times last night while we were training, I could not help but just grin because I was doing something that is so intensely familiar and like home, and that I made me a little giddy inside. So, I became a giddy little girl because I got to play with my sticks and do martial arts again. haha I am so weird sometimes... :)