In exactly 3 weeks from today, will be our departure to Baltimore MD for the full contact tournament. I still have 2 more weeks of intensive training before I will need to slow it down and let me body reach it's full potential. 2 weeks really doesn't seem like much when I've been training for over 6 months for this tournament and more intensively the last few months.
The real problem that I've been having is that I'm actually doubting the quality of preparation that I've set upon myself. Looking back at last year's training and compare it to this year's, I find myself a bit dissapointed. Not because of my training partners but because of myself. I feel like I pushed myself so much harder last year and I can't seem to understand why I'm not doing the same this year. I'm wondering if it could be due to some high level of confidence (which I know very well how bad that is), perhaps because I now know what to expect, or maybe the fact that I'm not as "hungry" as I was before? I don't know...I also have no way in telling if I have actually progressed or regressed in my skills and perhaps that also affects the perception I have on my training?
Last year I had an amazing sparring partner, twice my speed , strength, and reach, twice my weight and height, and great at uncovering my openings. We would spar every week regardless of the injuries we would get after our last sparring session and by doing so I could literally see my improvements. I believe that I lack that this year...
Although this Sunday I am taking my Lei Tai class to a new school that have invited us to train along with them. We will be sparring for sure. I have to admit that I'm extremely excited to spar against new people. I think it will give me the opportunity to see where my skills stand with people I've never trained with before. Completely different strategies, techniques, movements, and mentality. Definitely looking forward to this...
As I end this blog, I'd just like to re-iterate that in no way am I trying to make the people who are helping me get ready this year feel less than those of the previous year. This year, these guys push me ridiculously hard and want to see me excel every time we are training. They are amazing training partners who give a lot of their personal time and effort to get me ready and I have the highest level of appreciation for them. I wish I could return the favor to each and every single one of them. Please continue kicking my ass every single step of the way...
Very soon we will be able to see how well I've prepared myself...
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