Chris Chi

Tai Chi for health & wellbeing

 

 

You are here: Home / Archives for Training

Lost In Repetition

By Leave a Comment

When I practice I occasionaly get ‘lost in repetition’ which is a bad habit.

The quality of my training suffers because my mind wanders or I’m focused on getting a certain amount of repetitions completed.

It is important that each repetition of a skill is performed correctly otherwise bad habits occur.

This is what I do to reduce the ‘lost in repetition’ effect;

  • Monitor what I am doing
  • Slow down the pace of the repetitions so as to avoid the tendency to speed through the set
  • Reduce the amount of repetitions if the quality is not there

It is the quality of the repetition of a skill not the quantity that will determine how much you improve.

Source: Tai Chi Tip #22

If Only …..

By 2 Comments

Put these two words ‘if only’ together and you have an instant recipe for regret and negativity.

Here’s my ‘If only …. list.

If only my knees were in good shape …

If only I was learning from a Wu Style Tai Chi grand master …

If only I had more time …

If only I was younger …

If only I had a regular training partner …

If only I had talent …

If only I had more hair …

If only …. ad nauseam (pass the smelling salts)

It’s easy to fall in the ‘if only’ trap and it is something that should be avoided if you are to stay positive and get the most from your Tai Chi training.

‘If only’ can demotivate you and lock you into the past and keep you there.

So the next time you catch yourself saying ‘if only’, challenge yourself and focus on where you are and what you can and are willing to do.

That way, you will get the most out of your training. And your life.

Hmm, now if only I can stop saying if only ……….

450 Monkey Climbs

By Leave a Comment

34701740I suppose I can always blame my male ego for the 450 Monkey Climbs exercise but really it was just dumb.

This was how it happened.

Several years ago I was training with a small group of students in our instructor’s garage. It was a regular Friday event.

We did our self defence drills and then we had to do a few Monkey Climbs exercises to finish off the session.

Now Monkey Climbs is an exercise where, from a standing position you crouch down until your thighs are level with the floor and then you raise your body up, end up on your toes while extending your arms straight above your head.

About 50 of these is a good workout.

So, we all started Monkey Climbs and the male ego kicked in. We all looked at each other and then it was on.  A  challenge to see who could do the most repetitions.

Well, we got to 50, a couple of guys dropped out. 100 another dropped out. 200 and another student collapsed. Not me. I was determined to beat everybody. You see, I wanted to be a ‘winner’.

Anyway, 300 Monkey Climbs, more drop outs. I hung in there.

350 Monkey Climbs and then there were  two of us left.

I pushed myself harder. Like a demented monkey I kept going until the last student dropped out at 400.

I kept going,  up and down, up and down until I reached 450.

The result.

I ‘won.’

My male ego was satisfied.

But there is always price to pay for being the ‘winner’.

I managed to somehow shuffle out of the garage even though my thighs were on fire and felt like dead logs.

We went to our  usual Vietnamese restaurant after training.  I sat down but when it was time to leave I couldn’t get up for a while.

I was sore for a few days, But, hey, I ‘won’ the contest.

Now I couldn’t do more than 50 with my knees, but really why would I want to.

I not as dumb as I used to be and now realise if you push yourself to the extreme you pay a price.

Too much Yang is not healthy.

Oh yeah, thought you’d be pleased to now I’ve overcome my monkey addiction. Whenever I see a monkey I no longer feel like jumping in the enclosure and challenging him to 450 Monkey Climbs!

The therapy worked.

The moral of this story?

Don’t make a monkey out of yourself by damaging your body because of overdoing it.

Remember, always  balance your  Yin and Yang energy when training.