Even though I may have heard something a hundred times before hearing something at right place, right time, right environment, and right headspace creates an epiphany. I had one of those ring-a-ding moments in I Ho Chuan class last Friday. The topic was pushups and why we do them plank style (even if it's only one) in I Ho Chuan. Reason: because that's what's done for the Black Belt test. The bell rang.
In that moment I flashed to my UBBT pushups that I had been doing on my knees. At first it was for injury, however it morphed into "I can do many more this way" so that I can catch up on my numbers. (Yes I am behind) I was focusing solely on catching up on the number rather than doing a good quality pushup and building strength. How can I graduate to doing all of my pushups plank if I hold myself back and not challenge myself?
I also clued into something else in that ring-a-ding moment as well. Because I had increased my pushup numbers to catch up, my shoulder blades were becoming very tight and I could really feel the knots making any pushup cranky. This isn't fun and I really don't like wearing my shoulders as earrings. The good news is that I realized the instigator: increasing the numbers. Time to back down to my daily requirements.
So for my daily pushups, I do as many as I can plank style and complete the rest on my knees. Considering that yesterday I did 220 pushups and about 60 were plank, that's nothing to sneeze at. Also Dennis reminded me that when I started KungFu, I could not do a plank pushup and that the reason I am where I am today is that I kept trying. "Where and I, what am I doing, and why am I doing this?"
Sherri Donohue
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta
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