Technique Evolving Over Time - Good and Bad

[NewThai]

I was thinking tonight during my run about how my technique has evolved the longer I've trained (and the more ring experience I've gained). While I think we all strive to "perfect" our technique as we go on, the changes in how we perform aren't always improvements.

 

A specific example of mine is my rear roundhouse. Starting out it was absolutely my strongest weapon. Then I broke my foot on the job and I had to adjust training for a while as it healed. Once I did start using it again full force, it wasn't the same as before. It was weaker. It was slower. It wasn't great. It's taken almost 8 months of focus to feel like it's back to a good place.

 

Am I the only one? I thought this might be fun to discuss.

[Michelle Nicole]

No. You're not the only one. My arms and punches used to be pretty even in strength and power. Since I tore my labrum, I'm a year since surgery almost and I still can't do very many push up and range of motion isn't much either.

[Michelle Nicole]

I know that since I started back training it's gotten a little better, but it still feels like I'm missing something when I'm working on it.

[NewThai]

I know for me the kick changed because my step out changed - because of the injury and the habits I formed to compensate for it that stuck long after bones healed. You do as you practice, and for a while I wasn't practicing good kicks.

 

I know I've also learned to fight in closer and with more elbows, so in some ways the kick has been downgraded because I now have other weapons that I am pretty strong with. Overall I'm probably more balanced than before when I was crushing with just the one kick. It was really interesting to think about how different parts of my game have progressed each month, each year.

[Michelle Nicole]

For me, I'm scared of re-injury, so I don't go as hard. Especially when drilling. That's what got me into this mess in the first place. The one thing I am grateful for is that my lower body is substantially stronger. But I'm still struggling with distance judgement and stepping out enough. Or even stepping forward. Like when we're doing light sparring, I'm afraid to use my left side at all, so I keep switching to southpaw to feel and then orthodox to go after someone. It's really bizarre.

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

I know for me the kick changed because my step out changed - because of the injury and the habits I formed to compensate for it that stuck long after bones healed. You do as you practice, and for a while I wasn't practicing good kicks.

 

I know I've also learned to fight in closer and with more elbows, so in some ways the kick has been downgraded because I now have other weapons that I am pretty strong with. Overall I'm probably more balanced than before when I was crushing with just the one kick. It was really interesting to think about how different parts of my game have progressed each month, each year.

I feel like everything I've ever gotten "good" at has been at the minor expense of something else. I never actually "solve" anything, I just rearrange the same plates on the table over and over again, if that makes sense. So, when I broke my hand my jab got much better. When my kick got more balanced I kind of stopped punching. When my guard got better my kicks weren't as long. But all that changes. It comes and goes and everything gets better over time, but nothing is ever top-notch at the same time as anything else. So I just reshift my focus and work on the next thing to balance it out. 

I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger saying in "Pumping Iron" that he couldn't make his chest bigger without then having to make everything else a few centimeters bigger because he's already perfectly proportionate. It's that kind of balancing act, but without believing you're already perfect. It's just making these incremental changes.

But I guess all that is to say, don't give up on your kick. It went through a difficult time with the broken foot and other stuff got focus, but it'll come back around. I feel like all my progress that has really mattered in the long run has been in this neutral gear, like my balance or timing. Just a general awareness rather than a particular strike or limb or whatever. My teeps are doing really well for me right now, but I don't think it's the teep itself; I think it's the timing and comfort with throwing it. And that's from throwing thousands of shitty teeps in training, even when I wasn't thinking "man, my teeps are great." It's like it happened to me, rather than me doing anything for it. 

[Michelle Nicole]

That makes sense Sylvie. Now that you say that, I can relate to that general awareness becoming better. Before I had zero body awareness, but slowly I'm becoming more aware of where I'm at, though nothing in particular has gotten better over anything else. Maybe that's why Coach has been giving me compliments where I felt he was full of it. I still feel super weak though.

[NewThai]

Sylvie, I really like the image of rearranging plates. They're all still there, but the focus and order changes.

 

I'm still pushing forward. I think I had to accept that it's all evolving and not stress about "losing" something as I sharpen a different tool. I tend to obsess on things in a bad way, so it's a work-in-progress.