The wrong time to feel stuck!

With only a few weeks until my Sankyu test, this is the wrong time to feel stuck in a rut. I've spent the past few months focusing on moving my hips forward at all times. But my footwork which was so-so to begin with has gotten much worse. I notice it particularly in my hip throws. I am often not where I need to be and as a result the throw is usually disconjoined or altogether impossible. I also notice that when I'm focusing on my footwork it's usually correct. I can also think back to the individual steps that got me to the throw. With that said, I can determine that if the footsteps that got me to where I am are a total blur, then the footwork was most probably incorrect.

What started off as sensitivity in my wrists has developed into wrist tendinitis in my left wrist and the jury is still out on the right one. I'm going to pick up some wrist guards on the way to dojo tonight because I just can't risk any more damage. Luckily, I heal very quickly so I imagine that in two weeks to a month I'll be back in full swing.


I generally only write about moments of success because writing about problems without solutions almost feels like complaining to the dojo. But the truth is that I've learned a lot from coping with situations that are out of my control and this moment is as valid in my training as any other.