Amanda Takes Off...

OK, enough talk about soju. So how did last night's class go?

Before class I practiced breaking for twenty minutes. After a few minutes I realized the boards I was using were very soft. I could break one simply by pushing my thumb into it, so the fact that I was easily breaking three wasn't very impressive.

I found harder, newer boards.

My hand ached trying to break one, let alone two or three.

By the end of the practice session, I was up to breaking three boards with a knife-hand strike. I can do it no problem if I'm sitting or kneeling in front of the boards. It's when I get into the standing position, five feet above the boards, that my success starts to get patchy. I can do it, I did do it. I just need to work on my stance for the strike.

I also discovered that I can break four boards with a palm (heel of the hand) strike. I didn't try more than four.

I told Master about breaking three. He held up three fingers and said, "Amanda, three, but I think maybe..." he started wiggling his fourth finger, "five!" He flashed all five fingers.

My pinky finger was numb all night.

Master's been doing a lot of target practice lately to see who should do what for the demonstration. I've come to understand the drills. We each go through two or three times and then he starts picking people to sit down while the remaining ones continue to kick. He does this until he's got the students he wants.

I love the jumping front kick. It is my favorite kick.

He said, "Amanda, I think you do jumping front kick, too. OK? Striking and front kick."

Assa!

At his house, I tried saying the jumping front kick is my favorite kick, but I must have been using the wrong words. He informed me that my ax kick is "very good, best ax kick."

I do like the ax kick because only recently did I realize that my ax kick goes fairly far above my head.

So why is it I still can't do the splits?

When we were doing the turning jumping roundhouse kick, I knew I was going to be picked to sit down very quickly. "But still jumping front kick, OK?" Master said.

My feelings weren't hurt. My turning jumping roundhouse kick is still a work in progress.

Master also said I'd be doing "mind control. You know myeongsang?"

No, but I don't think he meant mind control.

I explained that "mind control" usually means someone else (or aliens, I said, making alien feelers with my fingers over my head) controlling your mind.

"Ahhh, like Starcraft," he said.

He meant meditation and later explained that Koreans use "mind control" as a phrase to describe what they're doing when trying to center themselves before a tournament.

"Amanda, bad Konglish?"

"Yes, bad Konglish."