slow, and if done right, beautiful. What most people don’t realize is your knees and hips are kept bent almost continuously. Keeping your center of gravity one foot lower than normal, never standing fully erect for forty minutes is strenuous. After a fifteen mile run and eighty-eight forms, my legs should have been exhausted; they weren’t.
About fifteen minutes after I started Tai Chi, Mina and Andi came into the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Andi got into her car and took off. From her uniform, it looked like she was off to practice. She had been munching on a croissant while she walked to her car, which was probably a good sign. I knew Mina was watching me, but at this point I didn’t care.
I went straight into a flashy Tae Kwon Do form that was all jumps and flying kicks. No one with experience jumps when it counts. Throw yourself into the air and you’ve just committed yourself to a trajectory you can’t change. If you have an experienced opponent, he’ll grab you while your feet are up and slam you into the ground. In Tae Kwan Do tournaments it’s illegal to hold on to your opponent, and it’s almost impossible to score a point with a punch. Without those artificial rules, you’d never see flying or jumping kicks in a match. I use these kicks to train, to work on speed and bursts of strength. I never leave the ground in a real fight.
The form starts off in a standing prayer position—feet together, knees and spine straight, hands chest high, and palms together. I went straight into a simultaneous side and back kick. My new vert was about eighteen inches higher than it had been. My feet were close to seven feet in the air as I did the splits. When I landed I felt like I was on a trampoline, I went straight into a spin jump wheel kick, getting even more air. Sixty seconds later, I finished with a spinning jump roundhouse. I wasn’t even breathing hard. Being a paladin wasn’t all bad.
I grabbed my shirt off the ground and went back into the house. Mina was waiting for me, sipping on a cup of coffee. Her face was serious. “Did you really slam your door in Andi’s face last night?”
“Kind of—do you mind if I take a quick shower and get dressed before we continue with this conversation?” I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned and quickly went up the stairs. When I got to my room, I took a few minutes to check on my emails. I wanted to stop sweating before I showered. I had an email from B with the heading ‘A message from God.’ I shook my head. B wasn’t as funny as he thought he was. He wanted me to go to a coin shop on 200 East Broadway in downtown Salt Lake City.
When I came back down, Mina stood, arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently. I didn’t know how to even begin to explain myself, “Uh…”
Mina let loose a sly grin and shook her head, “Vic, you don’t need to look so worried. Really, I appreciate you setting Andi straight. She’s been acting up since our parents died. She had no business going up to your room last night. When she told me what happened, I was really more upset with her than you. You could have been more diplomatic, but I’m glad you’re not into high school girls. Andi has a strong ego. She’ll be fine.”
The last thing I expected was for Mina to thank me. She took a long, considering look, went off topic and surprised me again, “You don’t like the way you look, do you?”
“Yeah…are we good?”
“Sure, we’re fine. Vic, I saw you outside doing Tai Chi. What style of martial arts were you doing afterwards? How were you able to jump so high?”
“I’m really sorry, Mina. I wish I had more time to talk but if we’re good, I really have to leave. I have an appointment and I can’t afford to be late.”
“Oh, okay.”
It could have just been wishful thinking, but I think she looked disappointed as I took off. I really didn’t like the way this girl made me feel. Jesus! I acted like a tongue-tied kid around her. I needed to get a
About fifteen minutes after I started Tai Chi, Mina and Andi came into the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Andi got into her car and took off. From her uniform, it looked like she was off to practice. She had been munching on a croissant while she walked to her car, which was probably a good sign. I knew Mina was watching me, but at this point I didn’t care.
I went straight into a flashy Tae Kwon Do form that was all jumps and flying kicks. No one with experience jumps when it counts. Throw yourself into the air and you’ve just committed yourself to a trajectory you can’t change. If you have an experienced opponent, he’ll grab you while your feet are up and slam you into the ground. In Tae Kwan Do tournaments it’s illegal to hold on to your opponent, and it’s almost impossible to score a point with a punch. Without those artificial rules, you’d never see flying or jumping kicks in a match. I use these kicks to train, to work on speed and bursts of strength. I never leave the ground in a real fight.
The form starts off in a standing prayer position—feet together, knees and spine straight, hands chest high, and palms together. I went straight into a simultaneous side and back kick. My new vert was about eighteen inches higher than it had been. My feet were close to seven feet in the air as I did the splits. When I landed I felt like I was on a trampoline, I went straight into a spin jump wheel kick, getting even more air. Sixty seconds later, I finished with a spinning jump roundhouse. I wasn’t even breathing hard. Being a paladin wasn’t all bad.
I grabbed my shirt off the ground and went back into the house. Mina was waiting for me, sipping on a cup of coffee. Her face was serious. “Did you really slam your door in Andi’s face last night?”
“Kind of—do you mind if I take a quick shower and get dressed before we continue with this conversation?” I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned and quickly went up the stairs. When I got to my room, I took a few minutes to check on my emails. I wanted to stop sweating before I showered. I had an email from B with the heading ‘A message from God.’ I shook my head. B wasn’t as funny as he thought he was. He wanted me to go to a coin shop on 200 East Broadway in downtown Salt Lake City.
When I came back down, Mina stood, arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently. I didn’t know how to even begin to explain myself, “Uh…”
Mina let loose a sly grin and shook her head, “Vic, you don’t need to look so worried. Really, I appreciate you setting Andi straight. She’s been acting up since our parents died. She had no business going up to your room last night. When she told me what happened, I was really more upset with her than you. You could have been more diplomatic, but I’m glad you’re not into high school girls. Andi has a strong ego. She’ll be fine.”
The last thing I expected was for Mina to thank me. She took a long, considering look, went off topic and surprised me again, “You don’t like the way you look, do you?”
“Yeah…are we good?”
“Sure, we’re fine. Vic, I saw you outside doing Tai Chi. What style of martial arts were you doing afterwards? How were you able to jump so high?”
“I’m really sorry, Mina. I wish I had more time to talk but if we’re good, I really have to leave. I have an appointment and I can’t afford to be late.”
“Oh, okay.”
It could have just been wishful thinking, but I think she looked disappointed as I took off. I really didn’t like the way this girl made me feel. Jesus! I acted like a tongue-tied kid around her. I needed to get a
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