"Do a Backwards Giraffe!"

Week 18: Day One

This week's theme is jumping.  So tonight, we worked on rolling.

Class started with a jogging lap around the block while passing balls to each other along the way.  We only dropped a ball once (totally not my fault... okay, maybe) and had to do one burpee.  Afterwards, we each settled into a corner and started to work on our rolls.  Forwards, right, and left.  We focused a lot on form and proper technique.

While learning the sideways rolls, someone pointed out that it was a lot like a video game roll that you would use so you can continue shooting.  Playing off of this idea, a game was created.  One person would be in the spotlight, awaiting directions to roll one way or the other.  But as soon as they were told which way to roll, we could throw balls at where they were standing so if they hesitated too long they'd get hit.  And when they completed their roll, they had a ball to throw back at us.

Things got confusing when we started using backwards rolls and two rolls at once and then somebody yelled Giraffe! and this really confused the roller.  How does one do a giraffe? A better question is how does one do a backwards giraffe?

Moving on to slightly more serious things... as we were working on dive rolls on the big red mat, I remembered I made a deal with R, one of the instructors, that I would get my kong vault on the box downstairs (big square about waist-chest high and a few feet wide).

Since we made this pact (he agreed to help me achieve this goal), I've been practicing a lot of ground kongs, and doing a standing hip drive (standing in front of a box, then bending my knees slightly and driving my hips up to the ceiling), and working on my split foot take off.  Apparently it paid off.

I went downstairs with R to work on it at the end of class tonight.  I started with 10 standing hip drives to get in the zone and then started taking off from a few steps away, just focusing on getting my hips up and onto the box, not trying to clear it yet.  My feet were going way farther than where I planted my hands which means I was getting the hip part right.  I kept getting closer and closer to the other side of the box which was awesome, but then I freaked out a bit.  I got to the point where I could totally clear it but my left foot kept tapping down, like I was scared to just fly forwards and trust my feet to follow.

I kept pushing though and when I finally cleared that box (and did it five more times so it would stick) I screamed with excitement and jumped in the air.  WOOHOO!! I DID IT!! It's been about four months since I started training and it's taken me just about that amount of time to get a good kong vault.  I talked to four different instructors for help, and several other traceurs tried to help me during that time too.  Finally, some combination of their advice and my training paid off.  It definitely made my night.  Now I just have to practice it often enough that I don't go back to my fearful ways.

Note: If my grammar & syntax has gone out the window lately, it's because I'm so busy at work that I can't even remember that someone gave me money for a taxi unless I write it down.  True story.