A Healthy Dose Of Sex And Violence. ;)
A nice summing up of my past week, really. :)
The weapons camp this year was at Gundawindi Lodge, a children's camp in the extremely small town of Wandin, which is east of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges. A very pretty spot, especially at dawn with the sun rising through the autumnal mists. But more of that in a bit. :) I got a ride up with Rachel and Steven, and after a bit of backtracking, we turned up at the place at about 7.45pm on the Friday night. Which was just in time for us to throw our stuff into a room (two sets of three-level bunk beds in each room) and go to the first session. 8-10pm, basic escrima techniques.
For those who don't know and are curious, the escrima stick is a cane (either natural or plastic) about two feet long which originated in the Phillipines around the time of Spanish conquest. Both single stick and double stick techniques are taught, and the movement is from the wrist, a kind of flick. For the comic ficcers, think Nightwing's toys. ;) I've been training in these for about two years, on and off, and I really enjoy it - I've been searching high and low for a sensei here, without success. The camp gave me the opportunity to exercise my skills.
Lucky for those of us who missed dinner, the camp owners had provided supper - lots of loaves of raisin bread and a toaster. ;) I stayed up until about 12.30, talking to folks, and then headed off to bed. Which was just as well, as we had training at 7 the next morning. Steve set his watch for 6.30, which meant we had time to shower (a dash in the pre-dawn cold to the showers and back is a great way to wake up!) before starting the first and second katas. The first I knew, the second I knew half of, so we more advanced people got to learn the rest of the second, after a hiatus of about five months. And I got it written down so I can practice here, yay me.
The people who own the place were pretty bemused by us all, but their small son (about three years old) loved these strange people who were actually allowed to hit things with sticks. He was chasing his sister up and down the verandah of their cottage with a stick while we were training. *grins* I think we created a monster.
Needless to say, after an hour of training we were starved. Camp food is generally pretty bland - it's impossible to cook in bulk and not be bland - but there was plenty of it. Just as well, since we burned a lot of energy that weeekend. We trained from 7am until 6pm, with breaks for brekkie and lunch, as well as morning and afternoon tea.Mostly escrima, but at the end of the training on Saturday, we got to play with some other stuff - David (the instructor) and I got out the jo sticks and did an escrima drill with them, which I have to admit was pretty impressive to watch. A jo is a sawn-off bo, essentially - a five foot long staff, either solid wood or cane - with can be used as a staff, like a sword, or like an extra-long escrima stick. Which makes it a very flexible weapon. Again, something I'd like to train in more. Once we finished that, Daniel and I ran through as much of a bo kata as we could remember - well, as much as _he_ could remember, since I hadn't done this kata for six months! - until the siren went off for dinner.
We were supposed to have another two hours of training after dinner, but when a few guys got stranded when their car broke down during a beer run and another couple of people had to rescue them, it was cancelled. Not that anyone protested much - we were all starting to feel various aches and strains. So we spent the evening playing pool on the extremely crappy table at the camp, talking, and playing cards and drinking. I flaked by about 12 again, and staggered off to bed. Some of my roomies decided to play up, and stumbled in at about 3am rather drunk. Listening to a drunk person trying to climb into the bunk above you is a mixture of amusing and scary. Amusing because of the obvious, scary because he outweighs you by quite a lot and if he falls, it's you he's going to land on.
We failed to continue our previous conscientiousness, and only woke up when David pounded on the door at 7.15. More kata, this time a new one, the third, which was a nice technical kata more like the karate katas than the other two. Again, I got it written down for home use. Breakfast, then more training until 12.30's lunch and packing up so we could vacate the rooms by the appointed hour of 2pm. Lots of interesting stuff, including knife attacks and the palit-palit drill David and I had done the day before with jos, only this time with sticks. It felt a bit different, and a bit more scary, with the reduced length. Especially with the pain factor involved in being rapped over the knuckles with a high-speed cane. Actually, injury-wise we did very well - just the usual minor bruised knuckles - which David was very pleased about. I've got a lovely bruise on my left hand from a hard-hitting orange belt called Bernie: he managed to get three knuckles in one hit, effectively taking half my hand out for a few minutes until I got the feeling back. He also clipped me in the ear a couple of times on the Sunday, fortunately not hard - he ended up copping a few raps over the hands for that.
The best thing about karate camp is that I get to hang around with the karate people. They're a good bunch, and I'm never so comfortable as I am with them, except perhaps as I am with ficcers. And because we spend so much time in contact with each other, we're all pretty huggy - you can always find someone willing to give you a shoulder rub or a hug, even in a crowded pub. I can't wait until November, and the Portsea camp. It's right on the beach, and there's a pub 100 metres down the road, so it's always more a social event than the full-on training of some camps.
Rachel and Steve got me back to Melbourne in time for my train, and I got to see Michael for all of five minutes before it left - silly bugger fell asleep and woke up almost too late to meet me. I'm thinking I'll probably go back down for the escrima training at the end of May/start of June - catch the train Thursday after work, stay until Sunday, train on the Saturday. *shrugs* I'll see how it goes. *wry grin* People will be thinking I'm terribly callous, leaving the poor bloke hanging like that, but I did warn him.
In other news... BRM told me last night that David, the nice guy from the bushwalking weekend had been asking about me and had said that he thought I was cute and interesting. Score one for me. :) BRM also told me he'd had an argument with Kate, the girl he'd been seeing. He was pretty despondent about it, and I was trying to cheer him up. One of the strangest moments in my life; talking to my ex about how to get back with his current, after discussing my chances of dating one of his friends. *shakes head* Life is so weird.
Work today was pretty average - they've caught and charged the people responsible for a wave of burglaries in the area recently. Just goes to show you can't get away with much in a small country city. ;) We have a work experience student, and TAFE student by the name of Ingrid. So far she's not completely bored, but it was only her first day. ;) She'll probably sit with me in court tomorrow. We've got Colin McLeod again, dammit; court will finish quickly, but I doubt Justice will have been served in the process. I'm almost tempted to say at the end of each sentencing, "And would you like fires with that?"; it's fast-food justice, the way McLeod operates.
Should go, got stuff to do, like finish "Justice". Luba was asking me about it today. *grins* I got a 'please finish' from Luba! Oh, and I spoke to Dex today too - kept the poor bugger awake until the wee small hours (for him), but it was great to hear his voice and just chat. I'm looking forward to DexCon even more now. :) The road trip's off, since Lise has classes she can't miss, but I'm going to ask her or Dex to investigate train or bus fares over to Vancouver. Even if it means taking slightly more time off work, I think I deserve it. *sighs* Thank goodness life is going to slow down for a bit - it's already only eleven days until my birthday! Where did all the time go?
The weapons camp this year was at Gundawindi Lodge, a children's camp in the extremely small town of Wandin, which is east of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges. A very pretty spot, especially at dawn with the sun rising through the autumnal mists. But more of that in a bit. :) I got a ride up with Rachel and Steven, and after a bit of backtracking, we turned up at the place at about 7.45pm on the Friday night. Which was just in time for us to throw our stuff into a room (two sets of three-level bunk beds in each room) and go to the first session. 8-10pm, basic escrima techniques.
For those who don't know and are curious, the escrima stick is a cane (either natural or plastic) about two feet long which originated in the Phillipines around the time of Spanish conquest. Both single stick and double stick techniques are taught, and the movement is from the wrist, a kind of flick. For the comic ficcers, think Nightwing's toys. ;) I've been training in these for about two years, on and off, and I really enjoy it - I've been searching high and low for a sensei here, without success. The camp gave me the opportunity to exercise my skills.
Lucky for those of us who missed dinner, the camp owners had provided supper - lots of loaves of raisin bread and a toaster. ;) I stayed up until about 12.30, talking to folks, and then headed off to bed. Which was just as well, as we had training at 7 the next morning. Steve set his watch for 6.30, which meant we had time to shower (a dash in the pre-dawn cold to the showers and back is a great way to wake up!) before starting the first and second katas. The first I knew, the second I knew half of, so we more advanced people got to learn the rest of the second, after a hiatus of about five months. And I got it written down so I can practice here, yay me.
The people who own the place were pretty bemused by us all, but their small son (about three years old) loved these strange people who were actually allowed to hit things with sticks. He was chasing his sister up and down the verandah of their cottage with a stick while we were training. *grins* I think we created a monster.
Needless to say, after an hour of training we were starved. Camp food is generally pretty bland - it's impossible to cook in bulk and not be bland - but there was plenty of it. Just as well, since we burned a lot of energy that weeekend. We trained from 7am until 6pm, with breaks for brekkie and lunch, as well as morning and afternoon tea.Mostly escrima, but at the end of the training on Saturday, we got to play with some other stuff - David (the instructor) and I got out the jo sticks and did an escrima drill with them, which I have to admit was pretty impressive to watch. A jo is a sawn-off bo, essentially - a five foot long staff, either solid wood or cane - with can be used as a staff, like a sword, or like an extra-long escrima stick. Which makes it a very flexible weapon. Again, something I'd like to train in more. Once we finished that, Daniel and I ran through as much of a bo kata as we could remember - well, as much as _he_ could remember, since I hadn't done this kata for six months! - until the siren went off for dinner.
We were supposed to have another two hours of training after dinner, but when a few guys got stranded when their car broke down during a beer run and another couple of people had to rescue them, it was cancelled. Not that anyone protested much - we were all starting to feel various aches and strains. So we spent the evening playing pool on the extremely crappy table at the camp, talking, and playing cards and drinking. I flaked by about 12 again, and staggered off to bed. Some of my roomies decided to play up, and stumbled in at about 3am rather drunk. Listening to a drunk person trying to climb into the bunk above you is a mixture of amusing and scary. Amusing because of the obvious, scary because he outweighs you by quite a lot and if he falls, it's you he's going to land on.
We failed to continue our previous conscientiousness, and only woke up when David pounded on the door at 7.15. More kata, this time a new one, the third, which was a nice technical kata more like the karate katas than the other two. Again, I got it written down for home use. Breakfast, then more training until 12.30's lunch and packing up so we could vacate the rooms by the appointed hour of 2pm. Lots of interesting stuff, including knife attacks and the palit-palit drill David and I had done the day before with jos, only this time with sticks. It felt a bit different, and a bit more scary, with the reduced length. Especially with the pain factor involved in being rapped over the knuckles with a high-speed cane. Actually, injury-wise we did very well - just the usual minor bruised knuckles - which David was very pleased about. I've got a lovely bruise on my left hand from a hard-hitting orange belt called Bernie: he managed to get three knuckles in one hit, effectively taking half my hand out for a few minutes until I got the feeling back. He also clipped me in the ear a couple of times on the Sunday, fortunately not hard - he ended up copping a few raps over the hands for that.
The best thing about karate camp is that I get to hang around with the karate people. They're a good bunch, and I'm never so comfortable as I am with them, except perhaps as I am with ficcers. And because we spend so much time in contact with each other, we're all pretty huggy - you can always find someone willing to give you a shoulder rub or a hug, even in a crowded pub. I can't wait until November, and the Portsea camp. It's right on the beach, and there's a pub 100 metres down the road, so it's always more a social event than the full-on training of some camps.
Rachel and Steve got me back to Melbourne in time for my train, and I got to see Michael for all of five minutes before it left - silly bugger fell asleep and woke up almost too late to meet me. I'm thinking I'll probably go back down for the escrima training at the end of May/start of June - catch the train Thursday after work, stay until Sunday, train on the Saturday. *shrugs* I'll see how it goes. *wry grin* People will be thinking I'm terribly callous, leaving the poor bloke hanging like that, but I did warn him.
In other news... BRM told me last night that David, the nice guy from the bushwalking weekend had been asking about me and had said that he thought I was cute and interesting. Score one for me. :) BRM also told me he'd had an argument with Kate, the girl he'd been seeing. He was pretty despondent about it, and I was trying to cheer him up. One of the strangest moments in my life; talking to my ex about how to get back with his current, after discussing my chances of dating one of his friends. *shakes head* Life is so weird.
Work today was pretty average - they've caught and charged the people responsible for a wave of burglaries in the area recently. Just goes to show you can't get away with much in a small country city. ;) We have a work experience student, and TAFE student by the name of Ingrid. So far she's not completely bored, but it was only her first day. ;) She'll probably sit with me in court tomorrow. We've got Colin McLeod again, dammit; court will finish quickly, but I doubt Justice will have been served in the process. I'm almost tempted to say at the end of each sentencing, "And would you like fires with that?"; it's fast-food justice, the way McLeod operates.
Should go, got stuff to do, like finish "Justice". Luba was asking me about it today. *grins* I got a 'please finish' from Luba! Oh, and I spoke to Dex today too - kept the poor bugger awake until the wee small hours (for him), but it was great to hear his voice and just chat. I'm looking forward to DexCon even more now. :) The road trip's off, since Lise has classes she can't miss, but I'm going to ask her or Dex to investigate train or bus fares over to Vancouver. Even if it means taking slightly more time off work, I think I deserve it. *sighs* Thank goodness life is going to slow down for a bit - it's already only eleven days until my birthday! Where did all the time go?