What to do with the time I don't have
Wednesday, October 8th, 2003 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robinturnerOne of the many advantages of working in a university is that there is a host of clubs, courses and activities available free or at minimal cost. Being both busy and anti-social, I very rarely sign up for these, but it happens on occasion - I went to ballroom dancing classes a few years back, for example (I can still remember the rumba and cha-cha, which is all you realy need to know - if it's slow, rumba; if it's fast, cha-cha).
At the moment, I'm thinking it would be nice to have an activity or two to structure my leisure time, now that my martial arts buddies have moved to Istanbul. I used to train in hapkido three or four nights a week with Philip, which was too much when you count the pain factor, then practiced Korean swordwork and t'ai chi with his wife Gabriela, which was about right (aches but no bruises, pulled muscles or nerve damage). Now it seems like every evening is much like the previous one, except for what's on the TV (and except when I'm called out to deal with a family crisis, but that's usually only once every other week). It's pleasant enough, but something in me calls for structure.
The alternatives which look attractive are Capoeira, Aikido and Go. I probably won't go for capoeira as I don't have the acrobatic ability - I can do rolls, breakfalls and cartwheels, and came close to doing handsprings, but backflips are out of the question. Aikido looks the most promising, since I did three years of that when I was at university back during the Tokagawa Shogunate, and a lot of the hapkido I did was basically just vicious aikido. The Go Club also appeals, though. It's not healthy exercise, but it would give my brain a workout.
Incidentally, for Go fans there is now an Open Source 3D Goban available.
At the moment, I'm thinking it would be nice to have an activity or two to structure my leisure time, now that my martial arts buddies have moved to Istanbul. I used to train in hapkido three or four nights a week with Philip, which was too much when you count the pain factor, then practiced Korean swordwork and t'ai chi with his wife Gabriela, which was about right (aches but no bruises, pulled muscles or nerve damage). Now it seems like every evening is much like the previous one, except for what's on the TV (and except when I'm called out to deal with a family crisis, but that's usually only once every other week). It's pleasant enough, but something in me calls for structure.
The alternatives which look attractive are Capoeira, Aikido and Go. I probably won't go for capoeira as I don't have the acrobatic ability - I can do rolls, breakfalls and cartwheels, and came close to doing handsprings, but backflips are out of the question. Aikido looks the most promising, since I did three years of that when I was at university back during the Tokagawa Shogunate, and a lot of the hapkido I did was basically just vicious aikido. The Go Club also appeals, though. It's not healthy exercise, but it would give my brain a workout.
Incidentally, for Go fans there is now an Open Source 3D Goban available.
