Training at WT Munich was a last minute decision - am I ever glad that I did!
On the night of Friday March 26th, I took a train from Ulm to Munich for some sight-seeing for the weekend. Since I had already bit the German WT bug in Ulm, I searched and found WT-Schulen via google, and then gave Sifu Sergej a heads-up e-mail.
Late!
On Saturday morning, I ventured out to the WT school. I was late about 15 minutes for two reasons:
#1. I had taken the wrong train line and needed to walk an additional 30 minutes to the school.
#2. After reaching the building that housed the WT school, I then wasted 5 minutes because I apparently don’t know how to open a door! Basically, kind of like the picture below, but I was pulling on the door that actually needed a push. There was no sign on the door, but if there was one it probably would have read in German “Push, you idiot!”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t 5 minutes, but it sure felt like it was.
Warm welcome
Anyways, after getting in tune with my body mechanics and boosting my self-confidence by successfully opening a commonplace door, I was ready for some WT training!
After venturing into the WT gym, I immediately received a friendly welcome by Sifu Sergej, and joined in on the class. We started with large group drills at first, and then continued on with isolated exercises. Great training partners: Max and Alex.
Mobility
A good mix of mobility to start the day. One-line realizations to ponder…
- Footwork: what use is an engine without wheels?
- Forward intention: you can still go forward whilst going backward
- Sinking: the whole entire body can absorb forces and return like a spring
- Pelvis motion: maybe hula hoops should be incorporated in a WT workout, just a random thought
Getting close
The grappling training afterwards was great (or anti-grappling, or anti-anti-grappling, however you like it, or don’t like it, or don’t don’t like it). Thoughts on this training:
- Getting close is uncomfortable but effective at times
- A force vector headed the wrong way just makes things more difficult
- Once the centerline is locked onto though, everything just flows easier
- Any part of the body is a weapon, including the splendid cauliflower ears as mentioned by Sifu Sergej
A very enjoyable workout with lots to think about. Friendly bunch of WT-ers – yes… again, highly recommended!
Oh, in case you were wondering about beer gardens in Germany, there was a gargantuan one called Hofbrahaus, with seemingly never-ending rows and rows of benches. Unfortunately, it was surprisingly closed by the time we got there during some late strolling around the city on a Friday night.
Prost!
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