Salutations.
SO, I've continued to play everyday, out in the sun. Yesterday and Today, were perhaps the most relaxed, and, best... Benefit/Hard work ratios ever. Just, casually playing, without stressing too hard, and hitting things that I shouldn't be able to hit. For example, today I decided I'd get good at furious again, and, clippers in general.
I guess this is how I should play now. Vasek told me to, in fact. Randomly about a month ago, Vasek started messaging me, and we talked about life, footbag, meditation and what have you. For some reason he had a decent respect for my game, and assured me I shouldn't worry about my clipper or something, and that I'm good enough to simply have fun and get better. Weird, coming from perhaps the hardest working footbagger, with the best results. Either way, it is kind of hard to take the advice of "try less", in regards to footbag. But, as I said, I took "time off" (2/3 days a week..) and have just come back to playing everyday, with a bit more of a relaxed attitude overall. I found my perfect shred spot, my girlfriend reads / writes whatever as I play, and it is a great grounder.
Footbag, can be, and in my opinion, should be a form of meditation. Granted, you must grunt, sweat, etc, and isn't relaxing... But if footbag doesn't remove your day's troubles, and reset you better than a shower, please message me. Footbag can be seriously the most relaxing thing in the world, after the fact, and the moments leading up to it. Perhaps something like a smoke break, for many. The knowledge that you *will* exit the building, go out, do nothing, and walk back... Might be more addictive in nature than smoking, where, after your body stops craving the drug years after quitting... You can't take a "smoke" break anymore.. That is rambling, I'll stop.
Today I did something that felt super. Last year, or, 2 years ago, when Anssi proposed we do a 3 dex video for the calendar, he asked me to do jani/sunil*rpt. He said that when he hit it, it was one of the easiest combos to hit for the video. I tried, for a month, killing myself, to hit the combo. My set got really good, but I just-can't-butterfly. Clipper is so hard. However, today I thought to myself "Well Jay, lets try this out"... 1st try, I drop the last Jani... 3rd try, I hit it. It was easy. No anger, no panting... Just success. What the hell. It is nice getting a smack in the face, that, you have gotten better at something. It is nice getting a reminder that you aren't horrible at footbag.
I'm going to reveal something that I enjoy personally, but feel bad about saying. But, looking back to the player I was, and my old videos, hitting some stuff these days just makes me laugh. Like, sometimes the things I end up hitting, I never would expect to be able to hit, and just floors me. It is weird having your body control you, and to blow your logical assumptions about what you think you are capable of. When you play just for fun, but, also working on stuff... I don't know how to describe it. All I did today, and yesterday, was drill... But I was having fun. If I had to teach someone to play footbag, I'd do it this way, but I feel like I just stumbled upon luck in order to be able to do it. Maybe something about living with my girlfriend, and having her watch me, and know that my mindset has to sort of be.. Less... "I HATE EVERYTHING I CAN'T LAND THIS WHIRRING SWIRL".. And more, neutral... I don't know.
She watched me for a great deal of time prior to this, but I think it just fundamentally took a while to let her presence sink in, and now I am having a better time than ever.
Back on topic,.. Something like ending a run with nemesis->nemesis->blurry whirling swirl, when you just want to hit nemesis, and then just fall ontop of the rest of the combo... Like, how do you not laugh at that? Today, I hit a run, what was it.. Something like
Nuclear whirl->stuff->blurriest swirl->stuff->stepping whirling swirl->stuff->superfly->ss double switch->more stuff->mobius*hand...
Just, what? I am not allowed to hit so many big tricks. Only the people good at footbag are allowed to do that stuff. I swear I'm not good at footbag, I just somehow tricked people into thinking so. Like, I can't do spinning butterfly without being scared sometimes. But then yesterday I hit double blender->high plains->high plains->swifter->run, and just start laughing and eventually drop just because of disbelief. I ended a run today, on far (normal) twirl, just because I thought of it. I never do that trick non-symp, and I never dangle my feet as I frolic to hit it. I just, played..With the trick. Things are coming to me now, that remind me of when I first started watching Jorden. It is like your body, has all this momentum and muscle memory, and the mind inside.. Just, sort of sits back and watches at some point.
I also bsos'ed furious near mirage->atomic ss double down, just because I thought of it. That should be hard. I guess it is hard. What? I don't know.
Maybe I should start inventing tricks again. However, at the moment I'm really having fun getting better at footbag. Maybe I should try and hit like, fearless or something soon. I still haven't tried more than a day or two at Fearless. I might go to Pennsylvania, I might go to Boston. Not sure yet. I'd love to feel a tournament again.
Suggestions? Ask me anything. The worst that will happen, is it will create another idea in my head. Another trick I was thinking of inventing, is reverse whirling symp twirl dyno. I think that'd be gross.
Glad to hear your day-to-day life is at a high point. I always felt that footbag could play a big role in a person's happiness, but I never felt that it should be the main/only source of happiness in anybody's life. So I'm glad footbag is still a big part of what makes you happy, but I'm also glad it's no longer the sole source of happiness. I think that's healthy.
!