SandWraith's Footnovel: Now with more footbag!

[Xain]

that physics problem was intense.

How is St.louis?

[SandWraith]

Thanks for the replies! St. Louis is good, though it would be more accurate for me to say WashU is good, since there is what has been called the "WashU Bubble"-- everything we need / want is located in so close a range, we don't really live in St. Louis so much as in WashU. Kinda sad, but at the same time a nice convenience.

I kicked today, and I'm glad I did. I had one of my best sessions in quite a while, a real motivator. I was gonna call it my "Blur Sesh", as per Jorden Moir. The goal was to do blurs in every manner I could think of. Well, I was doing so well that I kinda abandoned that and just went wild.

-uptime illusion > op clipper > blur BS
-flail into a run-- first time hitting flail, proceeded to hit flail bs x 2 during the day
-12 spinning clippers flipside, 6 strongside-- actually, I did many more than that when trying combos involving them
-spinning clipper > blur BS
-good runs with sidewalk BS
-5 reverse swirls BS
-butterfly > butterfly > blur > butterfly > butterfly > butterfly > blur drop
-spinning clipper > butterfly > repeat-- pretty easily too, did it twice in only a few tries (my spinning is getting good?!)
-22 tiltless
-diving clipper > blur BS
-spinning illusion BS x2-- not very hard; first time?
-spinning pickup BS x2-- also not very hard?; my spinning was on!
-spinning clipper > blur > butterfly BS
-ripwalk BSOS-- not that impressive, until you realize how bad my stepping has gotten
-butterfly > butterfly > osis > butterfly > butterfly > osis BS-- I couldn't hit that on Thursday, and I got it easily today

Tomorrow is my fencing tournament, so I'm somewhat anxious about that. I know that if I can perform to my capabilities, I will do quite well, but I have a tendency to worry / choke. I'm just gonna try to enjoy myself and see if I can learn something... and maybe bring my lavers and a footbag for if I get out early.

[SandWraith]

No footbag today-- I had a fencing tournament all day. We left at 11:30 am and got back at 7 pm. It was a "beginner's tournament," meaning each person had to have been fencing for less than a year. I made it to the finals and lost 15-14 (omfg), so I got second. But man, if I had gotten that one last point, I would have won a $50 electric foil. Oh well, you win some and you lose some, I guess.

It was fun either way, especially owning people that thought they were really good (I beat this cocky kid 15-3 ). I found it odd how people, at the suggestion of our coach, listened to hardcore pump-up music (like "Mortal Kombat" or "We Will Rock You"). For me, I don't try to go out there hot-blooded, ready to swing and stab at the other guy-- I go out there relaxed, waiting patiently for him to make his move. I kept humming "Angelyne" and "Eyes of Sarah Jane", both by the Jayhawks, between bouts.

[HG]

Thanks for the replies! St. Louis is good, though it would be more accurate for me to say WashU is good, since there is what has been called the "WashU Bubble"-- everything we need / want is located in so close a range, we don't really live in St. Louis so much as in WashU. Kinda sad, but at the same time a nice convenience.

I kicked today, and I'm glad I did. I had one of my best sessions in quite a while, a real motivator. I was gonna call it my "Blur Sesh", as per Jorden Moir. The goal was to do blurs in every manner I could think of. Well, I was doing so well that I kinda abandoned that and just went wild.

-uptime illusion > op clipper > blur BS
-flail into a run-- first time hitting flail, proceeded to hit flail bs x 2 during the day
-12 spinning clippers flipside, 6 strongside-- actually, I did many more than that when trying combos involving them
-spinning clipper > blur BS
-good runs with sidewalk BS
-5 reverse swirls BS
-butterfly > butterfly > blur > butterfly > butterfly > butterfly > blur drop
-spinning clipper > butterfly > repeat-- pretty easily too, did it twice in only a few tries (my spinning is getting good?!)
-22 tiltless
-diving clipper > blur BS
-spinning illusion BS x2-- not very hard; first time?
-spinning pickup BS x2-- also not very hard?; my spinning was on!
-spinning clipper > blur > butterfly BS
-ripwalk BSOS-- not that impressive, until you realize how bad my stepping has gotten
-butterfly > butterfly > osis > butterfly > butterfly > osis BS-- I couldn't hit that on Thursday, and I got it easily today

Tomorrow is my fencing tournament, so I'm somewhat anxious about that. I know that if I can perform to my capabilities, I will do quite well, but I have a tendency to worry / choke. I'm just gonna try to enjoy myself and see if I can learn something... and maybe bring my lavers and a footbag for if I get out early.

SOUNDS LIKE A SICK SESSION!




props

[SandWraith]

So I haven't posted in a while. Things have been somewhat hectic, though I can't tell why, exactly. I played Tuesday and today (Thursday), but my sessions have been fraught with frustration. I just don't see any improvement-- if I improve my spinning, my stepping suffers. If I work on my stepping, my run length suffers. It's like I have a set value of skill and I can't do anything about it. I try to play often, but I just don't have the time that I did in high school, and it makes me sad and angry to see the people to which I was an equal in skill before so greatly surpassing me. I know I'm never gonna be great, but my improvement is benchmarked against others, and all I can see is that I'm running a race and all the runners are passing me.

This is the most frustrated I've been with footbag in a while. Writing the "highlights" of a given day are an exercise in shame-- I see things I could have hit easily two months ago staring back at me as current achievements. Each session is like a different shade of failure.

Onto the "highlights" from my last two sessions:
Tuesday
-13 tiltless from flip diving clipper
-6 spinning clippers flipside, 3 strongside
-butterfly > spinning clipper BS
-paradox illusion BSOveryshortS-- after a very long time trying
-4 consecutive ducking clipper BS
-2 reverse swirls BS
-6 consecutive butterflys-- I used to be so good at these, but since I washed my lavers I drop them all the time
-spinning clipper > paradox mirage > toe whirl BS-- actually decent
-torque midrun fluidly
-drifter > torque BS but not repeat (a goal, perhaps?)

Thursday
-10 tiltless with clipper-set miraging legover (DLO) and a strongside spinning clipper
-10 tiltless
-fairy > op clipper > diving clipper > drifter > osis > op clipper > diving clipper-- I probably suck at butterflys now because, since I started working on tiltless, I have gotten into the habit of doing op clippers in stead of butterflys; gotta change that
-12 tiltless
-3 reverse swirls BS-- easy strongside, effing impossible flipside
-3 ripwalks first try
-8 spinning clippers flipside, 4 strongside
-7 consecutive butterflys-- gonna keep trying to improve on that
-(from right foot clipper) butterfly > butterfly > butterfly > osis > butterfly > butterfly > osis-- shouldn't be that hard
-(from left foot toe) mirage > butterfly > butterfly > ripwalk > osis > butterfly > paradox mirage drop
-ss illusion > op clipper > paradox mirage (flipside) > op clipper > blur

[SandWraith]

I'm hoping that by kicking everyday again-- even for a shorter time period-- I can get back to improving instead of deproving. Today was better.

-10 tiltless
-7 tiltless but good
-12 spinning clippers flipside, 6 strongside
-4 reverse swirls BS-- I think the trick to my flipside it to kinda turn my hips away as I try to dex the bag; it sorta worked
-spinning clipper > ripwalk BS x2-- somewhat solid, so it'd be a good way to work both of those components
-spinning clipper > ducking clipper BS-- repeat someday?
-butterfly > butterfly > far pickup BS-- to work on butterflys
-10+ tiltless with spinning butterfly and ripwalk
-spin to toe > op clipper > op clipper > spinning clipper > blur-- spinning clipper > blur BS
-diving clipper > torque BS-- not as easy as it should be
-spinning clipper > spinning osis BS
-(From right foot clipper) spinning clipper > spinning osis > far osis-- I'm proud of that combo

Played 4 hours of Smash Brothers Melee today because Brandon wanted the room from 7 pm till 11 pm to watch a movie with his girlfriend. It was a lot of fun and a good change from the homework-homework-homework-collapse routine.

[DoctorJay]

I feel the same these days . I am schooling a few concepts and improve not fast at those but I deprove on my runlength and other concepts .

I think about it like that :

I school all my stuff to be as safe as possible - than I am sure I will hit that concept without any problems everytime and everytime after a period of notpracticing too.

There is no alternative because if I don't school my current concepts hardcore then they won't improve at all.

Refering to the improve speed of others:
Since I decided to set up my own quality standard and disclaimed to get in comparison to others my work / performance increased.
How do you know that others improves faster? Did they school bs , did they school run length , did they school toe and clip set , did they hit their runs 1 out of 10 or1 out of 500 tries , did they ...., did ....???

Set your own pace and try to accelerate - my two cents.

[SandWraith]

Thanks Jochen, words like that really help. It's nice to know that you feel the same way at times.

I didn't kick yesterday because I had promised to go see Final Fantasy: Advent Children with two guys from my floor (the anime club was showing it). It was really good, although the plot was a bit up in the air. The bigger issue was that the guy in front of me would nerdgasm everytime a new FF7 character or Aeris came on screen. IT'S THE GOD DAMN FINAL FANTASY 7 MOVIE-- OF COURSE THERE'S GONNA BE FINAL FANTASY 7 CHARACTERS, ASSHOLE.

Today's session was ok-- some good and some bad.
-12 tiltless to start
-butterfly > far pickup > pickup > repeat-- kinda happy about that
-3 reverse swirls BS-- they're hard as hell for me :/
-butterfly > spinning clipper > ripwalk BS-- I almost hit it BSOS too, but dropped the last ripwalk
-butterfly > butterfly > paradox mirage > toe whirl BS
-butterfly > butterfly > osis > repeat BS-- I need to work on butterflys and the butterfly > osis link, so that's a good drill, though it's very hard for me at the moment

I spent a good deal of my free time this weekend doing homework, as I'm trying to get it all done before I go home for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. With any luck, that goal should be realized.

[SandWraith]

Sessioned yesterday (11/21), but it wasn't for very long. I usually use the squash courts, of which there are only 2, and someone came by and wanted to use it. I figured there's be a racquetball court open, so I gave up my court and soon discovered that there were NO courts open at all... so my session was over. Here's how it went though:
-11 tiltless to start
-illusion > butterfly > ripwalk BS
-butterfly > spinning clipper > butterfly strongside
-(flip) spinning clipper > ss guay > op clipper > spinning refraction-- thought that was pretty cool
-1 reverse swirl each side
-illusion > butterfly > blur > illusion > butterfly > blur drop

Today's session (11/22):
-paradox illusion > op clipper > repeat-- eh
-good run with butterfly > blur-- hit butterfly > blur bs later
-spinning pickup BS-- maybe first time? (probably not)
-drifter > paradox illusion BSOS
-3 reverse swirls BS-- first try both side for the first set
-good 10+ run with variety
-pickup > pickup > illusion > butterfly > ripwalk > osis > drifter drop
-(from right toe) ducking toe stall > ducking clipper > ducking legover-- first time ever hitting ducking legover (didn't hit it flipside)
-blizzard BS-- not easy at all = stepping falling to pieces
-butterfly > butterfly > osis > butterfly > butterfly > osis BS-- abbreviated BBOBBO drill from now on cause that takes WAY too long to write
-spinning butterflys strongside are about as easy/difficult as spinning clippers flipside now
-9+ tiltless run from flip spinning clipper
-osis > whirl BS-- hard link!
-run with refraction BSOS and a flipside reverse swirl
-spinning clipper > blur BS to end the session

So the second session was very good and makes me excited to kick with Brian over Thanksgiving. Let's hope I don't suck. (Going home tomorrow! :):))

[SandWraith]

Wow, long time no blog (long time for me, anyways). The long absence is due to Thanksgiving Break, during which I savored the precious little time I had with my family... and didn't kick. Well, I did kick once with Brian, which was a fun time, although my worries were confirmed in that he is now better than I am. On the plus, kicking with him helped reinvigorate me and caused me to change my practice method (again). Now, instead of even worrying about string length, I'm gonna try to just do strings and enjoy myself. We'll see how that goes.

Today, the first day it was employed, the new practice regimen, to use a misnomer, worked really well. My legs felt fresh and warm and I overall just felt like kicking. I had class until about 8 and got to the racquetball courts around 9, but since the Athletic Complex closes at 10, I figured I'd be good for an hour. Well, they actually start closing at 9:30, I guess... and kicking people out. Nonetheless, I had a pretty good session, for 30 minutes:

-spinning clipper > osis > bubba
-ducking clipper > osis > ducking clipper BS-- one of them was into a 10+ tiltless with bubba BSOS and almost osis > ripwalk
-blur BSOS
-lots of gyro clippers-- I had never really focused on these, instead favoring spinning, but with about 3 minutes of looking at my form, I managed to tweak them so now they're incredibly easy! almost 80% success, in fact. I only hope it wasn't a fluke sort-of day and that I can start throwing them into runs immediately, with hopes that it'll improve my spinning and lead to bigger and better things
-op clipper > gyro clipper BSOS
-butterfly > gyro clipper BS-- this and the above were completed in about 2 minutes, after I found out I had less than 3 minutes before I had to get out

[SandWraith]

No session yesterday, but to justify myself, I went to Center Court (the buffet thing). Doesn't sound like justification, except that meant that I couldn't go there with the floor tonight for floor dinner, which would have prevented me from footbagging. So essentially, it was either a session yesterday or a session today, meaning I didn't lose that much by not kicking yesterday.

All in all, it went pretty well, too. I'm liking gyro a lot more than spinning, since it doesn't hit my body as much.

-pickup > mirage > repeat > clipper > osis > paradox mirage > butterfly > drifter > 5+ afterwards that I forgot (but there was a diving clipper in there)
-mirage > butterfly > whirl > pickup > repeat-- first try
-the best run of my life. I was hitting a lot of hard moves for me, including ripwalks and paradox illusions, and it was all close to completely guiltless. Don't even know how long it was, but it was probably ~15 (I was focusing so much on the moves I forgot which ones I had hit immediately after I did them :S)
-far pickup > osis > repeat BS
-blur > refraction > butterfly BS-- my flip blurs today were AMAZING. I swear I only dropped like 3 out of 20 or more
-gyro clipper > spinning clipper-- only one side, cause my flip spinning is pretty shady; also did spinning clipper > gyro clipper, though I can't remember if I did it both sides

I was doing so well! It was definately a highlight session, though I wish I could have kept going. I had to crap so badly that eventually I just had to quit; I couldn't hold it anymore. The AC is so damn big that it's like a 10 minute walk to the bathroom, so a 20 minute stroll between footbag seemed too excessive, especially given the homework I had (/have) left to do, so that was the end of the session. Still, it's sessions like that that make me happy to be playing footbag. It felt so good.

Oh, and I registered for classes today. Everything went ok, except that I had to take an 8 am-to-noon lab section for Chemistry because I had literally the second-to-last registration time. Oh well, at least I don't have Saturday Chem lab again-- that was the case this semester and it sucked. In essence, my weekends were only 1 day long. Here's to a new semester.

[HG]

nice job on loosening up and hitting whatever! You are owning. owning like a slave driver

[SandWraith]

Heh, let's hope it wasn't just one of those sessions where everything goes your way.

I had fencing today and a lot of homework, so no footbag. Tomorrow though-- that's for sure.

On one hand, I can't wait for New Year's Jam, just to meet all the modifieders and see how good everyone is/has gotten. On the other hand, I'm a bit apprehensive because I have a lot that I would like to improve on.

[SandWraith]

Well, I had a pretty good session again.
-infinity > far pickup BSOS with a paradox illusion strongside in a ~10 guiltless
-blurry refraction BS-- first or second try, as I recall
-tried bubba set-- not very easy
-can clear both dexes in stepping ss whirl BS, but my foot is just a bit off-- more below
-9 butterflys-- I think I have to lean back more but I require more experimentation to make sure
-gyro clipper > osis BSOS
-gyro osis BS-- not too bad

Trying stepping ss whirls really helped my stepping set, because I had to try to get everything out of it that I could. I'll keep trying it if I continue to enjoy it, so we'll see.

[SandWraith]

I'm getting into a rythme of playing every other day. I think, at this point, I don't have the time to play footbag, do well in school, and not go insane (by which I mean do random enjoyable things). Anyways, it probably hinders my improvement, but footbag isn't my life

-infinity > ripwalk > bubba BS
-gyro clipper BSOS
-ripwalk > ripwalk > ripwalk > osis > butterfly
-stepping ss whirl footed twice each side-- so damn close

As an aside related to that, I mentioned before how just trying stepping ss whirl has really produced a marked improvement in my stepping. Well, continuing to attempt it today led to me ducking my stepping set both sides and a pretty good try at stepping torque. Sure, neither of those would be usable in runs for a loooooong time, but if they keep making my ripwalks and sidewalks butter, I'll keep working on them.

-ripwalk > bubba > op butterfly > ripwalk > bubba > op butterfly > paradox illusion > ss clipper > ducking clipper > paradox illusion drop
-10 butterflys-- I've been working on consecutive butterflys since I realized they had fallen apart; 10 is the best I've gotten since like early Summer, but I'm gonna keep working on them
-ripwalk > blur 2nd try BS-- just to give an example of the improvement in my stepping
-butterfly > butterfly > osis > butterfly > butterfly BS

I finished the day by trying barrages-- hit them both sides first try, and they felt pretty good, actually! Then I tried toe whirls, and hit those like second try both sides. So I figured, "hey, I'm doing pretty good so let's try those stepping ss whirls again." But I didn't hit them.

Overall, it was a very good session and I am enjoying footbag again. I felt a little bad though cause I had planned to go out to eat with one of my friends after I played and he ditched me to eat with my roommate.

[SandWraith]

Played again.

-8 tiltless to start
-butterfly > ss butterfly > ripwalk BSOS
-toe set torque many times (from right toe)-- first time hit? I can come close flipside, but I can't get my ankle quite there; more practice, I guess
-toe torque and clipper torque one side, one string (osauce!)
-pickup > mirage > repeat > ss butterfly > bubba > op clipper > paradox illusion > op clipper > bubba > op clipper > paradox illusion drop-- controlled
-some blizzards, not in runs
-illusion > butterfly > flip blizzard > ss clipper > bubba
-awesome 15+ run with a beautiful/perfect toe whirl, ending with a paradox whirl attempt
-stepping whirl sealed into osis > near legover-- from left foot clipper; pretty close flipside (as in, footed several times); hitting this felt great and the delay was very pronounced
-12 consecutive butterflys
-gyro clipper > drifter BS to end the session

I also had a chem test today, which I think went much better than the previous two. However, after exam 2 I said something similar regarding exam 1, yet I did comparatively worse. I guess the moral is, don't think you did well cause you probably got owned.

[HG]

whoa! stepping whirl! nice work on that soldier. And the huge run with toe whirl!

[SandWraith]

Thanks, G. By the sounds of it, you've had some pretty ridiculous sessions recently too.

I didn't actually play today, nor yesterday, but rather the day before (Thursday, December 12th). I didn't play Friday because I had signed up for Laser Tag with my floor and, although I expressed interest in skipping it to play footbag since I'm doing so well at the moment, they chided me into going. I did a lot of running during it and consequently somewhat-pulled a muscle near my groin. It seems like it will be better within 2 or 3 days if I don't exercise it, which means I'll probably play footbag tomorrow cause I'm not waiting that long. Also, I got pretty sweaty during the event but immediately after we had to reboard the bus in sub-arctic weather, so I am also taking today off as a precaution against getting sick. Here are the highlights from Thursday though:

-got a high A on my last chem test
-some decently long, decently sweet runs
-toe torque from right toe-- somewhat close flipside
-double over down from right toe!-- footed from left toe 2 or 3 times; that's a move I have always wanted to get down, and it's not too far off
-gyro butterfly BS x2-- not too bad; the trick it would appear is to turn farther than you'd expect so that you are watching the bag directly in front of you; this and the above are first time hits
-illusion > butterfly > sidewalk BSOS-- took a lot longer than it should have
-BBOBBOB from left clipper; BBOBBOBB from right clipper-- B=butterfly; O=osis-- there's definate improvement there; took less than 5 tries to hit those
-9 butterflys > toe delay > 6 butterflys-- more improvement
-gyro clipper > whirl BS

A couple of comments on my game:
-toe whirls seem to have gotten easy again, without any practice
-I want to use more gyro and spinning in my runs, since they're at a point where I will only really improve them through use
-I need to work on coming out of stepping, because it isn't easy enough

[SandWraith]

NOTE TO SELF: I'm capricious.

I came back from studying today with the intent of playing, but after sitting a few minutes convinced myself not to (see above). Immediately after posting that, though, I decided I wanted to play. I suited up and headed out to the AC (athletic complex) to kick, but noticed as I approached that it was eerily dark-- it was closed. I decided I wasn't gonna let that stop me, so I went about locating a different spot. Good thing too, cause I found a phat locale. One of the dorms next to mine (Lee) has a basement, and there's a "multi-purpose room" in it. I decided to see if anyone were studying in there. I'm not sure what happened to that room, but it's not in great shape. The door is busted off its frame and the tiling is all off from the ceiling. I think the latter may have to do with heating issues, because it was freaking hot in there. The thermomator went up to 100 degrees, and it was all the way filled. No telling how much hotter than 100 it was, but it was an oven to say the least. Also, with pieces of drywall strewn about and what appear to be the byproducts of either construction or a fierce party mishap, it definately is not being used much, if at all. However, it turned out to be rockin' for footbag. The heat takes a bit to get used to, but I sweat when I kick anyways, so sweating earlier and harder just makes me get warmed up faster. Also, it's right next to my dorm and there's a water fountain and a bathroom right around the corner. As long as it being used, that's where I'll be kicking in the future. ^_^

-osis > ss butterfly BS to warm up
-long (~10 tiltless) run with sidewalk BSOS
-ripwalk > ripwalk > osis > ss butterfly > blur drop (dexes cleared)-- pretty damn sweet for me, and every dex was so clean it felt amazing (I felt like Aaron Orton )
-osis > ripwalk midrun on a whim-- that's been a hard link for me
-far pickup > butterfly > paradox mirage > toe whirl BS
-blizzard > butterfly > repeat FIRST TRY
-paradox illusion BS, a blizzard, and a flip sidewalk all one string
-drifter > osis > butterfly BSOS
-blur > toe whirl almost BSOS -- hit BS and almost repeat but never successful; BSOS was footed twice
-10 butterflys-- not many tries either
-BBOBBOBB from left foot clipper; BBOBBOB from right foot clipper-- as before: improvement

As an aside, I LOVE Lucky Boys Confusion now. I downloaded a whole bunch of their songs and, as a result, just bought their "Commitment" CD. Pretty soon I'm gonna try to get "Throwing the Game". AWESOME music. It works for running, for walking, and, best of all, for FOOTBAG.

Oh, and as a final comment, I just finished watching "It's a Wonderful Life," which was such a good movie. I had never seen it before, and I had to refrain from crying at the end-- so touching!

[Bander87]

100 degrees is a fricken lot!