love and fame to nothingness done sank

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 09 Feb 2008 12:59

Thank you Henry! Keep reading, you'll get thanked again.

Planned to meet up with a beginner today, but after he hadn't arrived around half an hour after he meeting time (fucking freestylers), I got changed to go. When I came out of the change room he was out kicking with two other guys, so I changed back and joined in. 45 minutes solo shred, probably another 45 minutes circle kicking. Was fun. Guy and friends seem interested in playing. Hope they keep showing up. Loaned him my new Flipsider DVD.

The solo session was mainly toe frustration but I did hit 40 alt clippers to a hand catch. I think I could have gone forever. There's a really good chance that 40 is better than I ever did in the before time, the long long ago. I think I can hit 100 by month's end. This is thanks Henry and Zac explaining why my flip clippers were whack and how to fix them in Chicago. On the same note, my drifters are a direct result of listening to Dat talk about footwork while Henry did some clippers and drifters.

Yip yip yip.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 09 Feb 2008 13:32

Hey, I got thanked too?! Sweet!

Mad props on 40 alt clippers, I think those are way harder than infinities.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 10 Feb 2008 07:51

Tried to play last night, but felt tight from the day's session and decided to stretch instead.

Short one just now, half an hour. Enough to stay fresh and still count it as a rest day. Osis really has it's good moments now. I think it'll come together soon. Bochucked around 20 pixie sets from each foot. I figure it's time to bring em back. Stepping soon too, but infinities before that. There's so much stuff to learn, it's overwhelming. I'll get there.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 10 Feb 2008 09:13

Colin wrote: Bochucked around 20 pixie sets from each foot.

I know it sucks, but it's the only way to get better!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 10 Feb 2008 09:39

No, no, I was purposely bockucking. The quickest way of getting X sets in. I'll try playing out of them sometime this week.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 11 Feb 2008 06:47

Colin wrote:fucking freestylers

Props on 40 clippers, dammit!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 11 Feb 2008 09:22

One hour. More toe stuff. It's coming back. Equaled my 11 mirage>legover twice. So frustrating to get to the 'yeah, I got this' point and then drop. Did around 80 contacts of it all together. Some flip swirl work. Slow progress there, but gotta stay at it if I want it to ever exist. Did some pixies. Nothing worth mentioning yet. Someday soon all my toe stuff will click again and I'll post a bunch of shocking highlights. I think that'll happen anyway. Sure. Power of positive thinking.

33 right clippers. Mostly an endurance drop. Nice that my skill level is finally back to a point where I can push my physical limits.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 11 Feb 2008 20:45

Twice in one day? I feel like a teenager!

Started with a bunch of warmuppy stuff. Clippers, toes with occasional mirages, legovers and pickups. Tried to not drop. It worked. Just simple stuff like clipperx4 > op clipperx4 > pickup> toe > mirage ect, but it felt so good to be able to string anything other than toe delays with real confidence. I've hit much better runs recently, but those were shred. This was different. This was cool and confident.

More osis work and limited progress. There are times when it feels like I can't miss them. Just need more work. They're coming along and I don't see any problems that won't be ironed out by simple repetition. Happy with this.

I started the session trying to do Ryan Mulroney style alt toe delays. You know the ones, with just the little tiny hop, and the bag only goes up a few inches. Vasek does them too. Had trouble at first, but got a feel for them pretty soon. Hit better than 10 a few times. It might seem insignificant, but I think that they might be a really positive training tool. They demand very finely tuned support leg pop. I realized at the end of the session, as I was doing some pixies (I'm trying to re-learn them support leggy, O'Wheel style), that this has been the whole stumbling block for me with fairy sets all along. I've been trying to do reverse pixie sets, when my pixie sets were originally all setting leg. I tried some fairies tonight with support leg pop, and OH GOD what a difference. None were perfect, but it was only a few attempts at the end of a session. I'm gonna do more of these tomorrow. I'm excited, because I've always loved fairy sets but no matter how much I worked them I couldn't make any progress.

Yes. These are my thoughts. Anyone who uses poppy pixies and / or fairies, feel free to confirm.

I'm afraid I've written checks that I can't cash in Nathan's blog. We'll see. Didn't want to do much impact tonight, but my brief attempts at each were disheartening.

I'm also all but confirmed for GRASS now. I hope some some of the people I played with in Chicago make it. I need to redeem myself.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 12 Feb 2008 16:25

Absolute garbage session just now at the school gym. I get so nervous there. Only worthwhile thing that happened is that I made some attempts at each atomic set coming out of p mirage, and they're at a point where I can see it all coming together.

Really frustrating. Worst session of the modern era. Can't wait to play tomorrow

.

Just bought my ticket for Rochester. Arriving around 7:30 pm on the 17th, departing 10 AM on the 21st. Great way to kick off summer, I think.

Darkshredder · Post by **Darkshredder** » 12 Feb 2008 17:05

atomic from a pdx mirage is really rewarding - good luck with it!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 12 Feb 2008 17:44

Thank you!

Juan Rangal (sp?) hits it a couple of times in slow motion on some ancient CSS video (can anyone name it?). This has always been one of my favorite scenes from any footbag video and I've wanted to hit smasher out of p mirage ever since.

Soon, my pretties, soon.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 12 Feb 2008 18:43

Hey Colin - do you know if we're getting rides to and from the airport? If so I think I'm going to try and snag one with you and arrive around the same time as you.

I guess I'll just come around the same time as you either way... whatever. lol.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 13 Feb 2008 11:07

No idea about fine details for Rochester transportation yet, but I'm sure we'll all get there somehow

. A warning - I am significantly less dangly than I was in Chicago. Shave and a haircut, yo. Perhaps we could both find some factory work while we're there.

14 m lo

7 b > p m

Nothing great, and I'm increasingly frustrated by how long it's taking for my toes to function again, but there was some really good news today. I had been feeling my right knee for the past couple of days, and hoping that it was just due to having missed the gym on Monday. Went this morning, and it felt better immediately. Got through the session pain free too.

I think I'm going to buy a camera today. This blog may well be littered with crappy freestyle for your dissection.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 13 Feb 2008 20:18

In some ages old thread about paradox, x-dex, and the like, someone posted that the true litmus for assigning these extra adds was his lower back. Well, I did better than 25 of each paradox mirage today, and boy am I feeling it.

I need to stop (re)introducing concepts into my game this way. A few attempts one day, 10 the next, 20 the next couple, and after that it's fair game to go to town. If I don't remember this when I start doing symp mirages again, or working stepping or atomic sets, it could seriously sideline me. I can't let that happen, I won't let that happen, and I can't let that happen. Play smart.

Good news is that I went and bought that miniDV camcorder this afternoon. I hope to try it tomorrow night. Should be interesting. I've never seen myself play and I'm terrified. Good time to do it though, in such drilling / refinement mode. I've got a lot of enthusiasm and patience right now. I want to be good at footbag, and I intend to do it right. I hope to be "good" at all the stuff I "could do" back in 2004 by the time GRASS comes along.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 18 Feb 2008 10:03

Three (?) days off in a row, for various reasons. One was that I was nervous to play for my new camera.

Just 35 minutes or so today. Feeling some knee stuff, which is weird since it didn't bother me at all when I played last and I've had time off since then. Might have been sitting at the movie theater last night? Going to have to pay close attention to find out what aggravates it.

Short as well because I couldn't wait to stop playing and watch the recording. It wasn't the soul crushing experience I feared, there are even aspects of my game that I like, but I see some things that need to be addressed right away.

Still don't have my firewire card in my computer. Maybe I'll do that tonight and get some HARDCORE FOOTAGE up in here.

Didn't hit anything. I still can't do mirage>legover to save my life.

Rieferman · Post by **Rieferman** » 18 Feb 2008 10:23

do tell.. what are the things you noticed needed refinement, and what are the things you liked?

Sounds like you know a little bit about the whole vid cam to computer connection.. I have a mini-dv camera but my laptop (HP pavilion "media" laptop) doesn't pick it up when I connect the two using a USB connection that came with the camera. I'm guessing even though the computer came with software to do capturing, I need to get something additional to make it work? Do you know how I check to see?

edit: I think I need a card like this one available at amazon
Adaptec Fireconnect for Notebooks 1430V. The Adaptec Fireconnect For Notebooks

From there, I just jam that card into side of laptop, and now I can use the capture software that I have.

About right?

Sorry to take your blog in an unintended direction!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 18 Feb 2008 19:38

Not at all. I'm afraid that I know basically nothing about video cameras versus computers. I think what you have there is right. The USB connection is probably for transferring things like photos, but the video goes over firewire.

Well, I'm pretty upright, and I like this. I bounce, and one time my brain went 'Mulroney!', which made me really happy. Turns out I barely bend my support leg at all when I clipper. Again, Mulroney, but I can't help worry that this is hurting me. I also worry that this isn't something I can change, at least in the short term, due to knee issues. Also, I think I'm hitting the ground too hard too often, and with too much heel. Really clutzy. I'm 5'10'', which is on the tall side in freestyle, and I don't know if my body type can maintain my style indefinitely.

Umm. Turns out that I use different footwork for each mirage. How do I not notice shit like this? My swirls are ugly and stupid. If I'd done any in Chicago, I'd yell at someone for not calling me on it. I look kind of relaxed for the most part. I dunno. I'll have a better idea when I get a real session in.

Oh, and I've lost a bunch of weight. I really had no idea how much better I look now than say, one year ago, until I saw the video.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 18 Feb 2008 22:01

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjAXPDek5jk

Meh. Sorry about the boxers. If I'd expected to upload it I might have worn shorts.

In conclusion: I can record now and it's exciting. I think I'll tape one session per week. I should have time to get two good sessions in tomorrow. Wooo.

Also, what's up with those arms during clippers? Gonna spend time tomorrow letting them hang loose.

Rieferman · Post by **Rieferman** » 19 Feb 2008 05:08

Firewire card/adapter thingy ordered! I'll try to post some practice stuff in my blog next week too.

I'm glad I'll get to see your progress. I've enjoyed reading your comments and your blog, so it's good to put some feet to a name.

On clipper, I think if you bounce into the catch a little bit, you'll get the bend in the support leg that you mentioned. Watch the difference between your ss clippers (straight support leg, no support leg cushion) and your alternating clipper (more cushion). In fact, maybe just do more alternating clippers. I say that, but I also think ss clippers are great for gaining consistency for ducks, dives, spins etc.

I actually didn't find anything major wrong with what I saw. You look coordinated and solid.

Although I like you less now than I did before. When it comes to freestyle, I'm jealous of people with long thin legs. ha ha

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 19 Feb 2008 15:34

Thanks for your input and interest. Hope you can start to capture some footage now too.

Two sessions today. One only about 15 minutes and the other about an hour and a half. My knee is whimpering still, but not screaming or even whining. Gym tomorrow, we'll see how I feel after that. Session tomorrow too.

I started doing mirage legover tonight, but quickly decided that it wasn't much fun, and then spent the whole night doing completely random shit. Tried my best to play as if I were in a circle. It was a ton of fun. I need to remember to do this more often. All work and no play make Colin something something...

Did more stepping tonight than I have since 04. Preliminary stuff, coming together. Flip pixie still comes and goes. I can only do it consistently out of legover - kind of a 'retrace that route' primer? Funny to read that Ben Skaggs, a player a million times my better, recently spent time drilling that particular link. Atomic sets definitely exist now, and get off pretty consistently, although most of the time I'm too slow recovering to play out of them. It's so cool that I can say this: I'll post a vid to show what I mean.

I keep repeating, in my head and out loud, two pieces of advice given to Jay at NYJ:

Ben Skaggs wrote:Stop trying to do the tricks you want to be hitting, or the ones you think you should be hitting, and do the ones that you own.

Dave Clavens wrote:Concentrate on the delay - it's the only part of the move that matters. Stop doing the next move before you've finished the one you're doing. The best players dex really fast, but they also delay really slow.

These paraphrased words have changed my approach to footbag. I'd always been playing to drop the bag. No more. Bag, you ain't shit. This is my house. *chest thump*