Achy Breaky Legs

Phew!

So glad I completed the 5 replacement classes for BodyJam! Thankfully I had Pauline's help for most of them, so it's less of a burden. Still, it felt exhilarating to be able to dance for 6 days straight especially after the back injury episode 2 months ago.

The teaching experience culminated in me recording my BodyJam international certification video on Tuesday morning. A rite of passage for every Les Mills instructor, I think I did good enough to clear even with the following mishaps:

• I forgot to ask some of their names, so I could not call out names during class for CRC. I did give general feedback like, "You gals look hot!" though. (I did consider calling out a fake name, but decided against the dishonesty)
• The microphone went kaput doing the 2nd half! I bought a new battery just to prevent this from happening. As I found out after the class, the battery was working but I had disrupted the wire connections. Therefore, I had to reduce music volume and shout louder so that the video assessor will be able to hear me.
• I was supposed to wear a jacket for the warmup to look "cool", but forgot all about it as I was running late after setting up the videocam myself.
• Small little mistake in the final breakout but managed to correct myself quickly.

And now... the wait for results!

Lucky

I might have mentioned it more than once that I'm never lucky in Lucky Draws. Especially at dinner functions, it's either the table I'm in gets neglected, or many people at my table wins something except me.

Well, I guess this makes up for all those disappointed times!

Recently, top Malaysian fitness blogger DailyMuscle ran a lucky draw for passes to the Asia Fitness Convention in Bangkok, held from 27-29 November 2009 and valued at USD399 each. It was so simple - just complete a slogan! I was kinda half-hearted due to my previous experience with draws but I figured it wouldn't hurt so I entered my half-assed attempt at a slogan.

Long story short: I won one of the 3 passes available! I was shocked watching the drawing process as I was more interested in seeing how he would conduct the draw, rather than praying for my name to be on it. So when he revealed my slogan as the second winner I sat there in stunned silence.

I'm currently awaiting e-mail confirmation but I've already started planning my trip there. This will be my fourth time to Bangkok so I've seen most of it all. My focus is on the exciting group fitness sessions where I'll get to see international presenters rip it up on stage! Hopefully get to learn some new moves to incorporate in Cardio Fit. Oh, and "wardrobe upgrading" with help from Chatuchak Market.

Stubborn

I was stubborn, I didn't listen to my body. I thought it was a normal sprain, something that passes with time. Even after I suspected it to be sciatica, I hot headedly rushed back into teaching. That's the thing about fitness instructors - we believe in stretching beyond our limits in our quest to get fitter and inspire others to do the same.

That was probably why, 2 Fridays ago, I felt a sharp intense cramp in my lower back when I bent down to pick a sock off the floor. I had even bent my knees so it wasn't exactly bad posture but the intense pain told me, "This is serious, this is different." I struggled to stand up and paralyzed on the spot as I tried to breathe through the pain. Heart beating wildly, I sought to calm myself down, "I'll be fine, I'll be ok, this is just a normal cramp."

I slowly walked up to my room to do some stretching, as that's the best thing to do for cramps even though it hurts. But this time it only had a temporary effect as my whole left butt cheek area was burning with pain. I shuffled slowly to my father and told him I would need help going to the clinic. All the while worrying, "Will I be able to teach again?"

At the clinic the doctor gave me a painkiller jab and more pain pills to swallow at home. My perspective on western medicine is this: they're great in fixing many problems, but pain is not one of them. Pain killers reduce inflammation and numb the pain, but something wrong had to have happened, and no amount of medicine can fix that.

In the afternoon Dad drove me to a Chinese traditional massage centre. Tit ta (literally, "iron hit" in Cantonese) , though I don't know why it's called that. It was my first time doing this, so I had my reservations but the situation was too dire to worry about the sifu's qualifications. The waiting room was already full of injured persons, and I took my number (22!). I waited for about 90 minutes before being called in, and the sifu proceeded to work his magic.

He immediately identified the errant nerve (or muscle?) that was swollen and cramped up. Surprisingly, though the pain is in my lower back, the problem was in between my butt cheek and my hamstring. The moment he started stroking that area - wow! - I knew it was the right spot. The session lasted about 30 minutes and RM40, and I felt an immediate improvement. Before treatment I was inching forward like an 80 year old. After treatment I was shuffling about like a 60 year old. Amazing, if you ask me!

I stayed in bed for the rest of Friday and Saturday, as any movement reminded me of the cramp. I was more mobile on Sunday, and it got progressively better after that. However, as of this moment, 12 days after the injury, there's still a little nagging tightness/soreness. I allocate 20 minutes before bed and after waking to do stretching, but I'm slightly worried about the persistent discomfort.

I am taking an extended break from teaching or participating. Will I be able to teach at 100% again? I'm worried, but this is just another hurdle in life. And there's only 2 ways about it: give up or jump over it. I'm jumping!

Under the Weather

There are instructors who can teach 3-4 classes a day and survive with a smile on their faces. Maybe I have to concede that I'm not one of them. On Friday evening I taught 2 classes, and I became quite lethargic on Saturday and Sunday. Monday I began to have cough. Monday night the fever came. I stayed in bed on Tuesday, and this morning I began to have some slight runny nose. The fever is under control, but because of that the doctor would not issue an MC for today. Damn her.

Anyway, I doubt it's A(H1N1), but I'm taking necessary precautions by avoiding contact, wearing a face mask, and upping my supplements. I am currently:

• Taking at least 3000mg of Vitamin C a day (spread out over 3 doses)
• Taking NoCo, a herbal supplement
• Making lemongrass + ginger tea everyday
• Constantly drinking warm fluids (green tea, for all its antioxidants)
• Gargling with salt water twice a day
• Avoiding exercise (say bye to my stamina!)

Anything else to add?

Changing Tides

Well! After my previous outpouring of negativity, things have certainly looked up! I think writing all those thoughts down really flushed it out and prepare me for the awesomeness about to happen.

I finally attended a BodyJam class in Beijing last night and it rocked! They went through BJ48 one last time, and it was interesting to see how they taught in a smattering of English and Mandarin. Basic cues alternate between languages (one, two, three is usually followed by yi, er, san), while motivational cues are usually in Chinese.

One thing to note is that their DVDs are not localized. So all the cueing and booklet is in English. I think this slightly hampers their repertoire of Flava cues as some cues in English just don't sound right in Chinese! So it's up to the individual instructor's ability to formulate new Flava and Breakout cues. Luckily the instructor I met (Johnson) knows how to bring out the fun out in Jam.

Anyway the good news is that they're launching BJ49 next week and I was invited to join them on stage! I kept warning them that my banana-ness might cause learning problems with the members, but they insisted on me teaching a track or two. Since they've been such gracious hosts, I'd be rude to turn them down. So I agreed to teach the Latin and Recovery tracks.

Only three things to do now: practice, practice, practice! I won't let Malaysia down, I promise! :)

You got me burnin' up!

Womanizer (Benassi Radio Edit) - Britney Spears

Tired

(This post reads like a cluttered mess because that's what my mind is at the moment)

Last night I had one of my rare emo moments.

I was practicing BodyJam in front of the mirror and as usual I video-ed myself. My thoughts during the session:

• Why can't I feel the bounce in my feet?
• Dammit, where's the twist in the body?
• Argh, I keep forgetting to lock my arms!
• Where are the hips? Twist it, twist it, twist it! Bigger! More hips!
• Remember to walk on your toes in Latin!
• I'm starting to cue like a droning robot again
• Oh, I will cringe when I see these armlines in the video later
• Point your toes dammit! Point them!
• I need to drop down lower, bend my knees more, get my butt close to the floor...
• Sigh... my weak center of gravity is killing my turns
• Ah... I'm already panting so much when I'm only halfway through!
• I'm supposed to jump - why do I feel I'm just hopping?

After my session ended, a wave of disappointment washed over. Was that all I could do? After more than 1 year of BodyJam, and 1 year before that of general aerobics, I'm left wanting more. I don't expect perfection, but everytime I review myself I'm so upset. And the feedback I get reflects that.

I usually get two types of feedback. Members of my class usually praise me. They'll say I'm good, I move well, etc. One even proclaimed loyalty, saying she'll never miss my class no matter what. They're good to hear, and I appreciate them, but they're just members, y'know?

On the other hand, I have rarely received true compliments from colleagues or other instructors. We have higher expectations of each other, and we can spot many more things than ordinary members can. And so, I know, whether they say it out loud or keep it in their hearts, I know their opinion of me is, "Meh... he's just ok nia."

At the heart of the matter is the issue of instructor clearance. In certain health clubs, every new instructor has to be mentored by a head teacher, who will 'clear' that trainee instructor upon satisfying certain criteria.

And 1 year on, I still haven't been cleared. Is that a failure on my part or my mentor's? No joke, I'm tempted to blame my mentor for holding out the clearance, but I know in my heart that it's mostly my own failings. Looking at my own video, I feel such a discontentment that it borders on disgust. No wonder I can't get cleared - even such a simple acknowledgement by peers is out of my grasp.

And I'm tired. I'm really, really exhausted. I've been travelling so far on an empty tank I'm amazed at my own perseverance sometimes. Or is it actually foolishness?

I want to be great. I want to be a good role model for *other* instructors, not just to the members. But I'm thinking maybe I'll never be good enough. I only started enjoying dance less than 3 years ago, and I have no basic dance training to fuel my technique. So I feel like I'm a paralympic runner sometimes. No one expects a paralympic runner to outrun an Olympic runner. Maybe I shouldn't expect a weak instructor like myself to outdo my peers?

Adding to my current frustrations, I had hoped that coming to Beijing will give me much needed time to improve my dancing. This is my opportunity to come here and then go back as a better instructor. But from last night, it's clear I haven't moved an inch from my spot.

I'm sick. And I'm tired.

There's a difference between being too hard on myself, and just being frank. I'm not going to delude myself into thinking I'm already good enough. And 'good' will be far too much of a compliment to give!

So, after all this ranting, now what? Now I keep going on. Am I giving up? No. Am I dispirited? Yes. But I know, though I'm moving at a snail's pace, I will get there. I must! This is my passion. Though it may not manifest on stage, and others can't see it, I know the flame is in my heart, and it burns brighter everytime someone tries to throw water on it.

My theme song for the moment is Hairspray's "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)":

Come So Far (Got So Far To Go) - Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron And Elijah Kelly

Choreography Epiphany

I just had an epiphany about choreographing routines. Throughout 2 years+ of choreographing classes, I had no fixed method of creating a track. It felt more like an alchemy experiment, throwing things into a pot and hoping something good comes out. More often than not (especially in the early years), things turned out mundane and unpalatable. I can easily count up to 10, the number of tracks that I dare not teach again!

But over a quiet lunch today I concluded that most tracks (I'm referring to my own cardio/dance classes here) consist of:

1. Movement
2. Direction

Movement is of course, the basis of the track itself. Within it, there are many parameters to tweak, most notably:

1. Body positioning (where are your arms, feet, body)
2. Weight transference (how does the weight move from feet to feet?)
3. Speed (the speed in which the movement is executed)

From these 3 simple parameters it is already easy to create tracks of varying difficulty. Easier tracks have simpler body positioning (e.g. march on the spot), while difficult tracks might have higher speed (double-time).

But I find that movement itself is pretty easy to catch, until we add Direction into the mix. This is where I see a lot of beginners trip up. Their brain can only keep track of one or the other. Either you do something on the spot, or you change direction without any complex movement. Once we add any reasonable amount of the two together, the complexity rises significantly. This can easily cause a mental overload in new members and by the time they catch up we're on to the next move. Fun for experienced members, but frustrating for the newbies.

BodyJam instructors who have witnessed the evolution of BodyJam and BodyJam+ can attest to this. More often than not, Gandalf just added a direction change (usually a turn) to the exact same movement in the Base option. A good example is the jump in the Street Jazz block (BJ49). Sometimes, one of the Movement parameters is changed instead. E.g. the double-time samba in Smooze Salsa (BJ49).

Following this relevation, I think I can apply a more scientific process to choreographing future classes. Instead of throwing random moves on the wall and praying it sticks, I should break it down into its Movement and Direction components. Then I can decide what parameters will be tweaked to make a fun, but doable track.

This also applies to how a move is introduced. I should start with the basics of Movement, preferably in a slower count. Then I can start to add Direction to that Movement. Depending on how complex I wish the track to be, the type of Direction can vary (walk instead of turn). Though, I have to be careful of breaking things down too much. It's no fun learning everything from its atomic structure - sometimes the fun is in doing the move just as it is and let the members go, "What?!? I *gotta* learn that."

I hope this blog post proves useful to budding choreographers out there! If you are a choreographer and you have something to add to this, drop a comment.

Over the Moon

From May onwards I'll start going to a Latin Ballroom class (more on that next time). Due to that, I had to reschedule my Thursday Cardio Fit class to Mondays. As usual when changing class times, some members cannot make it due to their own schedule conflicts.

Last Thursday, one of the aunties came up to me and said, "I usually go to a Line Dancing class on Mondays, so you've put me in a difficult position because I've joined them for more than 8 years. But between Line Dancing and your class, I choose yours la. I feel I get a good workout here!"

*brimming with pride*

squish squish

My lovely new Nike Zoom Kobenhavens.... have started going squish squish! And it was only the second time I was wearing them! This is unacceptable!! It's now confined to the right shoe's forefoot area, but if it spreads I will try to get a replacement.

From online readings it seems that this stems from bad manufacturing:
"I used to work at Nike, and now know too much about shoes... the squishy or 'farty' sound is because some of the glue in the layers of the sole has 'failed'. This usually happens when the sole is punctured and water gets in, or can just happen when the shoe got a crappy glue job at the factory. This also happens in air-sole shoes if you puncture the bag. Most companies will replace the shoes, though you may need to send back to the manufacturer; sometimes the store you bought the shoes from will consider this kind of frivolous, and not want to hassle with the return."

My previous Nike Air Edge L7 didn't get squishy till many months of abuse, so that was understandable. But squishy after 2 times of average use? Nuh-uh.

'Tis the Season of Giving

... to myself, especially.


Saw this at Royal Sporting House and immediately felt my heartstrings being tugged. I've been looking for a pair of nice, versatile dancing shoes for a long time and I finally found it! Some of the guys like Nike Air Force 1 for BodyJam, but I've never had much love for their garish designs and bulky construction. I've had to make do with cross-trainers that work well for dance and cardio but look like sports shoes. Finally, something that looks good enough to strut onto the dancefloor!

Name: Nike Zoom Kobenhaven
Price: RM299
Where: Royal Sporting House outlets (I couldn't find them in Nike, Why Pay More? and Studio R boutiques)

P.S. I forgot to post it up last time, but I also bought a new cross-trainer barely 5 months ago. I got Nike Reax Train II for a discounted RM170. It's great but isn't the most stylish shoe in its class, hence rationalizing my new shoe.

P.P.S. You might be wondering if I'm a zombie slave to Nike, so let me tell you - YES! They are the only ones with enough sense to bring in cross training and dance shoes for men. Believe me, I've searched high and low in Adidas, New Balance, Fila, Reebok, and Mizuno shops, both in Penang and KL for cross-training shoes that have proper pivot points. Zilch. Nada. What choice do I have?

P.P.P.S. If you look at the bottom of the shoe, you'll see a silhouette of someone doing a side kick. So it could have been designed for martial arts or BodyCombat too.

Appreciated

[Warning: This post is a brag-fest]

I've been teaching my free Thursday class (Cardio Fit) for a year now and last night, for the first time, they gave me a thank you gift!! They came up after class and presented me with a bag of goodies, to my amazement.

I teach that class for free as a "community service" of sorts, so I do not expect anything except gratitude in return. I was especially thankful that they thought I was worth giving an expensive gift for. I hope, in a small way, that I've created Fitness Magic for them (told you today was a brag-fest).

Anyway, I opened up my gifts as soon as I reached home. The pictures say all:

They were thoughtful enough to leave the Nike tag on so that I could exchange it if I didn't like it. Well, personally I find the design a little odd but I never reject people's thoughtfulness so I'll stick with the design. But it's a Large so I'll still need to get it exchanged with a Medium (or a Small, depending).

All in all, last night turned my mood around! I am still sombre about my BodyJam efforts at the gym, but that's for another post.

Graceful Failure

Remember my class at Priority Fitness?

It's been cancelled.

Well, one must learn to deal with setbacks in life and I'm not really that disappointed. Attendance was really inconsistent, since Sundays at 10.30am is a quiet time there. So quiet, I only had one member attending yesterday! I was expecting a grand send off for my last class but only one lady came. And she was 15 minutes late too! Imagine going on a date and wondering if the other party is ever turning up. That's how I felt as I walked around the empty studio.

But that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I ended my last class by twisting my ankle and falling.

It was near the final track where we were just moving side to side and somehow I rolled my left leg outwards, lost balance, and landed on my butt. I was a little shocked and laughing at my own silliness, so I rested on the floor awhile.

In a true spirit of professionalism though, I continued instructing while I sat. I demonstrated as much as I could with my upper body while the poor member tried to figure out the legs. And for the final track and cool down, I stood back up and continued teaching. The twist wasn't that bad but I still couldn't do any turns or jumps. But I completed the class nonetheless.

So that's how I will always remember my class at Priority Fitness.

What's next? I'll appreciate getting my Sunday mornings back, and I also need to spend some personal time working on my BodyJam instructing. Apparently, I'm not wowing the neutral members enough. Gotta show 'em I own the stage.

(Side note: The actual reason for my class cancellation is that many members have been requesting for Belly Dance classes on Sundays.)

BodyJam 45 Launch Videos

The launch videos are up on my Vimeo page. View the album.

Sample video:

Team Teaching

Lots of funky things happening lately! I finally joined the stage for BodyJam 45 launch at my gym on Tuesday. Don't ask me why the powers-that-be in my gym only launched the latest releases this week instead of 1.5 months ago. Rumours include DVDs that never arrived in the mail.

Anyway, the launch went pretty well despite some hiccups and messed up armlines. My height (6 feet) became a disability as I had not much room to manouver with three other instructors on stage!

I shot videos of us on the stage, so I'll post them here once they're properly edited and YouTubed. For now, here's us after the class:

From left: Ravishing Rachel, Crazy Chris, Zany Zemien, and Pretty Pauline

More important news is that I'll start team teaching with Chris beginning this Saturday! This is a big first step, as it gives me visibility to members. The challenge now is to impress them enough that they'll praise me in front of the club manager.

Anyone willing to take a bribe? :P

Adjusting Expectations

So I finally started my Cardio Fit class at Priority Fitness yesterday. I didn't know how the crowd would be like, so I put in mostly cardio tracks. If only I read their time table properly, I would have known I was replacing a Freestyle Dance class!

The long and short of it was, I started with 8 people, ended with 5. The cardio was out of their expectations. They kept requesting to do some dancey stuff but I already burned the tracklist into a CDRW and didn't prepare backup songs (note to self!).

Next week I'll have to adjust my class format and put in some dance tracks!

Another great challenge is that they are used to facing the mirror, so it's better for me to adjust my directions than to force mirror image on them!

The downside of all this is that I have no time to learn up BodyJam tracks...

Time for New Shoes

Can't believe it's been 11 months since I got my first Nike shoe. But as with all good things, it must come to an end. I always thought the whole point of spending so much money on branded shoes was because they could last forever. Alas, my naïveté is now proven wrong everytime I do higher impact moves. The padding has started to wear out and I could feel that it's no longer like dancing on air.

I checked with my favourite instructor, and she said she changes shoes every 6 months or so. Understandable, because she teaches every day and some of them are prety hardcore stuff too. So it's now time for a new pair of shoes to take me through the next year.

I'm going through a financial desert right now, what with the repair bills, police fines, and car insurance renewals coming up this month. But it doesn't cost a cent to dream, so I've started debating with myself on which shoe to buy.

On one hand, I've been nothing but happy with my current shoes. It's a cross-trainer, meaning that it can handle BodyJam just as well as BodyAttack. But there's a stigma attached to spending RM200 just to get the same shoe, you know? After all, I have an opportunity to get a different look and style!

My alternative is the Nike Air Force One (AF1). It's a very popular shoe for hip hop dancing, and it looks the part too. The basic design is plain white but there are plenty of funky colours that will really blend well with a BodyJam class. They also cost around RM200, and I'm very tempted! But I can only use it for Jam because it is a very stiff shoe. I wouldn't be able to do lunges or other high impact stuff with AF1!

If I was a Rich Boy, there wouldn't even be a debate - I'd get both! But the harsh* reality is that I need an all-purpose shoe for my Cardio Fit classes, so it's probably back to my Nike Air Edge L7. If only other brands will bring in their cross-training shoes to Malaysia...

* Yes, I know it's not really a harsh reality if I can afford Nikes while there are malnourished African children.

Cardio Fit Expansion

After passing my Les Mills BodyJam module I finally have a piece of paper to show to the world (no matter how small/inconsequential). So I decided it's time to take my home-growned Cardio Fit class to more places. And also get paid!

Happy to announce that Cardio Fit will now come to Priority Fitness, Sunway Tunas branch! Details:

[Correction]
Date: Every Sunday beginning 20 July 2008
Time: 10.30am - 11.30am
Venue: Priority Fitness, Sunway Tunas, Penang

I'm totally serious about building up a reputation (no matter how small/inconsequential). It will be a mixture class like before, but you won't see me doing any BodyJam tracks, for obvious reasons. My choreographing skillz are still far from l33t, but I'm getting better...

BodyJam Training Journals: Day 3 and 4

(Part 4 of a 4 part series)

My phone alarm woke me up at 6am but I snoozed it for 10 more minutes before getting up. The girls were still in bed and I took this quiet time to shave, put on my hair products, and squeeze some ripe pimples. I ate the rest of the tuna mayonnaise I bought on Day 0 sans the bread (no more space in my bag), and some biscuits. I was too demoralized to do any protein shake so I just hung around for everyone else to get ready and we got going.

We stepped out into a rainy day and none of us had an umbrella so we had to get a bit soaked walking to the bus stop to take a taxi. The driver capitalized on the rainy day and the early hours by charging us RM10 to drive a 5 minute journey. I was in no mood to complain.

Many people were already inside rehearsing their performance. I took the chance to ask Fetty to evaluate my technique and she gave some great comment. Even if I mess up my coaching later, at the very least I need to get my technique right! At 8.30am, earphones came off and we assembled for our final briefing before presentations.

I thought we were done with the dance school on Day 1, but surprise, surprise! We had another hour of advanced drills where we went through all the moves again but this felt harder as the trainers were stricter on technique and we kept on doing the moves again and again and again. Furthermore we were trying to conserve energy for our final performance, but the fact that we had to show our full potential just started draining our energy away.

We then went through some simpler drills to help us create magic on the stage, and at around 11.30am, the time of reckoning came. Since I was presenting track 4, I only stayed for the warm up track to give moral support to Pauline. After that I quickly went down to the locker room to rehearse my song again and change into my presentation clothes. Days before I already decided what I wanted to wear for my final performance and I put it on now. When I went into the studio my heart was pounding, but my mind was ready.

I’ve been preparing for this for the past year. This is it!

I really gave it my all and I was surprised by how breathless I felt at the end of the 4 minutes. But I didn’t make any mistakes and gave all the cues I wanted to give, so I would say it’s a good job. Arnold who evaluated me this round agreed. He commended my preparation for the coaching, but asked me not to talk so much (always a problem with me) that I drown out the music. My armlines are still not strong enough to his liking but he was generally happy with my performance. I was SO relieved. I knew I would pass then.

After evaluating everyone we were given a longer lunch break this time. I took a look at my energy bars and thought, “Fark this”. I’ve been having protein shakes and Uncle Toby energy bars for the past two lunches, and I deserve something more resembling food after all the work I’ve done. We walked out to the nearby Burger King and got myself a Single Swiss Mushroom burger. I was heavily tempted by the Double, but I didn’t want to reverse my digestion process when dancing later. And it was the most delicious food I had since Wendy’s burger 2 days ago. The chunky mushrooms, creamy sauce, and tasty patty gave me such a warm feeling inside…. or maybe it’s just that I’ve been eating crap lately.

The second half of the day is the most fun we had for the training. One was of course the BodyJam challenge. If you don’t know what it is, don’t worry and just enjoy the activity. It doesn’t affect your results at all, and really ends the training on a HIGH. Then of course we got to cam-whore while waiting to be called up to get our results. I also went around and got everyone else’s contact information so we could keep in touch. Soon, my name is called to the judges’ corner.

Arnold made me promise to keep working on my technique and use more energy because I was tall and had longer limbs. So I had to stretch further, squat lower, and jump higher. I just kept nodding my head and agreeing, and then he put the Pass letter in my hand.

Mission Complete. J

Pauline got a Pass Withheld result, which was still very good. She had to work on her coaching skills first. We had a bittersweet goodbye and ended the training the traditional Les Mills way, with a BodyJam twist.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Pauline’s friend picked us up from the gym and drove us to her family’s house somewhere near Batu Caves. I slept on a sofa that was a little too soft for my aching lower back, but hey, it was way better than the floor! Monday was spent lazing around the house, watching the DVD again on our laptops, and taking afternoon naps. We were hoping to get on down to MidValley Megamall, but Pauline’s legs had weird bruises all over and he feet hurt while walking. Using the Osim iSqueeze massage machine did not help at all! Little wonder, ‘cause it was a pretty boring device.

We took the 5.45pm Transnasional bus back to Penang, and I reached home at 11pm feeling like I melting to the floor. Not to mention I had to work the very next day! But in my heart I enjoyed every moment of the training, and the quiet bus ride home gave me lots of time to reflect.

I’m thankful for all the support my friends and family gave me. In fact, my parents allowed me to skip giving them their monthly allowance in May as a form of support. There was also someone who put up with my stressed attitude for weeks before the training. Special thanks also to Chris for giving lots of useful advice and sacrificing his exam preparation time to help us. Without them, I wouldn’t have made it through!

Now, the hard work begins to convince gym managers I am worth giving a time slot to. This blog will definitely get interesting again as I infiltrate the ranks of a fitness centre.

Stay tuned ;)

BodyJam Training Journals: Day 2

(Part 3 of a 4 part series)

The alarm rang and I dragged myself out of bed. Time was of the essence so I quickly prepared my protein + health drink mix and gobbled down a Delifrance pastry I bought the night before. There was no time for small talk as mp3 earphones found their way and we mentally rehearsed our tracks. We hopped on over to the gym by 7.30am and we started practicing in front of the mirror.

At around 9am the first round of presentation started. It was very cool seeing fellow trainees get on stage. Nearing my track I slowed down to catch my breath. I even went down to the toilet to clear my head beforehand. Then I went in and did my thing.

For our first presentation we didn’t have to coach anything, but pre-cues of the move names were encouraged. I stuck with that and I managed to nail the relaxed feel of the song 100%. This was pointed out by Fetty who evaluated me. She gave me more tips to improve my technique for the second round of presentations that afternoon. I was relieved that I didn’t mess up anything major, but I noted down her observations nonetheless.

We had a 40 minute lunch break and when we got back it was lecture time again. This time we delved into coaching structure and technique, and did many group discussions. Then, trying to incorporate what we just learned, we were given 15 minutes to rehearse our own tracks before presenting again, this time with some cueing.

I kinda messed up this round. I thought too much about what I had to say and as a result I moved about half-count quicker. I realized my mistake and corrected it, but that dampened my performance as I lost the relaxed feel of the track. Also, the technical corrections Fetty requested of me were not fully executed, so I was a bit disappointed with myself. It was important for me to show that I’m always progressive and not getting worse, so I knew I had to buck up for Day 3.

On the bright side, I was very happy with what I got for Day 3 presentations. It was the first track of the Contemporary Rock block. It’s a harder track to learn, but the angry aggressive feel of the song really suits my personality because I don’t do sexy as well as I do serious. Still, I knew I had to give it my all and avoid making any mistakes the next day. I only had 4 minutes to prove myself!

It was with this heavy (and exhausted) heart that I canceled my dinner appointment with Jackson. He was supposed to take us out for some famous claypot chicken rice but I barely have time to practice, much less eat. Pauline and I stayed back at the gym until 9pm before we went out to have dinner. All I wanted to do was go back to the motel and start preparations again, but little did we know our night was going to take a turn for the worse.

We got back and started unpacking our stuff. Then I heard a loud “Eeyer!” from Pauline and she was pointing to a pretty large cockroach on the floor. Luckily it wasn’t moving very quickly, and I disposed it off with a small, thick booklet. I wouldn’t have minded it so much if it was the first time, but I already killed another large cockroach the night before in the toilet and it was starting to get to me. I looked at Pauline, and I knew the words “Let’s move out,” was on the tip of her tongue. But she held it in anyway.

Then the lights went off.

Being a windowless room it became pitch dark. I quickly reached for my phone for some illumination and stepped out into the corridor. The entire lobby was enveloped in darkness, and only the beam of a lone torchlight and the streetlamps gave any indication of human activity. The staff flipped the circuit breaker back on, and the lights came on for a split second before the fuse tripped again. A few more tries and the light came back for a minute, before disappearing again.

I turned to Pauline and said, “Let’s move out”.

The next hour was pretty surreal, like we were in some twisted form of Amazing Race. I asked Pauline to inform Melisha we were coming over. And we began packing our luggage, which was a formidable task for me because I will only have space if I pack everything nicely. Also, you might realize how impossible it is to pack clothes in pitch darkness? So we alternated between sitting in the dark waiting for electricity, and frantically stuffing our clothes into our bags when the lights come on for a few seconds. We even managed to laugh at our ridiculous circumstance during one of our “sitting in the dark” periods.

Once our bags were ready I went out to wait for a taxi. It was already 10pm, and we were situated along a quieter section of Persiaran Kewajiban so I had nothing to do but wait and listen to my music. For 8 minutes or so (I lost count) I stood there in the quiet junction thinking mainly of two things: “I should be practicing my track now,” and “Will the group of loiterers nearby come and hassle me?” I couldn’t do anything for thought #1, but I had a Swiss Army knife in my pocket to deal with thought #2.

I looked into the far distance and saw the familiar bump on top of a taxi and waved my hand frantically, hoping he’ll notice that guy standing in a dark shade (the bright areas were occupied by loiterers). He did, and I directed him to wait while I go grab my bags and check out from the motel, which went from blah to blergh in 5 seconds.

By the time we reached Melisha’s room I was even more tired of lugging around my Herculean bags but I couldn’t afford to sleep. I haven’t completed my assignment for the night, which was to prepare my scripting sheet for the coaching part. I could choose not to do it, but I knew it was for my own good. I also had to take time to rearrange my luggage for a more efficient distribution, and by the time I felt ready for sleep, it was 1am.

Just one problem – there were only 2 single beds. Some hotels layer two beds on top of each other, but The Summit used some kind of el cheapo card board base. In short, this was how I ended up sleeping on the floor of a 3 star hotel. All I had was a spare pillow and a gaudy comforter which I used to wrap myself like a burrito. This helped to provide some padding for my back and keep me warm from the insanely cold air conditioning. I had lost the will to complain about my situation, and just drifted off into a restless sleep.

BodyJam Training Journals: Day 1

(Part 2 of a 4 part series)

The night before, I bought a tin of Tuna Mayonnaise and Gardenia bread in the sad delusion that I would enjoy eating it without any butter or hot beverage. I didn’t. The girls had a better breakfast at the nearby 24 hour mamak stall.

The studio was still empty at 7.30am and we just sat around waiting for the others to come in. The other two Penangites were already there waiting, and soon other trainees came in. I was surprised at the number of guys taking the module. It’s no secret BodyJam classes are mostly attended by girls, so I was glad to know the boys actually outnumber the girls in this training.

Arnold Warren, our trainer all the way from Manila, started the show at 8.30am and got everyone together. He introduced his teaching partner, Fetty from Jakarta, and soon things were rolling! In the interest of those who haven’t attended any module trainings before, I’m keeping things general because I wouldn’t want to spoil the magic for you.

We had an ice-breaking session, BodyJam stylez, and by the time 23 of us introduced ourselves it was just nice for the Master Class. Meanwhile, in the background, Master Trainer Kylie Gates observed our trainers in action. Like she said earlier, Arnold and Fetty are probably as nervous as we were!

The Master Class was the first time I got to do the release in full. And even though I didn’t have prior experience doing release 45, I’m so glad I’m not training on 44, which was a boring release with only a few moves overall. Although people doing 45 for the first time might think it’s more of the same old house taps, the more you do it the more you’ll like it. There’s quite a layer of complexity in some of the moves and even now I still find new things to learn (and that’s saying a lot since I did the release about 6 times in 3 days). On the other hand, I already felt blah with 44 after two classes.

So here’s a review of BodyJam 45 for those who haven’t seen it yet. The warmup is hot, hot, hot! I was expecting more of a Bollywood feel in the isolations but it was still pretty uplifting. The Work warmup combo wasn’t as fun as, say, New Day from 44, but it serves as a preview to moves in upcoming tracks so I understood the reasoning.

The Roppongi Line Dance is absolute madness! It’s a simple and quick track, so make sure you get your moves and orientation down pat coz’ once you start going around 4 corners you won’t be stopping! First timers might also get a little confused because instructors will follow member’s direction sometimes. But as long as you always start from your right leg, you’ll feel as if you’re partying in a Japanese night club, 4am in the morning!

Feedback serves as a mini-recovery (trust me, take it). It’s cool, smooth, and groovy. Once you get the rhythm down pat just lose yourself to Janet J. Also, if you like to perform on the dance floor, start thinking of your own unique 4 count arm combo. You’ll get the chance to use it towards the end.

Contemporary Rock will completely blow your preconceptions about what can happen in BodyJam. If you thought the Contemporary Rock from release 42 was a bit simple and dull, prepared to be amazed! The moves fit with the music like a perfectly manicured hand to a silk glove. The butterfly turn is not as tricky as it looks and sounds, but the easy option is safer for most people. Before I went for training I was pretty nerve-wrecked at the idea of having to butterfly turn, but after trying it out myself, I found it quite simple! Just make sure you have enough space around you or you’ll probably kick someone in the ribs.

The recovery brings the temperature down a bit, and the moves are pretty groovy too. It’s quite easy to feel relaxed to the track but you gotta pay attention to what the instructor is saying. Many times you’ll find yourself doing the wrong thing because there are minor variations to the same move and you keep switching between them. You’ll go from a clap to a knee & clap to a knee only and back to no knee with a clap. Confused? So was I, so just pay attention to the instructor!

When I first read the sizzler and it said the second block was called Global Electro, I heaved a sigh of relief. We’ve been doing House for four releases now, and the Old Skool House in 44 was just so boring – a rehashing of old moves into a new routine. I was looking forward to a more dance-y feel in Global Electro, so imagine my shock and disappointment when we started doing House Taps again. Oh no, more single-single-doubles? Say it ain’t so!

By the end of the block though, I changed my mind. The music and moves are very good – way better than 44. And as I continued learning the release over the weekend it kept getting better! This is something I couldn’t say about the second half of 43 and 44. So give the House Taps a chance and you might find something more complex underneath the moves.

Finally we grooved down to a very funky Disco style track. There are many places for your inner diva to shine, so make sure you get your acting faces ready straight from the first move. This is probably the most complex groove down track ever. After all, how many groove down have had double turns? The quick leg switch in the stretch will also trip many people up. In fact, I’m still trying to get it! But overall, it’ll bring you to the end with a relaxed feel.

That was the end of the easy part though. After a quick break we got started on learning the 5 Key Elements. At 1pm, Arnold gave us a 30 minute lunch break and I quickly went to get my lunch. Lunch consisted of a protein mix combined with a health drink mix, an energy bar, and two biscuits. By the time I finished “lunch” (if you could call it that), it was almost time and I had to rush back up.

Imagine my surprise when Dance School started right at 1.30pm, barely any time for my lunch to digest! Thus began the most grueling part of the day – 4 hours of going through every single move of the new release. We would take some infinite amount of time to get the technique right, and lo and behold, we have to do the whole thing again with music. Rinse and repeat for all the tracks. We were totally exhausted by 5.30pm, and we haven’t had time to start drilling on our assigned tracks yet!

Earlier, I already saw my name written next to Livin’ a Lie, the recovery track. I was quite happy because recovery is quite possibly the easiest track of the whole release to teach (after Feedback). But then I got a bit worried when I found out it was assigned by Arnold himself. If it was random number picking, I could leave it to Lady Luck. But since it’s assigned by the trainer things could get difficult for me. Obviously in the interest of fairness if someone was doing a hard track today he or she would get an easier track the next day. And since the final evaluation that determines our outcome happened on the last day, it logically means that I’ll need to present a harder track! This impending sense of doom cast a dim cloud throughout the day. While I know I wouldn’t have trouble presenting the recovery track, I kept wondering what my second track would be. So that night I took a look at some of the harder tracks, as a mental preparation in case I was assigned any of them.

But first, let’s digress. As the first day ended, Melisha came up to me and said she wants to move out to The Summit Hotel. She’s not used to our blah room at all, preferring something more comfortable and clean. Unfortunately I already paid for our 3 nights stay so she offered to reimburse her share but I only accepted RM50 for the first night. She did ask us to join her but Summit Hotel is an overpriced taxi ride away so Pauline and I still stuck to our blah room.

For dinner Jackson picked us up and took us to Sunway Pyramid to have, arguably, the most delicious fast food burger – Wendy’s! This was the first branch to open in Malaysia and I totally enjoyed every bite of the two juicy, succulent, beef patties in the burger. At RM15 for the medium set meal, it was definitely cheaper than having a burger in Chili’s or TGIF. Definitely recommended, and recovered my strength for the night.

I had a nice time catching up with Jackson but soon it was time to go back to our blah room. I felt absolutely pooped but I stayed up long enough to go through my track and several others. Lights went off around midnight and we tried to get as much sleep as we could.