In early March 2022, I travelled to Shanghai for a doctor’s appointment, and upon returning to Wenzhou, my hometown, the local COVID authorities informed me that there were some cases in Shanghai and that as a result, Shanghai was designated a medium risk city. Therefore, I was quarantined in my apartment for three days and received two PCR tests. Once cleared, I was put on self-isolation for 11 more days. I was able to leave my apartment, but I could not go to campus, malls, grocery stores, or other such places. Everyone has to show a green health code in order to enter such public places. I would not be allowed access until my code changed back to full green.
Since I could not train on campus, I turned my living room into my dojo, reminding me of how I trained in my hotel rooms during the month of quarantine upon first arriving in China in June 2021. This short video captures me practicing a few of Iain Abernethy’s practical kihon combinations, including self-protection and sparring (sport fighting) combinations:
- Lead elbow, rear elbow, followed by knee to the groin. (Self-protection)
- Jab, front kick to groin, cross to head (which is lower after kicking to groin), round kick to leg. (Sparring)
- Jab, round kick to leg, cross to head (which is lower after kicking to leg), round kick to body or head, pull down hands, step in and punch to head. (Sparring)
- Head butt, rear knee to groin, push back for distancing, front kick to groin, reverse palm heel strike to head, slap to ear/head with other hand (knocking his head down to the side), step in and hammer fist to head. (Self-protection)
