Seminar toes

When we used to have seminars up north, they were always a really big deal. The entire expense was paid by....us...not shared by any other clubs. This usually meant almost 100% attendence (without making a rule) and we were a pretty darn big club. The gym would be packed. We always tried to squeeze in every second of training we could.

Usually had 3 hour evening class on Friday, 3 more hours Saturday morning, and 4 more Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning, same kinda timing with exams squeezed in and the guest running for the plane at the end.

Usually in seminars, to make it interesting, the big guys would NOT have us doing the same old stuff. There would be angles and twists and shifts and....TOE BLISTERS....

By the end of the very first class, almost every foot in the joint would have blisters all over them. Not really a big deal, injury wise, unless one is doing twice as much training again the next day.

To pop, or drain, or leave au naturale. These are the big questions. To bandage with tape, or rough it out bare-toe. I was of the bare-toe camp. Bandages never survived the first 15 minutes of the next class, and either got ripped off by the floor, or pulled off by the wearer.

The being drenched with sweat never bothered me much. The almost collapsing from exertion, child's play. It was the fricking toes.

Typically, the monday class after a seminar weekend would be somewhat poorly attended, but I always had to be there, walking as if the floor was made of porcupine pelts.

And then we'd start planning the next seminar.....