October 13th Hip Hoop Update

Since I practice most everyday, its becoming a bit hard for me to remember exactly what happened each day that I hooped... so I will just start giving weekly overviews as best as I can. Kristen and I hooped in the lovely Arisugawa park. She taught me a great kick it in the air pick up, and for that day, I learned a behind the back pass! The pass has since evaded me, but Im quite sure it will come back soon. I worked on my booty bump a bit that day, and Kristen pointed out to me that I move in an arc when Im bumpin. Its something to think about....

Saturday, I went to a lovely Hooplovers class. I loved the huge space, and the small class size. I really sweated it out that day, and feel like the hoop was spinning around my body for at least an 1 hour 45 min of that 2 hour class. Usually, in the classes I have attended, there is a little more downtime with working on isolations, or talking getting advice on new tricks. We worked on looking sexier with the hoop- what does your face look like? hands? feet? We also did an excercise I loved, where towards the end we were changing what we were doing every 5 seconds. It was tough, but when I got home and looked at the vids of the hoopdancers I really loved, they are consistently changing what they are doing... This is my newest challenge. We also did some hooping blindfolded. It really is a great feeling, you can let go, and let everything just pour out. I cant do that at the park at night, so I was happy to have the chance to do it in class. I also kind of learned how to get into the booty bump position. I kind of have to roll to the right a bit to get it, but its a start. Now... to get OUT of the booty bump...

Onto Sunday, where I went to Nagisa Music Festival and hooped with Deanne... We werent on a stage but we drew a crowd whenever the hoops started spinning. Lots of people wanted to try, and there were extra hoops so they could. I was a little nervous at first for two reasons. One, there were alot of people. Two, I was hooping next to Deanne who is just amazing. Usually, when I am hooping out in public, its with people who are at a similiar level to mine. That being said, I only thought about that before I started hooping and about 2 minutes into hooping. Once I started dancing, my worries just spun off into oblivion. I had a great time dancing to the very funky beats. I dropped the hoop on several occassions. but just smiled and picked it up and started up again. Its pretty easy to keep a smile on your face hooping when everyone is smiling at you. You can feel the hoop love! Thanks D for giving me the chance to come out with you.

This weeks hoop focus--

• remembering to work with both sides of my body, and spinning in both directions


• make the tricks I already know look more solid/fluid, rather than learning new tricks -aside from standing still shoulder hooping, I have to keep working on it bc its driving me a little crazy that I cant do it-


• adding grace, sexiness, thoughtfullness into my hoop dancing...


• 5ish second changes


• ISOLATIONS

Two Weekends of Hooping!

Last Saturday, I gathered with my hooping buddies in Yoyogi Koen. Some people came around 1, some people a bit later. We hooped all day in the park, and it was so much fun!! Love you ladies, thanks so much for coming! We had quite a few people join us for a bit of hooping, so its a good thing there were a couple of extra hoops. Maybe I am a bit selfish, but when I have my hoop, I don't always necessarily want to lend it out to everyone that wants to try it. Generally, I do it anyway, but I am thinking I really need to get at least two extra hoops just to lend out to those who who want to give it a whirl. The next day, I met with Kristen and Yuka and hooped for a couple of hours, but my body was definitely aching from the day before and even though I was trying to give it 100%, I was working at a maximum efficiency of 75%. I did, however by a sari at the Indian festival and spent some time hooping in it. It was beautiful, but a little difficult to hoop in!
I hooped two other times later in the week, working on some behind the back passes and the eagle -rolling over the back trick-. I think my MEGAhoop down on Saturday was a bit much for me. Left my body aching for a few days! Gotta listen to when my body is telling me to sloooooow down.
Today, Kristen, Yuka and I met again and I worked pretty hard on learning some new tricks. In the morning, I was with Nikichan in Chiba, and I successfully did the eagle several times! I was so excited!! So at the park, I worked on that one a bit more. The eagle evaded me in Yoyogi, the eagles prefers to fly in Chiba I suppose. But- at least I know I can do it! The other thing I worked on at the park was one-leg hooping and jumping back in from one leg hooping. I succesfully jumped back in and continued knee hooping TWO times today, at the very end of the day!!! YAY!! I am so, so, so SOOOO happy! It took a lot of hard work, and I have a nasty bruise on my knee from making mistakes and letting the hoop get down too far. The back of my knee is also swollen, but nothing is life threating and I think I will survive.
Other hooping updates-
I think I am going to switch to a smaller hoop for awhile, lots of tricks are easier for me with the smaller hoop. My one handed isolations are getting better! Shoulder hooping is still hit and miss, on days and off days. I still get nervous if I feel like too many people are watching me. I love to perform, used to do it all the time, so I wonder why this is making me so nervous. More practicing in Yoyogi should cure me of this. I really feel my back, arm, and shoulder muscles are getting stronger making many tricks easier. I am also becoming more flexible. aLsO---- I still LOVE HOOPING! Finally, I hope Deanne is having a great time in California, but I miss her and look forward to having her back in Tokyo!

One Week Hooping Hiatus

I decided spur of the moment -48 hours in advance- to head to Taiwan for my four day weekend. I had a fabulous time, but didn't bring my hoop with me. I wanted to take it, but this trip was my first time to travel to a different country on my own, and I was worried the the hoop might slow me down my travels, or be difficult to move around
So today was the first time I got to dance with it in a week. I did have a major break through today! I can sort of shoulder hoop! YAY-HAY! Super stoked!!!! This is the first time I have been able to shoulder hoop at all, without it instantly raising to my neck. I am still in the very beginning, and rough stage of shoulder hooping... looking a bit like Lurch from The Addams Family, but its a start.
I missed my hoop in Taiwan.
Maybe if I plan ahead of time, I can take my hoop on my next trip!

Inside my hooping head... something I would like to share. In Tokyo, I lost touch with myself a bit. It happened slowly, and I didn't even really realize it happened. Hooping has helped me reconnect to myself. Buying more fun and funky clothes again. Cut off my hair, and got a cool dye job. Started wearing more glitter again. And started dancing again... the kind of dancing that makes me feel happy inside, and warms up my heart.

PICTURES
First pic is me practicing the crane in The Martyrs Shrine.
Second pic is of me with Damper Baby in Taipei Tower.

Week 5.1 My Hoop Marathon and subsequent hoop hangover

Well, yesterday I hooped my heart out! Started out hooping at a HOOPLOVERS four hour workshop. After that, Kristen, Tracy and I decided we needed to hoop some more, so we headed on over to Shinjuku and hooped for another hour in Kabukicho. Grabbed some FANTASTIC Korean food, and a few beers and said good night! On the walk from the station to my house, I saw my little hooping spot, and had to just squeeze in another half an hour of hooping before I called it quits for the night. I feel asleep, a tired but very happy hooper! Check out Kristens website to see a short video she put together of our Shinjuku Hoop Adventure. MEDIA TINKER!

Accomplisments of the day on Sunday- am able to raise from my waist without widening my stance. Looking better. I realized part of my booty bump problem is that I was hunching my shoulders and back WAY to much. I looked the hunchback of Notre Dame. When I straighten out a bit, the booty bump improved alot. I learned how to raise over my head from the front of the hoop, and another way to drop the hoop onto my waist. I also tried foot hooping for the first time, and after hitting myself repeatedly in the face, and screaming and laughing a lot, I finally started to get it. What an ab workout that is!

The dynamic in class was really awesome, and I just felt so lucky to be there. So many women there, all joining together to hoop. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, and there was just a fabulous energy in the air. I havent laughed that much in a really long time. Thanks hoopers!! I was really impressed by how quickly some of the first time hoopers were picking up tricks. A bunch of hooping naturals in the group I think!

Today, I only managed about a 30 minute hoop, as my abs were killing me, as well as my back muscles. I worked a bit on left handed cowgirl, isolations, and some breaks. Then I just played around with my hoop, spinning it around on the ground and trying to make it roll in a circle and come back to me -didnt ever get that one, but it was fun trying-. Gotta work on the strength in my left arm. I can keep my right arm up all day, but my left arm gets tired after about two minutes.

Random Hooping Thoughts

I love how the word hoop can so easily be used in aliterations! Here I go, free feel to add as many as you like. These are ones I have thought of myself, or just heard other people use randomly. Most of them can be left open to interperation I think

• Hey Hooper! Hello Hooper! Howdy Hooper



• Happy Hooping



• Hooping Honeys



• Hoopers Heartbreak



• Hooping Hair



• Hoopers Heaven



• Hooping Hangover



• Hot Hooper



• Holiday Hooping



• Holistic Hooper



• Hardcore Hooping
• Hunchback Hooping

Week 5ish- Happy Hooper

Trying to keep this one short and sweet! I have been hooping three times in the last three days. Once Sunday for a sweet HoOpLovers hoop JAM! Was a bit late, got caught in the ran with no umbrella. Again, got to meet some new people, and I got to see the lovely Deanne, Mark and Kristen again. I really enjoy hooping with Kristen, and I have a good laugh with her. She seems to be as into hooping as I am. So arigatou Kristen!! I really enjoyed seeing the different styles of hoop dance that were happening in that studio. I really liked the hoop jam! HoopJamの人???　はい！！！
The last two evenings, I have hooped for about an hour each go. I have been a bit tired, as after I work I go to the gym. I walk home -takes about 20mins- eat a snack, and then go hoop at the park.
Yesterday, I spent the whole time working on my lower body. Feet work is what I will call it. Stepping to the left, or right. Throwing my hip out. Crossing my feet and spinning. I tried all sorts of stuff and it was a lot of fun. I was going to work on chest hooping, but my back was actually a bit sore so I decided to give it a rest. Tonight, I worked on knee to wasit raises - I can do it sometimes, and sometimes I cant. Something called a Pop Up, where you bend over and kind of swing it over your back - can do this now!!-, and waist to chest raises...... - DID THIS SUCCESSFULLY ABOUT 10 times!!!- My chic-a-dee in Chiba Niki who started hooping at the same time I did, gave me the hint to widen my stance to get the waist to chest raise. The advice totally worked! You rock Niki!
頑張ってHOOPERS!!
PS I have to add that my waist to chest raising looks absolutely ridiculous. I feel like Urkel from the 1990s American Family TV show FAMILY MATTERS. If you do not know who this is, please refer to the picture at the top of the post.

Week 4.2 Eaten Alive

First of all- I have to invest in some bug spray!! I was nearly eaten alive by mosiqotoes. I noticed a couple and got rid of them, but they were obviously just distracting me so that their friends could do some serious damage on my calves and shins.

Hooped for about two hours today and had a blast! Spent about 30 minutes dancing and 90 minutes working on some new and old tricks. I worked a bit on the continuous step through, didn't make much of an improvement on that one, but it was fun trying. Flailed around trying to vortex... and finally got it! Woo hoo! Hooped on my elbows a bit, and passed it back and forth between elbows. The sweat that I quickly generate out hooping, makes it a little hard to keep the hoop on my elbow and it flew off quite a few times, but I kind of have the hang of it. I tried to work on shoulder/chest hooping but I have a hard time keeping the hoop in the same spot. It always makes its way up to my neck... I am assuming that this is because I am shimmying my shoulders. I gave up on that, because as I mentioned in the post before, I have neck piercings and its not so healthy to neck hoop right now. I think I have decided to take them out... maybe this week.

ACCOMPLISHMENT of the DAY!

I am beginning to be able to raise from my knees to my waist! YATA! The only way I can do this is if the hoop is right above my knees. If the hoop drops to where it is actually spinning on my knee caps, or right below my knees- all bets are off. So I am sure there is way to get it up if it is on those spots, but I am not worried about that right now. I will take what ever small victory I can get!


A little ramble, if you will indulge... My lovely hoop is pink and blue. Its like cotton candy. I love it. My hoop must be sending some sort of vibe to my subconscious because... today, I decided to paint my toenails just in case I took my shoes off while I was hooping. I wanted to be able to look at my toenails without cringing at the old chipped paint. I painted my toenails pink and blue.... I didn't notice they matched my hoop til I was headed out the door. AND THEN- I was thinking of what I should wear hooping. I think to myself, lets try out that new mushroom shirt you bought in Harajuku the other day. Its sparkley, and cute and... the mushrooms are pink and blue also! Just so you all know, pink and blue are great colors but I have never gone out of my way to look for pink and blue things... My hoop and I must have a cosmic connection -hehehehehe!

Finally, I had a slight wardrobe failure today. The strings on my shirt kept catching on my hoop, and it took me forever to figure out that to solve this problem, I need only to tuck them into the shirt. My shoelaces wouldn't stay tied. Even after I double knotted them, I accidentally stepped on one and pulled the lace really tight on my foot and it hurt. And not so much to do with wardrobe... when I was trying to vortex, the hoop kept getting caught on my ponytail. Ohhhhh.... whoa is me!!!!

Week 4.1

A quick update while things are fresh in my mind. Went to another hoopGLOW class, and although I was trying hard.... I kind of let myself down. This was entirely my faultt a, as I went to the class tired... I probably should have canceled but I really thought I would pep up once I was there. I had enough steam for about the first hour of class, and then I just poot.... pewt.... phewssssssst.... ran out! I was really having fun focusing on moving my feet around more, and am feeling like I am getting closer to bringing my own natural dance style into the hoop. I was literally huffing and puffing after I was -feet focusing- and I think I just over did it.

I took some really positive things away from class today, even though I was SO tired. I really enjoyed watching everyone improve! Everyone is getting so much better. Its so great to be able to chat with other people about what is hard, and exchange little tips and bits of advice. Got to see some old faces, and made some new friends. Dinner after class was great! An awesome little vegetarian place in Shibuya. Thanks for inviting me guys!

Gonna work hard this week, and make up for me sleepy time hoop class!

PS I wore my Bruce Lee ring, and had full intentions of channeling him into my hooping-but the tiredness overrode the craziness that could have been a Bruce Lee Super Double Kick Hoop Trick. Next time.... oh yes, Bruce Lee hoop tricks are coming...