Checkerboard Drills

The morning air pulled me out of the house, so I followed the sidewalk down to the neighborhood park. Tucked under the sycamore trees, a concrete picnic table had a worn ceramic chessboard inlaid into the stone. Near the center square stood a solitary carved wooden pawn, smoothed from years of play. It made an ideal marker. Raising my gloved hands into a steady guard, I dropped low and drilled a sequence of quick lateral pivots, stepping cleanly across the checkered grid. The soles of my boots gripped the chilled stone with every shift as I circled my silent wooden sparring partner. After several tight circuits, my balance felt sharp and my joints completely limber. #Tifa