tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15493694904113417312024-03-23T13:08:54.491-05:00Confessions of a Blue Chair KaratekaThe chronicles of my journey in the art of Shotokan karate~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-33720966659751349082009-01-02T15:19:00.003-06:002009-01-02T15:38:11.746-06:00On My OwnWell, things have changed since my last post. I am back in Tennessee, so that's a good thing. But I'm not really close enough to my old dojo to return for training. And I no longer have my own personal Sensei to train with whenever the mood strikes. So that's a not so good thing.<br /><br />Another not so good thing is my current weight and fitness level. I've regained about 15 pounds since returning from Arizona. And I don't think I could do 10 pushups right now to save my life. And another not so good thing is the amount of time I've spent working out on my own in the last year - which would be none. <br /><br />So here's where I am. Alone. There are dojos in the area, but I don't exactly have the disposable income necessary to make any of those a viable option at this point. <br /><br />But I'm not throwing in the towel. On the contrary. I'm kicking my butt into gear and getting myself back in shape. I've been online refreshing my memory on all the kata I knew over a year ago, printing out diagrams to study at leisure. I'm hunting down old pilates dvds and dusting off my running shoes. It's a new year and it's time for me to get and stay healthy.<br /><br />I'm not making any resolutions. I'm doomed to fail if I say these are resolutions. But I am determined to change my habits. And I'm going to be posting here again in an effort to keep myself motivated.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-91854171379890465682007-12-28T10:29:00.000-06:002007-12-28T10:45:36.106-06:00it was good to be homeSensei-Hubby and I worked a visit to the dojo in to our holiday whirlwind tour last night. This morning I am becoming reaquainted with muscles I had forgotten existed. It's a good pain.<br /><br />We didn't get to see everyone of course. There were several people out of town or for whatever various and sundry reasons not there last night. To you I say, <em>we'll try again next year</em>.<br /><br />It was so good to train again. But I have to admit I'm very glad it was a self-defense focused class. I would have completely fallen all over myself trying to remember kata. Which brings me to another resolution to add to my list - find a space to practice kata and use it regularly. We really don't have the space in our apartment, even if we were to move all of the furniture out of a room. And there isn't any space in our fitness center that isn't taken up with some kind of exercise equipment. Maybe the parking lot? It's a bit more public a place than I would prefer, but anything is better than nothing. And I definitely need something.<br /><br />But I digress. The whole point of this post is just to say <em>thank you</em> to those who trained with us last night and <em>we miss you</em> to those who weren't able to be there. And <em>we love you</em> to the entire Bass Karate Center family. May the next year be a happy and prosperous one for you all.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-55285291648416333092007-11-02T16:12:00.000-05:002007-11-02T16:44:43.569-05:00Long Time, No PostSo it's been over a month since I've posted here. I guess I just haven't had much relevant material.<br /><br />Sensei-Hubby had a job offer that he just couldn't refuse. The potential was just too great to pass this up. So at the end of September, we packed it all up and moved over 1600 miles away from the life we knew. Saying goodbye to our dojo family was second only to our actual physical families in difficulty. The friends we had there were so good to us. The dojo was truly our home away from home. And Hanshi...we just couldn't have asked for a better friend and mentor.<br /><br />Understandably, starting over in a totally new environment knowing absolutely no one has been difficult. And probably a big part of the reason that I haven't posted here is that I just couldn't deal with the feelings of homesickness that thinking about our dojo family was bound to bring. Even now I'm not sure I'm really ready to start thinking about everyone we left behind.<br /><br />We haven't been able to track down any Shotokan schools in our area. The only dojo nearby that doesn't require contracts and so many months worth of dues up front is a Wado Ryu school. They have an amazing facility, but it just doesn't feel like a good fit. While there are several similarities in the styles, they are just different enough that I feel like I would have to start over at the beginning to really catch on. Shotokan is more power-focused, where Wado Ryu seems to be all about speed. <br /><br />So that's were we are right now. Maybe in a couple of years we'll be in a position to start our own Shotokan school up - at least there isn't any competition in that style around here. Until then, it looks like we're on our own.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-23303569100877191932007-09-16T20:24:00.000-05:002007-09-16T20:55:26.604-05:00Blackbelt Ceremony Pics<div style="width:400px; text-align: center;"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://w11.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/amberadams/karate/e2df9ca1.pbw" height="400" width="400"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/album/slideshow/wrapper_logo.gif" style="float:left;border-width: 0;" ></a><a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/amberadams/karate/?action=view¤t=e2df9ca1.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/album/slideshow/wrapper_viewshow.gif" style="float:right;border-width: 0;" ></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshow?action=landing" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/album/slideshow/wrapper_getyourown.gif" style="float:right;border-width: 0;" ></a></div>~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-60744677014950883552007-08-25T10:29:00.000-05:002007-08-25T10:29:20.315-05:00where to go from here?I've had a couple of comments asking about how my testing went, so I guess I could go ahead and update this blog. You may have noticed a change in the color scheme around here lately. That would be in honor of my new belt color. Yep - I passed my test for Shodan! I am a blackbelt! And I think I'm still suffering from Green-Belt Syndrome. But I may be beginning to recover. Evidently my sparring has made a marked improvement since testing, according to my sparring partners in class anyway. They say I seem much more confident now. I think it's just that I don't want a green belt whipping my tail up and down the mat. I mean, I <em>do</em> have a <em>little</em> pride.<br /><br />I was flawless on my written test right up to the last question. It was matching - match 5 terms to their translations. I mixed up Judo and Aikido. And had to guess on the other 3. And guessed wrong on every one of them.<br /><br />The actual test (physical) was shorter than I expected, thank goodness. I believe that the instructors based their decisions on some things on performance during classes.<br /><br />Achievement of Shodan rank is by no means indicative of my perfection. I was reminded of several things to focus on in future training (like the fact that my progressive roundhouse kicks are much better than my stationary roundhouse kicks). And I have an internal list much <em>much</em> longer of improvements to make.<br /><br />The next kata in our syllabus for me to learn is <a href="http://www.i-clps.com/karate/jion.html">Jion</a>. Sensei-Hubby and I are planning to go up to the dojo this afternoon and start on it.<br /><br />My personal goals as a blackbelt? I want to learn the Shotokan kata that aren't in our syllabus. The other kata in the Taikyoku series (we only do the first). The other Tekki kata (again, we only do the first). Bassai Sho. Kanku Sho. And of course, make those improvements to various techniques that are on my internal list (which I may blog in the future, but for now I'll keep that to myself).~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-6664732068392834012007-08-04T12:47:00.000-05:002007-08-04T12:55:30.794-05:00I could get used to thisRemember that <a href="http://bluechairconfessions.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-must-be-out-of-my-mind.html">leisurely stroll around the neighborhood </a>that Sensei-Hubby and I took a couple of weeks ago? We've decided to make a habit of it. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights after supper. That same loop around town. Approximately 3.5 miles round-trip. Throwing in some running at the end (planning to gradually increase the distance ran).<br /><br />And I'm loving it.<br /><br />I love spending that hour with Sensei-Hubby, talking about our days and whatever randomly pops into our heads as we walk around town. I love collapsing on the couch with our water bottles and finding something we've TiVo'd to watch together while we recouperate. I love having the energy to stay up and play video games or whatever, where before I would have fallen asleep on the couch until Hubby woke me up for bed. I love that I'm actually working toward a goal. And I love that Hubby is helping me to stay motivated.<br /><br />I needed this. For so many reasons. And I love that I'm loving it.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-59160723071851769412007-08-01T16:48:00.001-05:002007-08-01T17:09:53.642-05:00Time to ReviewHanshi told me after class last night that he wanted me to take my written test for shodan sometime next week. So it's time to make sure I can remember what I need to know.<br /><br /><strong><u>What I Know:</u></strong><br /><br />Karate started in India.<br /><br />Shotokan karate is from Japan.<br /><br />Gichin Funakoshi is considered the father of Shotokan karate.<br /><br />Funakoshi was from Okinawa.<br /><br />"Shotokan" means "whispering pines", and was Funakoshi's pen name for his poetry.<br /><br />Shotokan karate came to the United States after World War II via the Air Force.<br /><br />A kata is a series of offensive and defensive maneuvers performed in opposing directions.<br /><br /><strong><u>Japanese Terminology:</u></strong><br /><br />obi = belt<br />uke = block<br />zuki = punch<br />geri = kick<br />jodan = head-level<br />chudan = chest level<br />gedan = lower level<br />shuto = knife-hand block<br />bunkai = application of techniques from kata<br />zenkutsu dachi = front stance<br />kokutstu dachi = back stance<br />kiba dachi = horseback stance<br />kosa dachi = cross-legged stance<br /><br /><strong><u>Counting:</u></strong><br /><br />1 = ichi<br />2 = ni<br />3 = san<br />4 = shi<br />5 = go<br />6 = roku<br />7 = shichi<br />8 = hachi<br />9 = ku<br />10 = ju<br /><br />Besides white, the four belt colors at the Yamagawa dojo are yellow, green, brown, and black.<br /><br /><strong><u>Belt Ranks and Corresponding Kata (Yamagawa Dojo):</u></strong><br /><br />8th kyu = Taikyoku Shodan (First Cause)<br />7th kyu = Heian Shodan (Peaceful 1)<br />6th kyu = Heian Nidan (Peaceful 2)<br />5th kyu = Heian Sandan (Peaceful 3)<br />4th kyu = Heian Yondan (Peaceful 4)<br />3rd kyu = Heian Godan (Peaceful 5)<br />2nd kyu = Tekki Sho(dan) (Iron Knight)<br />1st kyu = Bassai Dai (Fortress)<br />1st dan = Kanku Dai (Looking to the Sky)<br /><br /><strong><u>Dojo Precepts (Yamagawa Dojo):</u></strong><br /><br />1. Always strive to achieve my best.<br />2. Never lose self control or act in a violent manner.<br />3. Learn to respect myself and others.<br />4. Always train with an open mind.<br />5. Remember: the true purpose of karate is to conquer oneself, not others.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-17727298925152561062007-07-18T06:33:00.000-05:002007-07-18T06:43:32.969-05:00yikes!Class was good last night. Rough because I'm out of practice, but good. We started off working our way through the kata. Hanshi had us make a sqare around the dojo facing inward so that we had to really focus on what we were doing while at the same time being totally aware of what was going on around us. Between each kata, we'd have to switch sides of the square - nobody faced the same direction 2 kata in a row. I did fairly well until we got up to Heian Godan - that one totally escaped my brain. I had to look it up after class before I remembered it was the one with the jump in it. Fortunately, we stopped before Kanku Dai. I'm only confident about the first 1/3 or so of the moves in that one yet.<br /><br />The last half of class was devoted to bunkai for Tekki Shodan. Very neat stuff.<br /><br />Hanshi told me last night that he wants me ready to test in August. Um...that's next month. Yeah. I'm terrified. Time to get majorly serious. Maybe this was just the kick in the gi pants I needed.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-43440944820103500542007-07-17T17:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T09:55:38.576-06:00I must be out of my mind8:30 P.M.<br /><br />Monday, July 16, 2007<br /><br />The Living Room<br /><br />Sensei-Hubby: "Wanna go for a walk? Maybe jog a little?"<br /><br />Why, oh why didn't I see it coming? I put my hair up in a ponytail, pulled on some jogging pants, give myself a few minutes to stretch and warm up, and we head out the door.<br /><br />And we walk.<br /><br />And we walk.<br /><br />And we walk some more.<br /><br />We walk for AN HOUR!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088293569842804946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="a short walk" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPc6i5XXEvFzjR-QuQKIV8vaAGhAxj_UHzMBjX62kIjhaADrAo9FtLnURGO9-qgpbhSrnYmjriPfHjYOX9_nrO36_NodGrJCleeAnr1q5qJPEfx44xZnPSyvYpueinelNNP6GaO9h_zw/s400/a+short+walk.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>The crazy thing about it? It wasn't that bad...and I'm actually thinking we could make a habit of it.</p>~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-1002494046050555922007-07-04T10:54:00.000-05:002007-07-04T11:01:47.690-05:00I'm still hereI had some minor health-related issues and some major laziness-related issues keeping me from karate lately, but I went back to class last night. I'm very much out of shape, but I'll get there again.<br /><br />You may have noticed (or you may not have, it's not a huge thing) that I removed my healthy blogger pledge from my sidebar. The reason? I haven't been doing the pushups. We're talking maybe twice since getting back from vacation in May. So there's no sense in advertising something that I'm not delivering.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-77629714111304146682007-06-12T20:41:00.000-05:002007-06-13T07:15:24.036-05:00different learning stylesAny Introductory Education textbook will tell you that not everyone learns the same way. Some people are auditory learners - all you have to do is TELL them how something is supposed to be and they've got it. Other people are tactile learners - these are the "learn by DOING" folks. Visual learners need to SEE the message you are trying to convey - these are the people who need to show ever single miniscule step in a math problem in order to get to the right answer. You can explain something until you are blue in the face, but if the person you are teaching is not an auditory learner, you're just wasting your breath.<br /><br /><br />I say all this to say that it is important for teachers (no matter what you teach) to include teaching methods that will touch base with all types of learners. Otherwise, you are going to end up leaving some very frustrated students behind.<br /><br /><br />I'm very much a visual learner. That's not to say I can't learn anything at all from someone explaining a technique. I can intellectually understand the concept (as long as you communicate your concept clearly). But until I actually SEE it in action, I don't completely understand. And after that, I become a tactile learner - repetition is my best friend. But if I never SEE it in the first place, there's very little chance that what I'm DOING is actually right.<br /><br />I feel incredibly incompetent after drills that I never catch on to because I can't see how I'm supposed to get where I'm supposed to be. And it's not the humble "there's always someone better out there" mindset of a good student. It's the "a first kyu should not be this big of a bumbling baffoon" mindset that only compounds the losing momentum issue.<br /><br />But I will not be defeated. I am going to practice this new thing until I have it down. Even if we never do that drill in class again, I WILL be able to do it. I'm tired of not finishing things.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-27305657897716127192007-06-05T06:38:00.000-05:002007-06-05T06:40:38.194-05:00losing momentumIt seems the closer I get to shodan testing, the less motivated I become. I really don't understand that at all; I should be more motivated with each passing day. I have to force myself to make it to class at least once a week. What is my deal?<br /><br /><br />It's not that I'm losing interest - believe me, I'm not. I think I'm just in a bit of a slump. I've been especially lethargic since the weather turned so hot and humid.<br /><br /><br />The thing is, I know it isn't <em>just</em> the weather. Karate isn't exactly the only endeavor I've ever lost momentum on in my life. I really should have predicted this all along. I'm a great "starter" - I just tend to not <em>finish</em> a lot of the things I start. I get distracted easily.<br /><br /><br />So I find myself in need of advice. Anybody else ever get like this? How do you keep yourself from losing steam? How do you snap yourself out of a slump?~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-73741940460644962722007-06-03T10:38:00.000-05:002007-06-03T10:55:49.770-05:00coming cleanIt's time to 'fess up. I haven't done a single pushup outside of class since we went on vacation. Until this morning. I just did 50 pushups (which covers comments posted in that time period and then some) and 20 crunches as added penance. Not all in one stream of motion, mind you. It went something like this:<br /><br />20 pushups, catch my breath,<br />20 crunches, catch my breath,<br />15 pushups, lie face down on the floor begging for death,<br />10 pushups, lie face down on the floor berating myself for insisting on so many after going so long without doing any,<br />5 pushups, lie flat until the cat climbs on my chest to check for a pulse.<br /><br />I'm going to do better. No more putting it off. From now on, pushups are a part of my morning routine - get up, check in to see how many I owe, pump 'em out, hit the shower.<br /><br />* * *<br />In other news, <a href="http://sketchesandmore.blogspot.com">Becky </a>tagged me for the restaurant meme, but I already did this one on my other blog, so I'll just <a href="http://mind-adrift.blogspot.com/2007/05/here-are-rules-1.html">link </a>to that. As far as tagging is concerned, if you have not done this meme and you want to, consider yourself tagged. There.<br /><br />* * *~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-26018264173208904222007-05-14T17:15:00.000-05:002007-05-14T17:45:17.038-05:00Interview MemeThis meme has been circulating the internet for a while now. Here are the rules if you'd like to play:<br /><br />1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview Me."<br />2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.<br />3. You will update your blog with the questions and answers.<br />4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview readers in the same post.<br />5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.<br /><br />Here are the questions <a href="http://www.blackbeltmama.com">Black Belt Mama </a>asked of me:<br /><br /><strong>1. What's the most important thing you've learned while taking karate?</strong><br /><br />I think the most important thing I've learned from karate is that <em>I can do it</em>. I am no longer the clumsy bookish 5 year old standing on the sidelines in the gym looking down at my feet and praying that I'm not picked for a team. Now I'm the slightly less clumsy bookish 26 year old standing on the front row in the dojo focusing straight ahead feeling confident that I can handle whatever this class has to offer me. It's a very empowering realization.<br /><br /><strong>2. What's it like being married to your teacher?</strong><br /><br />It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Honestly, I think it's great. Sometimes it's tough - there are times when I have to demonstrate an amazing amount of self-control because whatever he has said or done in class would have elicited a sarcastic comment or slap on the arm if it had happened at home. But he's also a great asset to my practice. If I get lost in a kata at home I don't have to look it up or wait until the next class; I can just ask him to run it with me. If I have a really hard day at work and feel the need to pummel something, I can ask him to take me to the dojo for a private sparring lesson (much better than snapping at work and beating one of the kids - not that I would ever actually do that...fantasize, sure, but never actually act on it). And if I start to get frustrated in class because I'm just not catching on to whatever technique we're working, he's right there to keep me calm, reminding me that we can always work on it later.<br /><br /><strong>3. What's the most difficult kata you've had to learn?</strong><br /><br />I'm currently learning Kanku Dai, and I can honestly say it's the hardest one to date. Simply because of the sheer number of techniques and length and the fact that it's really just a culmination of all the other katas - a piece of this one and a section of that one. It's really easy to get lost. The jump kick is kicking my butt, too.<br /><br /><strong>4. What's one thing in karate that you wish you could do better immediately?</strong><br /><br />Having that jump kick in Kanku Dai down would be sweet. But my gut reaction to this question is sparring. I just don't think fast enough on my feet to adapt to my opponent. I overthink the situation. I telegraph moves because I think about it too hard. I really wish it was a more natural thing for me than it is.<br /><br /><strong>5. How many kids do you want to have?</strong><br /><br />In high school I used to tell people that I wanted to be barefoot and pregnant for the rest of my child-bearing days. I have a brother and a sister myself, but they were so much older than me that I practically grew up as an only child. And while I had a very active imagination to compensate for the lack of playmates, I wanted (and still want) my kids to have siblings closer to their age. Working in childcare, I'm not quite in the same mindset as I was in high school. There are days when I am not sure I want <em>any</em> kids of my own anymore. But I remind myself that <em>my </em>kids won't be like those kids (right? Dear God in Heaven, PLEASE tell me I'm right!). Right now I'd say anywhere from 2 to 4, depending on our ability to provide for them. My desire to be able to be a stay-at-home mom will probably keep us on the lower end of that range, but that's ok by me.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-69003752426564356582007-05-13T07:17:00.000-05:002007-05-13T07:29:13.690-05:00I'm backSensei-Hubby and I reluctantly came home yesterday. This last week away from it all was exactly what we needed, but neither of us wanted to come back to reality.<br /><br />Our evening walks on the beach were definitely good exercise for our legs (my calves are still stiff). But our other fitness plans eluded us. We didn't once step foot in the resort's fitness center. Nor did we ever once make it to the beach at sunrise for kata (I tried Bassai Dai one morning when I got down there - it's a lot harder on the legs than you would think to do kata barefoot on the beach). And my pushups? Gotta be honest - not a single one.<br /><br />So, Exercising for Comments is back on! My pledge is to do 2 pushups for every comment you leave, in addition to the 20 pushups I am supposed to be doing for the BBMChallenge. I obviously need the sense of accountability I get from this project.<br /><br />Be gentle - it's been a while.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-14105651247812207532007-05-04T17:13:00.000-05:002007-05-04T17:31:34.423-05:00time for a breakNo, I'm not giving up on my exercise plan already. But as of this post, exercising for comments is on a hiatus. I will do 34 pushups tonight to take care of all comments posted prior to this entry. And I will continue to do at least 20 pushups every day for the next week. But Sensei-Hubby and I are finally taking our honeymoon and I will be limited in my blogging access. So exercising for comments will resume on Sunday, May 13th. Thanks to everyone for pitching in - and let's welcome <a href="http://stevebjj.blogspot.com/">Steve </a>and <a href="http://supergroup7shodan.blogspot.com/">supergroup7 </a>to my team of trainers! <br /><br />Hey, there's a benefit for commenters - I'll give you a shout-out here for some free publicity. Evidently more people read my blog than I thought, so helping me with my exercise plan helps you get visibility for your blog! Maybe I'll start doing a featured blogger of the week or something. I'll think on that while I'm gone...~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-10603839608782178672007-05-03T07:14:00.000-05:002008-12-09T09:55:38.977-06:00BruisesLast week I sparred with Sensei-Hubby just for practice. Two days in a row. And I still have the bruises to prove it. Let's just call them "reminders of what not to do." As in, "Do NOT try to block a kick from someone stronger than yourself - learn to sidestep!" Yep, I have a lovely purple spot on both forearms, though the one on the left is more pronounced. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9nWkdqb9zjmbBsmabJXBCcFe8Z8wVvYjfdgyVjCQigSCduzRrPOI0MCyxbwrF_5WN2QbXpkf7pRhzpUuKqKJS03gS4clK9ybKQAHXCA_6ezltplRyDRTriv4M-W21Rlwpq1iV2Oe8xk/s1600-h/SD532917.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060306915166391138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9nWkdqb9zjmbBsmabJXBCcFe8Z8wVvYjfdgyVjCQigSCduzRrPOI0MCyxbwrF_5WN2QbXpkf7pRhzpUuKqKJS03gS4clK9ybKQAHXCA_6ezltplRyDRTriv4M-W21Rlwpq1iV2Oe8xk/s320/SD532917.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-63028352863427631252007-05-02T18:00:00.000-05:002007-05-02T18:19:34.136-05:00Ow!Y'all, my abs are killing me today!<br /><br />Class last night was intense - definitely a great class, but intense. We broke into two groups and worked on building combinations. One group focused solely on hand techniques and the other group focused on kicks. Then we switched. Then Shihan Tracy called out random numbers and we worked out a combination of that many techniques. My brain was struggling to keep up.<br /><br /><br />I teased Gary that he was trying to keep me from my pushups with all those hand techniques. But I did my 28 pushups and then crawled to bed.<br /><br />I've been pretty stiff all day today. Add that to the bruises on my forearms from sparring with Sensei-Hubby last week, and people are going to start thinking I am a battered wife.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-58528433528065727142007-05-01T17:28:00.000-05:002007-05-01T17:36:08.624-05:00Thanks...I ThinkI'd like to take this opportunity to thank Gary, <a href="http://sketchesandmore.blogspot.com">Becky</a>, <a href="http://matschitoryu.blogspot.com/">Mat</a>, and of course <a href="http://senseiadams.blogspot.com">Sensei-Hubby</a> for lending some support to my plan to exercise for comments. I did 24 pushups Sunday and a whopping 34 pushups yesterday (although, to be perfectly honest, I did have to stop twice yesterday to avoid passing out).<br /><br />I would like to also take this opportunity to thank everyone for NOT commenting today - 20 pushups should be a piece of cake after yesterday!~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-6607565003474856142007-04-29T07:44:00.000-05:002007-04-29T08:00:13.099-05:00Update on Exercising for CommentsMaybe I'm overestimating my readership. I don't track this blog's stats, so I really have no clue how many people stumble into this little corner of cyberspace.<br /><br />So I'm amending my <a href="http://bluechairconfessions.blogspot.com/2007/04/will-exercise-for-comments.html">Healthy Blogger Pledge</a>.<br /><br />I will still do 2 pushups for every comment on this blog. But that will be on top of the 20 that I was supposed to be doing for the <a href="http://blackbeltmama.typepad.com/black_belt_mama/2006/08/black_belt_mama.html">BBM Fitness Challenge </a>anyway. I haven't been keeping up with that for a while now.<br /><br />So instead of completely depending on you guys (however few there may be) to dictate the amount of exercise I get, I'm only depending on you guys to tell me how many <em><strong>extra</strong></em> pushups to do each day. Like I said before, I know I'm gonna have to do at least 50 pushups at black belt testing, so help me get to the point where I can actually do it! Help me build stamina! Please?~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-75666495363035001102007-04-28T05:36:00.000-05:002007-04-29T08:00:06.596-05:00Will Exercise For CommentsI found an interesting sidebar item on a few blogs I've visited this week, and it was just such a good idea that I thought I could use it here. The idea is to equate comments posted to my blog with exercise of some variety. As soon as I hear back from <a href="http://bmiers.blogspot.com/">Barbara </a>about the problems I'm having with the blogroll code, I'll have the blogroll up in my sidebar.<br /><br /><div align="left">So here is my Healthy Blogger Pledge:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><em>For every comment posted to my blog, I will do 2 push-ups.</em></strong> That's right: for the amount of energy it takes you to to add a comment to my blog, I will expend enough energy for not one, but TWO push-ups!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I figured I really needed to be working on my upper-body strength between now and black belt testing. I know I'll have to be able to do at least 50 push-ups without passing out or throwing up on the mat, and right now 20 is a struggle for me. So here is your chance to help me prepare!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div>~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-23561476796569507832007-04-26T16:36:00.000-05:002007-04-26T17:00:49.597-05:00Traditional Class and Other ThingsTuesday night we had a "traditional" training session. Right down to everyone on their knees sweeping down the mat before class. I really liked it. Kicks are so much easier (yet challenging at the same time) when you have a real live body to aim at. Blocks have so much more snap and power when they are actually blocking punches. We did progressive jodan, chudan, and gedan uke. We did progressive shuto uke and backward progressive (would that be considered regressive?) shuto uke. We did progressive mae geri, mawashi gerri, and yoku geri. And the brown and black belts even did progressive jump kicks (tobi geri). And I didn't fall flat on my face. My biggest problem with the progressives was my mawatte - I don't know if I was over-stepping or under-stepping or what, but I always seemed to need to jump-switch. I really would like to do these "traditional" classes more often. Once a month would be nice to start off with.<br /><br />In the category of "Other Things" for this post, I tested for my next rank after class Tuesday night and am now, as you can see from the graphic above the blog entries on this page, a FIRST KYU! Yikes!!! How did that happen?<br /><br />The next 4 months are all about building endurance. It would be rather embarrassing to throw up all over the mat during the black belt test.~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-31888906670997940452007-04-21T17:28:00.000-05:002007-04-21T17:41:55.326-05:00Instructors' TrainingWe had a professional photographer come to our dojo today - you know, the kind that makes athletic trading cards and posters and fake magazine covers with your pic on them? Yeah. Hubby and I posed together, and Hanshi told me to grab a black belt from the cabinet for the pics. He said it would be silly, as close as I am to my black belt, to have these pics done with a brown belt on. And since he's the head cheese, I didn't have a problem with posing as a black belt for pics. He even wanted me in the group shot he had made of all the instructors. Guess that means I'm definitely being groomed to teach.<br /><br />After our group shot, since we were all there, Hanshi wanted to train for a while. We ran kata up through Kanku Dai and did a little fine tuning on each kata. It's so easy to get into bad habits and slip in moves that weren't there before, and then other people see you do it and think that's how it's supposed to be done. So today was a good chance for us to ask Hanshi about some of those things and make sure all the instructors were teaching things the same way. It was an awesome class!~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-84681021786144211362007-04-20T17:45:00.000-05:002007-04-29T08:00:01.063-05:00SparringLast night was a sparring class. The whole hour. Now, I'm far from the greatest fan of sparring in the known universe. Since I started karate, sparring was just something I "had" to do, something to be endured. And I'm not exactly ready to jump up and down and cheer "Hurray! We're sparring!" But maybe I don't quite <em>loathe</em> sparring anymore.<br /><br />I got to spar with one of the other brown belts - she and I have been paired up every sparring class for quite some time now, so we kind of saw it coming this time. We've sparred each other so much that we tend to mirror each other during matches. We'll throw the same technique at the same time and then try to adjust the exact same way every time. It's kind of funny. But this time, we didn't do so much of that. Hubby says that's because we've gotten to know each other's sparring well enough to trust each other, making it easier for us to try to mix things up and try new things.<br /><br />I also sparred one of the teenage green belts. I think I did a pretty good job of taking lessons learned from my first match and applying them in my second. I did have a pretty stupid moment or 2 in my second match where I just kind of stood there like a dope and let her pound me. I honestly don't have a clue what I was doing. I heard Hanshi say "hajime" and just stood there watching her come at me and I didn't move. She also got a pretty kick in to the back of my head because I ducked a punch instead of blocking or sidestepping.<br /><br />We've got some yellow belts that absolutely terrify me. It's like clash of the titans! These guys are big guys, and much faster than you expect them to be. I'm thinking they'll turn out to be great sparring partners once they get some control (please, Lord, let them work on control!!!)~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1549369490411341731.post-57700015570177939172007-03-27T06:54:00.001-05:002007-04-29T08:00:01.064-05:00progressWith the new training schedule at the dojo, Monday nights for adults are pretty much an opportunity to practice on an open mat. If there is a surplus of instructors, you might be able to get a little private instruction. Last night I worked on Kanku Dai, and then I had a chance to practice my sparring. Our ranking brown belt was there and we geared up for some freestyle sparring. Thanks for the help, Gary! I needed the practice...I can't remember the last time I sparred as a part of class. I think I was pulled out of class to test the last time...or maybe to help with a lower belt's kata. I vaguely remember gearing up and not getting to spar at all that night.<br /><br />Anyway, I know Gary was holding back, but my sparring skills are definitely improving. I was actually committing to moves and showing confidence. I feel like I do the same 3 or 4 moves over and over again (side kick, middle punch, backfist combo), but I guess if it occassionally lands I shouldn't worry too much about it, huh?~Amber~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00864364637418366263noreply@blogger.com2