Confessions of a Blue Chair Karateka

On My Own

2009-01-02T15:19:00.003-06:00

Well, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

it was good to be home

2007-12-28T10:29:00.000-06:00

Sensei-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.

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, we'll try again next year.

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.

But I digress. The whole point of this post is just to say thank you to those who trained with us last night and we miss you to those who weren't able to be there. And we love you to the entire Bass Karate Center family. May the next year be a happy and prosperous one for you all.

Long Time, No Post

2007-11-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

So it's been over a month since I've posted here. I guess I just haven't had much relevant material.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Blackbelt Ceremony Pics

2007-09-16T20:24:00.000-05:00

where to go from here?

2007-08-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

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 do have a little pride.

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.

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.

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 much longer of improvements to make.

The next kata in our syllabus for me to learn is Jion. Sensei-Hubby and I are planning to go up to the dojo this afternoon and start on it.

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).

I could get used to this

2007-08-04T12:47:00.000-05:00

Remember that leisurely stroll around the neighborhood 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).

And I'm loving it.

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.

I needed this. For so many reasons. And I love that I'm loving it.

Time to Review

2007-08-01T16:48:00.001-05:00

Hanshi 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.

What I Know:

Karate started in India.

Shotokan karate is from Japan.

Gichin Funakoshi is considered the father of Shotokan karate.

Funakoshi was from Okinawa.

"Shotokan" means "whispering pines", and was Funakoshi's pen name for his poetry.

Shotokan karate came to the United States after World War II via the Air Force.

A kata is a series of offensive and defensive maneuvers performed in opposing directions.

Japanese Terminology:

obi = belt
uke = block
zuki = punch
geri = kick
jodan = head-level
chudan = chest level
gedan = lower level
shuto = knife-hand block
bunkai = application of techniques from kata
zenkutsu dachi = front stance
kokutstu dachi = back stance
kiba dachi = horseback stance
kosa dachi = cross-legged stance

Counting:

1 = ichi
2 = ni
3 = san
4 = shi
5 = go
6 = roku
7 = shichi
8 = hachi
9 = ku
10 = ju

Besides white, the four belt colors at the Yamagawa dojo are yellow, green, brown, and black.

Belt Ranks and Corresponding Kata (Yamagawa Dojo):

8th kyu = Taikyoku Shodan (First Cause)
7th kyu = Heian Shodan (Peaceful 1)
6th kyu = Heian Nidan (Peaceful 2)
5th kyu = Heian Sandan (Peaceful 3)
4th kyu = Heian Yondan (Peaceful 4)
3rd kyu = Heian Godan (Peaceful 5)
2nd kyu = Tekki Sho(dan) (Iron Knight)
1st kyu = Bassai Dai (Fortress)
1st dan = Kanku Dai (Looking to the Sky)

Dojo Precepts (Yamagawa Dojo):

1. Always strive to achieve my best.
2. Never lose self control or act in a violent manner.
3. Learn to respect myself and others.
4. Always train with an open mind.
5. Remember: the true purpose of karate is to conquer oneself, not others.

yikes!

2007-07-18T06:33:00.000-05:00

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.

The last half of class was devoted to bunkai for Tekki Shodan. Very neat stuff.

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.

I must be out of my mind

2007-07-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

8:30 P.M.

Monday, July 16, 2007

The Living Room

Sensei-Hubby: "Wanna go for a walk? Maybe jog a little?"

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.

And we walk.

And we walk.

And we walk some more.

We walk for AN HOUR!

The crazy thing about it? It wasn't that bad...and I'm actually thinking we could make a habit of it.

I'm still here

2007-07-04T10:54:00.000-05:00

I 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.

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.

different learning styles

2007-06-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

Any 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

losing momentum

2007-06-05T06:38:00.000-05:00

It 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?

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.

The thing is, I know it isn't just 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 finish a lot of the things I start. I get distracted easily.

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?

coming clean

2007-06-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

It'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:

20 pushups, catch my breath,
20 crunches, catch my breath,
15 pushups, lie face down on the floor begging for death,
10 pushups, lie face down on the floor berating myself for insisting on so many after going so long without doing any,
5 pushups, lie flat until the cat climbs on my chest to check for a pulse.

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.

* * *
In other news, Becky tagged me for the restaurant meme, but I already did this one on my other blog, so I'll just link to that. As far as tagging is concerned, if you have not done this meme and you want to, consider yourself tagged. There.

* * *

Interview Meme

2007-05-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

This meme has been circulating the internet for a while now. Here are the rules if you'd like to play:

1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview Me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the questions and answers.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview readers in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Here are the questions Black Belt Mama asked of me:

1. What's the most important thing you've learned while taking karate?

I think the most important thing I've learned from karate is that I can do it. 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.

2. What's it like being married to your teacher?

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.

3. What's the most difficult kata you've had to learn?

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.

4. What's one thing in karate that you wish you could do better immediately?

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.

5. How many kids do you want to have?

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 any kids of my own anymore. But I remind myself that my 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.

I'm back

2007-05-13T07:17:00.000-05:00

Sensei-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.

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.

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.

Be gentle - it's been a while.

time for a break

2007-05-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

No, 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 Steve and supergroup7 to my team of trainers!

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...

Bruises

2007-05-03T07:14:00.000-05:00

Last 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.

Ow!

2007-05-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Y'all, my abs are killing me today!

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.

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.

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.

Thanks...I Think

2007-05-01T17:28:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Gary, Becky, Mat, and of course Sensei-Hubby 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).

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!

Update on Exercising for Comments

2007-04-29T07:44:00.000-05:00

Maybe 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.

So I'm amending my Healthy Blogger Pledge.

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 BBM Fitness Challenge anyway. I haven't been keeping up with that for a while now.

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 extra 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?

Will Exercise For Comments

2007-04-28T05:36:00.000-05:00

I 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 Barbara about the problems I'm having with the blogroll code, I'll have the blogroll up in my sidebar.

So here is my Healthy Blogger Pledge:

For every comment posted to my blog, I will do 2 push-ups. 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!

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!

Traditional Class and Other Things

2007-04-26T16:36:00.000-05:00

Tuesday 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.

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?

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.

Instructors' Training

2007-04-21T17:28:00.000-05:00

We 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.

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!

Sparring

2007-04-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

Last 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 loathe sparring anymore.

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.

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.

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!!!)

progress

2007-03-27T06:54:00.001-05:00

With 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.

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?

updating the dojo

2007-03-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

I found that pic at ROFLCats and I love it!

More changes at the dojo lately - we cleared out our "reception hall" area and now have a 3rd training floor! It's not as big a space as the other 2, but that's still space we couldn't use to train in before. Also, the 8-9pm class has been cut. There just weren't enough people showing up to train. So now there are 3 classes running from 7-8pm. Great for those nights when we're just getting going good and it's time to close class. Now we can stay late and keep working without being in the way of another class.

I have begun learning Kanku Dai. That kata terrifies me. Not really anything in particular about the kata, just the idea of actually having to run it. See, Kanku Dai is probably the kata I saw the most in that one year span of spectating before I decided to jump in and play along. And it's such a beautiful kata - when performed correctly. I just want to be able to do it justice. And that ugly old Green Belt Syndrome is back to whisper in my ear that I won't.

In other karate news, I suck at judging sparring. I just can't focus on everything all at once. It's all happening too fast. That's the same reason I suck at sparring. So that's another skill to add to my list of skills that I need to make vast improvements on.

board breaks, bed of nails, and Bassai Dai

2007-02-21T06:49:00.000-06:00

I should have taken my camera to karate last night. Or at least my phone. Hanshi got the boards out. I know that board breaking is a recent American addition to the martial arts, and not an ancient training technique or anything, but I can see some benefits to trying it on occassion. It's an excellent way to demonstrate the importance of proper technique and focus.

Hanshi also broke out his bed of nails last night. Yes, our Hanshi has his very own bed of nails. And he does lay directly on it. And he has people break concrete blocks on his chest while he's there. Sometimes I wonder just how deranged the man is ;)

Second class was small, and Hanshi decided not to run us the full hour. It was a kata class, and Hanshi told me my techniques on Bassai Dai were "textbook." Considering I only started really learning this kata in January, I was on cloud nine about that. I need to start focusing on the rhythm and tempo of the kata now.

Hanshi wants to start up a system at the dojo where he will certify certain people to teach certain things. Like katas. Certify 2 or 3 people to teach a specific kata, and those 2 or 3 will be the resident "experts" on that kata. It's a really neat idea. Last night he told me when he starts certifying people he wants to certify me on Bassai Dai. Wow.

Bassai Dai video

2007-02-18T08:49:00.000-06:00

This is Sensei Hubby running Bassai Dai "our way." I had to use the video function on my digital camera and, seeing as my memory card is only 64mb, he had to rush a bit. I managed to get everything except the last move - it's a shuto.

different doesn't mean wrong

2007-02-02T14:54:00.000-06:00

I've been doing some web-surfing looking for videos and diagrams of Bassai Dai. Just trying to cram my brain full of it so that maybe some of it will stick in there. Anyway, I've noticed some subtle differences from the way our dojo performs this kata. What struck me as odd was, every video that was different from us was the same different. So I compared and contrasted and tried to make sense of it all. Here is one of the videos I found (since they all ran the kata the same, I won't bother posting them all. A simple search for "bassai dai" at youtube will pull them all up for you though).

The first real deviation from the way that we do it that I noticed was right before the "stutter-step" (step # 14 at Cory Searcy's tutorial page). We chamber our fists at our hips first. Then bring both arms up in a rising block, lift right knee , bring arms down (in what amounts to a collar bone smash, I believe - but I could be wrong there) at the same time the right foot comes down, step forward & punch left, step forward & punch right.

The next difference is after the heel-palm strike (Cory Searcy's step #19-20). We bring the feet together (attention stance) and set the fists in a cup and saucer position on the left hip. Throw an outward crescent kick (right leg) before the first U-punch (he calls it a mountain punch in step # 21). Attention stance, cup and saucer right. Left leg outward crescent, u-punch. Attention stance, cup and saucer left. Right leg outward crescent, u-punch, turn. See, we do 3 kicks. In all the videos, and Cory Searcy's tutorial, those aren't actually kicks, and they don't do one before the first u-punch.

The other big difference I saw was at the end. The videos show step forward, shuto; move right leg back (whereas the right leg was the front foot in your back stance, it is now your back foot) while hands remain in that first shuto; step up to left foot, chamber for shuto, step forward (left foot again) and shuto. The end. The difference for us is, when we move our right leg back, we move our hands into a low shuto. Which actually makes a lot more sense to me than just stepping back and not moving your hands. It's a wasted move in my opinion. Possibly one of those things the Japanese intentionally taught Americans wrong?

promoted!

2007-01-26T06:59:00.000-06:00

Yay me! 2nd kyu!

Next kata to drill into my head?

Bassai Dai

Yikes.

mixed reviews

2007-01-19T06:22:00.000-06:00

Well, I went back to class last night. I kind of missed staying home and lazing about, but it was good to be back.

It amazed me how easily I got through the warm-up (granted, it wasn't a torturous warm-up last night). I did struggle with the 20 push-ups...yeah, I'm not exactly keeping up with that BBMC, am I? But the tsuki punches, the jodan uke, chudan uke, gedan uke...it was like I had never been gone. They just flowed naturally.

Kata? Well, let's just say I'm a little rusty. My turns were wobbly. My snap was non-existant. my shutos were atrocious. My kicks were severely lacking proper form. My timing was off. And that was on the kata I remembered! Well, there's always room for improvement, right? At least I know what I'll be working on in the coming months, while others are preparing for tournament.

Sensei-Hubby taught the kids during the 7pm class, and he borrowed me to assist him with some self-defense demonstrations. That was fun. We would demonstrate a technique and then he would have one child come up and perform the technique. The kids got to beat up on Yoshi Amber. They are good, though. I do not envy any would-be abductors who target these kids.

After the 7pm class, I opted to sit out of the 8pm class. I really felt like I needed to run kata on my own some more. So I went into an empty training room and ran kata, starting from the beginning of my knowledge base and going as far up as I know. I ran kata until I thought I was going to fall down dead. I also helped a yellow belt who had some questions about Heian Nidan.

Tuesday will be better. I can feel it.

I'm still here

2007-01-16T18:05:00.000-06:00

I think it's been a month now since I've been to class. First I was sick. Then the dojo was closed for Christmas. Then Sensei-Hubby had the Vulcan death flu. Now it's a combination of lack of transportation (due to Sensei-Hubby's meetings this month), schedule conflicts (due to obligations with my job), and sheer laziness. Yes, you heard me. Laziness.

It's just so easy to stay home and rest. No hassle with laundry or grabbing something fast for supper. A nice leisurely night at home.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not quitting. I haven't lost interest. I think I just needed to take some time away from it for a while. I'm hoping I'll find myself enjoying it even more when I go back - and I WILL go back. This Thursday, barring catastrophe of one variety or another.

But now I'm nervous about going back. I'm due to test for 2nd kyu this month, but I really don't feel ready. Of course, staying home isn't exactly getting me ready, huh?

Tekki Sho

2006-12-15T17:14:00.000-06:00

Constructive criticism is welcome, but please don't just say "you suck."

back in the saddle again

2006-12-15T16:44:00.000-06:00

I'm finally back! Bronchitis/nasty cold/whatever the crap else I had has officially been kicked in the butt.

I did both hours of class last night. Sensei-Hubby started out the first class with what he affectionately calls a "burnout." Jumping jacks, push-ups, more jumping jacks, crunches, more jumping jacks...and I can't remember if that's it or if there are more crunches (I tend to kind of black out in there somewhere). After that I told him I would never cook for him again (and just Wednesday night I made his favorite - enchiladas).

After the warm-up, we worked on a sparring technique - the left-right punch. Get your left hand up in the opponent's face and punch with the right hand before they can see it coming. It's a fairly simple concept, and reasonably easy to get down in drills. But getting the brain to remember to do it in an actual match is another thing entirely.

After the sparring drills we played Ring of Fire - I only got to spar once, but it was alright. I got to watch our newer adult students, and they are fast! "Mighty Mouse" (as Hanshi calls her) is downright vicious! Definite potential in all our lower belts. Toward the end of class, Hanshi jumped in the game and sparred a few of the under belts - even though he shouldn't have with his knee messed up like it is. It was a fun class.

Second class was another sparring class! Only this time, legs only. We had to tuck our hands in our belts behind us and use only kicks (blocking with elbows and shoulders). I have a rug burn on my left elbow from rubbing against someone's gi when blocking a kick. And I was afraid I may have done serious damage to my right ankle. I went to kick and so did my opponent, and I caught his knee in the bend of my foot. It's ok though, just a little bruised.

All in all, very good night last night. I'm so glad to be back!

dojo work day

2006-12-03T08:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a dojo work day. We had a few projects that needed finishing, and it was time to get the Christmas decorations out and up. I got to the dojo around 9am, and things were already buzzing. We cleared out a room that never really had a clear purpose, and we christened it Hanshi's tool room. Which meant we could finally get all the tools out of the lower cabinets in the kitchen! So that logically lead to a new project - clean up the kitchen. Shelf paper up in the cabinets, refrigerator scrubbed clean. Mrs. Hanshi claimed one project as her own and didn't want anyone helping - the instructors' lounge. So she put down the flooring (those rubber mat puzzle-piece tiles) in that room and that bathroom. And of course, it's not a dojo work day if the guys can't play with power tools. So the main course on the project menu was installing our new Focusmaster stations.

Then we got the Christmas decorations out. Shihan Tracy and I put up the tree, and Sensei-Hubby and Hanshi helped me with the train.

The village in the window looks awesome under a black light!

We finally called it a day and headed home around 10 last night. Planning on going back this afternoon to finish decorating.

I miss karate

2006-12-02T08:14:00.000-06:00

I don't think I've actually trained in nearly a month. I had a miserable cold that turned into bronchitis right before Thanksgiving, and when I tried to run kata Monday night during kids' class, I ended up in a barking fit, so I couldn't do weapons night either. But I did get some good pics and video of the kids' class this week.

Let me just tell you, I love watching Hanshi working with the new students - especially the kids. He's just so much fun, but there's still this air about him that even a child understands demands respect.

Sensei-Hubby demonstrates aikido

2006-11-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

our instructors made the local paper this week

2006-10-26T06:21:00.000-05:00

Karate offers kicks for all ages

Photo by Ed Farrell/Independent

Tracy Bass, left, a fifth-degree black belt in karate, and her father, Bob Bass, an eighth-degree black belt and owner of the Bob Bass School of Karate, gave a demonstration Saturday morning to the residents of the Southern Oaks Assisted Living Center. The karate masters showed residents about stretching, gentle exercise, proper breathing and Chi energy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Just a short little blurb in the lifestyles section of a weekly county paper, but any good publicity is good publicity, right? I didn't go to the assisted living center, but Tracy said they were so sweet.

one outta three ain't bad

2006-10-24T07:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the running thing - it's not happening. I just can't make myself do it.

And the pushups every morning? Well, they haven't been happening.

But the fast food thing? I'm so proud of me on this one! Didn't make it the first week, but last week I made it to Saturday before eating fast food! And so far so good this week.

Small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Anyway, I'm dropping the running from my weekly goal.

RAWR!

2006-10-13T06:53:00.000-05:00

Last night I made it through both hours of class. During the first class, Hanshi C had us working on kick combinations. Very good strategic exercise - he didn't tell us what kicks to use or which of the three bags to take out first, only that we had to use kicks - and that we should try to get two kicks off of one foot before planting it and kicking with the other. So it was up to us to decide what combinations would be best depending on where the bags were in relation to us. Afer kick combos, we split up into pairs and worked kata with the lower ranks. I worked with a new yellow belt on Heian Nidan and Heian Sandan. She's doing very well.

Sensei-Hubby was in charge of second class. Started off with kata - ran up through Heian Yondan. Then he said "gear up."

See, Sensei-Hubby has this sparring game he likes to pull out that he calls "the ring of fire." We all get in a circle around the dojo, and 2 people spar free-style in the middle of the circle for about a minute, at which time whoever is referee-ing calls "open." This means anyone from the circle can call "break" and choose which person (one of the two who have just been sparring) they would like to spar. Once everyone has had a chance to spar, anyone can challenge anyone.

So Sensei-Hubby started off sparring one of our new yellow belts. And when Hanshi C called "open," I thought to myself, "Self (that's what I call myself), Sensei-Hubby would be a wonderful sparring partner - he won't go easy on you, but he won't beat the crap out of you either." So I called "break" and asked to spar him. I wasn't sure I would be allowed, because family members are typically not allowed to spar each other at our dojo (mostly due to the tendency of siblings to continue the sparring match at home). But last night was my lucky night.

Y'all, I actually enjoyed sparring last night. I was just on. I remembered to use my feet, I remembered to throw combinations. Yeah, I forgot to keep my eyes open the whole time (I flinch a lot when I'm sparring), and I forgot to sidestep a time or two (one of his kicks got me square in the ribs). But overall, I consider last night's sparring to be a vast improvement from the last time I sparred.

I got to spar Sensei-Hubby and one of the green belts before class was over, and had just decided to challenge that yellow belt Sensei-Hubby had sparred first when we were told to gear down. It was time to close out class already! Sparring nights always seem to just drag on forever for me, but last night I was like "Seriously? It can't be 9 already!"

Maybe this sparring business isn't so bad after all.

stick with it

2006-10-08T13:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I never got back to my pushups after I was down with that stomach bug. And I've gained a lot more weight than I realized. So it's time to light a fire under my tushie and get moving. And, even though I haven't stuck with my challenge, I'm adding to it already.

1. Pushups - 20 every morning before I start this computer nonsense.

2. Fast food - is now a thing of the past. I haven't cooked a real meal on a regular basis in I don't know how long. It's just so convenient to swing by McDonald's or Taco Bell on the way to the dojo or on the way home. Well, that stops now. I bought plenty of groceries at Walmart last night, so I'm limiting fast food to one meal a week.

3. Running - Sensei-hubby and I did really well with our plan to run on non-karate nights for about a week and a half. Time to start that up again too. So Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday nights I'm running - with or without Sensei-hubby. Starting today.

I'm doing this for real this time. No more of this starting out with good intentions and fizzling out crap. I've got 40 pounds to get rid off and just talking about doing this stuff isn't gonna get it gone.

Confucious Say...

2006-10-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." ~ Confucius

You can talk me through a kata I'm unfamiliar with all day long, and while you are talking, I can stumble my way through it. But then set me loose to run it completely alone, and I am lost.

You can run a kata I am unfamiliar with so that I can watch you, and I may be able to mimic as a parrot would with words, but it still is not permanently embedded in my mind.

If I'm really going to understand the techniques in the kata, run the kata beside me. Stop me at random points and show me the bunkai for a specific technique. Technique without application is pointless. Explain the why to me, and the how will stick forever.

This is one of the many things I love about our dojo. The why is explained. It's not just punch - kick - block repetition. We are allowed and encouraged to ask for an explanation of the why of any technique.

Week in Review

2006-09-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Monday Night

Weapons! I love weapons night! At our dojo weapons training is totally optional. Anyone green belt and higher is welcome to come to weapons class and pick a weapon to train with. I chose bokken the first night, with the intent to eventually work sword and fan together (which is a huge goal for me and my coordination-deficit body). Monday night when we started class, Hanshi asked each student what weapon they wanted to work on, and divided the class appropriately. Short weapons (sais, kamas, nunchaku, and the like) in our original training area, and longer weapons (bos and swords) in the new training room (the ceiling is higher in there). So Sensei-Hubby and I take our bokken and begin to review what we had previously learned - shomen strike and block and tenkan. Then along comes Hanshi. He points to the wall, where he has a rack of several live blades, and says "pick one and come on." What? Was he serious? Absolutely. See, he wanted to teach Iaido, and it's a bit difficult to really get that down with a bokken. So we practiced drawing, striking, and resheathing our swords. It was fun, but very difficult to do properly without looking at the sword.

Tuesday Night

I only did the first class Tuesday night, because Hanshi-C wore me out. An hour of kicks. Front leg mae geri, yoko geri, and ushiro geri. At the end of class he was talking about jump-spinning crescent kicks. After class, I respectfully suggested the purchase and installation of a harness for that one.

Thursday Night

I trained in both classes Thursday night. First class started out with kata. We split the class up, and Hanshi C worked with me on perfecting Heian Godan. There were a few places in the kata where I needed to solidify my stances. Like after the jump. I bobble. I just need to slow down a little and focus on the technique instead of trying to force the speed. I'll get there.

Then we partnered up for some sanbon kumite for a while. I really need to start remembering to pull back my block when I counter...I'm not getting that reverse body torque.

We finished first class with self defense against knife attacks. Forgive me for not knowing the official terms for these techniques. The first one we did was for an attacker facing you pointing the knife in your face. You put your hands up in a "Oh please don't hurt me" kind of way. Then you snap your hands in - one hits the attacker's arm just behind the wrist, the other hits his hand. Knocks the knife right out of his hand (if you do it right of course). I love that one. The other technique we worked on was defense from a knife thrust. Inward block, tai sabaki, grab attacker's wrist, tai sabaki back, and lock the shoulder to bring him down. That one's fun, too.

Second class was a lot of kata. Hanshi started with having us form a square. He then threw several scraps of paper onto the floor inside the square. Each scrap had the name of a kata on it. We took turns picking a scrap and performing that kata. Hanshi said that in traditional tournaments you don't get to pick your own kata. The judges look at your rank and determine what kata you should know and you randomly draw from a selection of those kata. I was the last one to have a turn, and I ended up with Tekki Shodan. One of the other new brown belts had drawn that one before me and requested another draw because we have not learned that kata yet. I could have done the same, but I have been studying on my own (one of the advantages of being married to a Sensei) and wanted to see if I could do it. Before I even began, Hanshi praised me for being the only one to perform my kata correctly. Everyone else had faced the mirror, with their backs to Hanshi. I faced Hanshi. In all honesty, I only did it because in Tekki Shodan you face the same direction the whole way through and I wanted to be able to see Hanshi's face to gauge how I was doing. But it felt good to be pointed out to the blackbelts for doing something they should have done. Anyway, I went very slowly, but I made it through the kata without forgetting any moves. I just need to keep myself from "dancing" through half of it.

After that little exercise, we split up for kata. Hanshi and one of the blackbelts worked with me and another brown belt on Tekki Shodan. Then just for fun he ran us through Empi. He got a good laugh out of my "jump." It's a 360 degree turn in mid air, so instead of attempting the jump, I just slid back to where the others were landing. I got there - and I didn't break my neck in the process.

About 40 minutes into class, Hanshi tells us to have a seat in our little sitting area (we have those blue chairs and a couch at one end of the dojo for parents to sit and watch class) He ended class with a history lesson - how karate came to America. Post-war Japan, Funakoshi saying karate was an "art" so that he could continue to teach it, the American GIs training in the dojos, and then bringing it back to the west coast when they returned home. Hanshi loves history and loves to talk, so it was a great way to cool down and still learn something.

And that's my dojo week in review.

The Twenty Precepts of Gichin Funakoshi

2006-09-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

1. Karate-do begins and ends with a bow (courtesy).
2. There is no first attack (move) in karate. (In karate the initiative does not exist).

3. Karate is a great assistance (an aid) to justice.

4. First you must know (control) yourself, then you can know (control) others.

5. Spirit is more important than technique.

6. Always be ready to release your mind.

7. Misfortunes arise out of negligence (laziness).

8. Do not think that karate training is only in the dojo.

9. It will take your entire life to learn karate.

10. Put your everyday living into karate (put karate into everything you do) and you will find "myo" (the subtle secrets, the ideal state of existence, exquisite beauty).

11. Karate is like hot water; if you do not heat it constantly, it will again become cool water.

12. Do not think about winning; think rather that you do not have to lose.

13. Move (change) according to (depending on) your opponent. (Victory depends on your ability to distinguish vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.)

14. The secret of combat resides in the art of directing it (clever fighting, trying every strategy).

15. Think of the hands and feet as swords.

16. When you leave home, think that you have numerous opponents waiting for you. (It is your behavior that invites trouble from them.)

17. Beginners must master basic stances; natural body positions are for the advanced.

18. Practicing karate correctly is one thing; engaging in a real fight is another.

19. Do not forget to correctly apply: light and heavy application of power, expansion and contraction of the body, and slowness and speed of techniques.

20. Devise at all times. (Always think and devise ways to live the Precepts every day.)

This Has Been A Test...

2006-09-19T21:23:00.000-05:00

of the emergency broadcasting system (or something). We will return you to your regularly scheduled excercise program...

Next week.

I think I'd be ok to go back to training now. The tummy seems to be back to normal, and solid foods are once again agreeing with me. But there's a tournament Saturday, and since I'm definitely not up for that yet, I think I should wait to go back to the dojo until next week. Besides, I was taught from an early age to share, and I shared my tummy bug with Sensei-Hubby...so I need to nurse him back to health now.

As for the BBMC, I'll get back to my pushups...well, I was going to say next week, but if I put it off I never will get back to it, so...tomorrow.

Minor Setback

2006-09-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

No pushups today...but it's not my fault. Really! There's a stomach bug going around the preschool where I work. Yesterday it found it's way into my classroom, and last night it followed me home :( If I feel better tomorrow I'll do 20 in the a.m. and another 20 in the p.m. to make up for it. And if I don't feel better tomorrow...well, at least I'm losing weight.

Taking Stock

2006-09-14T17:55:00.000-05:00

Kata! Here's what I know:

Taikyoku Shodan

Heian Shodan

Heian Nidan

Heian Sandan

Heian Yondan

Heian Godan

And here's what I'm supposed to know well enough to test with it in January:

Tekki Shodan

It's a short kata, with a straight line embusen. I shouldn't have as much trouble remembering how it goes as I do. But I've got time to get the muscle memory going. I just hope I am officially taught the kata soon. That would be nice to do tonight...maybe if there isn't too much focus on tournament training.

signs of aging

2006-09-11T05:57:00.000-05:00

Is it a bad thing when your shoulders pop with every pushup? It certainly doesn't feel (or sound) like a good thing.

Any Suggestions?

2006-09-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

I've spent the day looking for some kind of goal-tracker I can add to this site to help me with the BBM Challenge. The only thing so far that is close to what I want is the exercise ticker from tickerfactory.com. I don't know if it's my technological handicap or what, but I can't figure out how to update it without creating a new ticker each day. What I'm really looking for is a chart or something that I can put on my sidebar and add a checkmark or smiley or star for each day I do my pushups. Anyone know of any tools like that? I wish I had enough programming know-how to just do it myself.

BTW - I did my pushups this morning! First thing!

Getting Specific

2006-09-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

Alternate Title: I suck

So I have yet to do a single pushup outside of the dojo. So it's time to work out the specifics.

Goal: 20 pushups/day

Plan: drop and give me 20 first thing in the morning. Before I even check my email or catch up on all those blogs I lurk around. This will involve not hitting the snooze button on the alarm so as to not cut into my computer time during the work week.

Reward: If I've managed to make it through the whole week without skipping my pushups even once, I'll reward myself with a single scoop from Baskin Robbins on Saturday night. Not the healthiest choice, I'm sure. But maybe it will motivate me.

So that's the new plan. I need to find a sticker chart or something I can post on here to keep track of it - something someone besides me or my hubby will see to keep me on track.

Gee, rewards and sticker charts - guess you all know I'm a preschool teacher now, huh?

Best Defense - No Be There

2006-09-08T05:52:00.000-05:00

So far, being a brown belt is fun. We worked self-defense from multiple attackers last night. Hanshi started off by pulling 4 blackbelt guys and one brown belt guy onto the mat and positioning them in a circle. Then he called one of the blackbelt girls into the center of the circle. He said for the guys to attack and for her to defend - but he didn't tell her what techniques to use. I was thinking oh, no...he's gonna make us all fight from inside the circle and I have no clue what to do! Fortunately, by the time he called me out there, I had been able to watch a few blackbelts and work out a battle plan. Don't wait for the attackers to make the first move. You are surrounded, and the guys are obviously aggressive. Take out the biggest threat first. Go for a kick to the knee to take him down. It'll make the others think twice about coming after you. Don't stop moving. Rechamber and keep kicking. Defensive side kicks are a beautiful thing. Throw that baby up there and watch the guy run himself right into it. Don't be worried about keeping kicks high - on the street you'll want to aim for knee or groin, not head.

So anyway, I did pretty well. I know I suprised myself...and I'm pretty sure I even suprised Sensei-Hubby and Hanshi, too.

But of course, after we all had a turn, Hanshi took the center. And reminded us that "best defense - no be there." Size up your attackers. Pick the weakest link. As they move in on you, you slip past the weak link. You are no longer in the battle zone, and they are tripping over each other. It's actually rather amusing to watch - especially when he gives you the slow motion instant replay.

One of the blackbelts took a pretty tough kick to the floating rib while playing the part of an attacker. He's a fairly new blackbelt, and only 10 or 11 years old. And he tends to be a bit of a...well, ok, forget bit of a, he tends to be a big fat crybaby. So of course, the minute the kick landed, we all braced ourselves as he doubled over, screamed, and hit the floor. But then he did something that suprised us all. He calmed himself down and picked himself up. Hanshi reminded him to breathe. And he was good to go in under 2 minutes. I was so proud of him.

We have a tournament coming up soon. I don't know if I really want to compete in this one or not. It kind of sneaked up on me. Last tournament I picked the kata I wanted to run and worked it nonstop for over a month. Took second in my division. This time, I'm not even sure which kata I want to do. And I'm really nervous about being in the brown belt division. I don't know that I'll really be able to compete.

One thing is certain - I am not the slightest bit unsure of whether or not to spar at tournament. That's a great big resounding NO. I know I'm trying to better my sparring, but that's gonna happen in our dojo, not at a tournament where everyone is out to prove themselves and nobody cares about showing control. Besides, I've seen too many sparring matches at these tournaments that were not called fairly. "Point here for the perfected 'stop foot with chest' technique!" No thank you. I'm trying to boost my confidence in my sparring.

movin' on up

2006-09-06T06:37:00.000-05:00

I am now officially a sankyu! Got my brown belt just in time for the fall fashions - hah!

In BBM Challenge-related news, I haven't done pushups outside of the dojo yet. Yeah, I know. That's bad. And I didn't get to spar last night in class, even though I was actually half-way looking forward to it.

Last night was Sensei Rita's last night with us at the dojo. She's off to college and I am sad. She was one of the few that I enjoyed sparring with, because she showed control without just standing there and letting me score. She helped me learn. I'm gonna miss her.

Anyway, we had a suprise bon voyage party for her after class last night, so Hanshi pulled me and the other green belt who was due to test to the other training room. After he saw our kata, he asked us to set up for the party, so that's what I did the rest of class.

So, now I'm a brown belt. It's time to step up to the plate. I'm not sure I'm ready for this.

Tuesday's Gone

2006-08-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

God heard my silly little notion of starting to do pushups every day. And He laughed long and hard. Right in my face.

I went to both hours of karate last night. First class was pretty light - during the warmup we only did 10 pushups, but hey, that's 10 more than I had done all day. Then the color-belts paired up and we worked on our kicks for a while, then ran kata for a bit. Then I got to work with the white belts who were learning their first kata, Taikyoku Shodan. It was a good class, and I really enjoyed working with the white belts.

Then second class starts. One of the newer blackbelts was chosen by Hanshi to start us off with some warmups. Started with a few stretches. And then it happened. "Everybody down - pushup position!" Now as a general rule, when we are going to do pushups during our warmup whoever is in charge of the warmup will just tell us how many to do and to do them on our own. Any time we start pushups without being told a number, and with the warmup leader counting them out for us, that's a red flag for me. Someone must be missing Sensei Charles. And sure enough, after 10 pushups, the dreaded next line was uttered - "everybody over on your back!" Time for crunches. 10 of 'em. Followed by 9 pushups. Followed by 9 crunches. Followed by 8 pushups. Followed by 8 crunches. Followed by 7 pushups. 7 crunches. 6 pushups. 6 crunches. 5 pushups. 5 crunches. 4 pushups. 4 crunches. 3 pushups. 3 crunches. 2 pushups. 2 crunches. 1 pushup. 1 crunch. Pass out. Yep - it was a Big Ten. At least last night we got to stop after the 6 crunches. I don't think I could have made it much farther. But that's, what, 40 pushups? So I did 50 last night!

We worked some self-defense second class and I paired up with one of the white belts. I have a newfound respect (not that I didn't already respect them muy mucho) for the upperbelts after last night. Usually, the upperbelts will pair off with the white belts, and being as close as I am to my brown belt testing, I felt it was time to step up to the plate on that one. I had forgotten how little control white belts as a general rule are capable of showing when they are first learning a self-defense move. My sides and armpits are still hurting from this girl's elbows. But she was definitely getting the technique, and that's what's important, right?

We did some sanbon kumite, and again I paired up with this same white belt. She had never run sparring drills before, but she caught on quickly. And I got to work on my sidestepping, which is one of my major issues with sparring. So I guess I got to work on both of my goals last night, huh?

After the kumite portion of the night, Hanshi broke us up for kata. Blackbelts ran Jion, while Hanchi took the rest of us aside for a "reality check" - we each got the chance to run our kata on our own for him to critique. I have some tweaking to do on a couple of my stances, but other than that, he was pretty pleased with me (and so was I). One of the brown belts was running Tekki Shodan, and he started off wrong - he went left instead of right. Hanshi looks over to me and mouths "is that right?" He thought I should know - he had forgotten I don't know that kata yet!

The Challenge

2006-08-28T17:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, Black Belt Mama has issued the challenge:

"The challenge is simple. I am challenging each and every one of my readers, and anyone else who might be interested, to change at least one thing in their life to improve their physical fitness. "

In light of my last post, my goal is two-fold.

#1 - Improve my sparring. This seems like a rather broad goal, but my game plan is to choose sparring every time we are given an option for activities in class. I absolutely hate sparring, and as a general rule avoid it every opportunity I get. Making the conscious decision to spar instead of running kata is going to helpmy performance in the ring.

#2 - Push-ups every day. My upper body strength is next to non-existant. I struggle just pushing out 20 in class, and by the time I test for my blackbelt, I'll have to be able to pump out 50. Granted, I have a year to do it, but if I don't start now, I never will.

Green Belt Syndrome

2006-08-28T16:59:00.000-05:00

As a white belt, or even a yellow belt, no one really expects all that much of you. Show up and try. Just do the best you can do (which is all anyone can do, regardless of rank). It's up to you to push yourself beyond what you think your best is and become better. Your sensei isn't going to do that for you, because YOU are the only one who knows exactly where your limits are. Your sensei may challenge your preconceived notions, but he is not going to demand anything of you other than that you strive to perform to the best of your ability.

If you haven't challenged yourself to achieve a better "best" by the time you become a green belt, you are going to have problems. At this point, your sensei IS going to expect more of you. His demands have not changed, but his standards have.

This is the time in the journey where the self-esteem issues return. You are no longer a beginner. And so, in your mind, you should no longer struggle whith the same things you struggled with as a beginner. You should be past all that.

Sensei-Hubby has affectionately termed this phenomenon "Green Belt Syndrome," and says that every green belt worthy of their belt rank experiences it. He would probably show some concern about any green belt who didn't express some degree of feeling inadequate.

This is the point in my journey at which I feel I should no longer have weak or shallow stances. My blocks should be textbook. My kicks should land exactly where I aim them. My kata should be pretty darn near to picture perfect. I should be able to score at least one point in a 5-point sparring match. But in my mind's eye, I don't measure up to any of these expectations.

I think my major issue as far as Green Belt Syndrome is concerned is sparring. I suck. Badly. It's sad. And I don't want to blame others for my inadequacies, but I know that a part of the problem lies with the people I spar. It seems I usually end up against one of two types. The first - the "go easy on her" type. It's blatantly obvious (in my mind at least) that they aren't even trying against me. They want me to feel good about sparring, so they just stand there and let me land everything I throw at them. The other type isn't any better - they "show no mercy" type. They get in the ring and wipe the floor with me before I can even assume a fighting stance. No control. No consideration to the fact that I am still learning the basics of sparring.

By no means do I want anyone to take it easy on me in the sparring ring. But a blackbelt has no business going full-force against a green belt. Ever. Period.

Okay, time to step down off the soapbox. Sorry about that. I had a rather negative sparring experience last week and I guess I needed to vent a bit.

There are a few among our number at the dojo who do not fit into either category that I've complained about. The precious few. But I can't get used to only sparring the ones that help me learn without going easy on me. I need to be able to get in the ring with anyone at the dojo at any given time and at least not shut down completely.

I will be testing for my first brown belt within the next month. And I can shake enough of the Green Belt Syndrome out of my system to be able to say that my kata is up to par. My blocks and most of my kicks are acceptable. Adequate, even. But my sparring is still not past yellow-belt level. I really don't think that's the Green Belt Syndrome talking. I feel that is an accurate assessment of my ability in the sparring ring. And it's not good enough. It's not acceptable.

Suprising Myself

2006-08-26T09:21:00.000-05:00

I had actually paid attention during my year of observing classes before actually taking the plunge myself. And that translated into some things flowing fairly naturally for me. I still had major issues with my self-esteem when it came to athletics. So I made a deal with Sensei-hubby. We would work together before class and at home, so I wouldn't end up having to do anything for the first time in front of anyone but him. Front snap kicks, roundhouse kicks, side kicks, punches, blocks, C-steps, progressives, simple combinations, the early kata. I learned them all in our private lessons before I learned them in class. Gradually our private workouts became fewer and farther apart. And before I realized it, I was doing things for the first time in class. And it didn't bother me. Somewhere along the way, my brain talked my emotional psyche into believing what I knew all along: nobody out there in the class is really paying any attention to how you look doing what you're doing - they are all too busy trying to keep themselves from looking ridiculous in front of the others. Once I embraced that reality, things got easier.

And then I became a green belt.

The Journey Begins

2005-07-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

I didn't work up the nerve to begin my journey in the martial arts until I was 24 years old. A part of my hesitance stemmed from my rather un-athletic childhood. One of my earliest memories is a day in kindergarten P.E. class near the beginning of the school year. The P.E. teacher, the middle school's basketball coach, told me "it's a good thing you are book-smart, because you'll never make it as an athlete." Funny how just one small thoughtless comment can have such a tremendous impact on the self-esteem of a child.

All throughought my education, I did only the bare minimum physical activity necessary to advance. I never really put forth any effort in games of elimination - I was always one of the first out in dodge-ball, capture the flag, and games of that sort. As long as I started the game, it didn't matter how long I stayed in; I had participated, and participation was all that was necessary to get the grade.

In high school, I only needed one physical actvity credit to graduate. I literally walked my way through that semester. I took P.E. with the girls' volleyball team. The coach used the time as extra practice, and anyone who was not on the team needed only to stay moving to get the grade.

In college, I again needed only one physical activity credit to meet my general education requirements for my degree. I started to take Beginning Tumbling, but I cracked an ankle that semester (completely unrelated to the tumbling class...my lack of physical activity during my childhood didn't exactly hone my coordination skills). I quickly dropped the class before I could be flunked for my absences and lack of participation. I ended up with a credit from another class that counted for my P.E. on a technicality.

Anyway, you get the picture, right? I have never been the athletic type.

And then my husband decided to get back into karate. He had taken some form of martial art since he was about 8 years old, but once he started college that part of his life kind of fell to the wayside. Four years into our marriage, he decided to revive that facet of his life. There happens to be a wonderful little dojo right here in town. So he signed up for classes, and I started watching. I would go with him most nights and sit in one of the blue chairs where parents of child karatekan waited with their books and cell phones, passing the time until it was time to drive their little karate kids home. And I watched. I listened. I got to know the people there. I was welcomed into the dojo family with such warmth. And everyone kept encouraging me to start classes for myself. It took them a year, but little by little they chipped away at the chains that held me back, and I became a "blue chair karateka"...an observer-turned-student.