Sh!ma

We matched. Karate Camp 2009

This past weekend was Karate camp. It’s an annual tradition: we go up to some sort of facilities and practice karate for the whole weekend, Seriously! I haven’t been up to Karate camp in a while now. The last time I went we were still going up to UofT’s Hart House farm in Orangeville. The last two years the club has been trying new places. This year, the club decided to check out the facilities at the Salvation Army Camp grounds at Jackson’s point. It was perfect! This is the first time that camp had showering facilities! The Hart House farm had no showers, so to wash up we would jump into a freezing lake, do a few strokes and call it a day.

The last time I went to camp, I wasn’t engaged, and while Ali and I had both moved out and were living with our Significant Others we would see each other quiet often. Today, Ali is in another city with a baby and a mortgage and I’m a proper adult with a job. So, it was really a nice treat to be at Karate camp with Ali. On Saturday when we changed into our normal clothes we realized that we had warn matching outfits (no, I don’t mean our white karate gis!). And that’s when I knew that no matter how much our lives change, we’ll still be very similar in so many ways. I’ll put up a picture shortly, because I’m not making this up.

I just can't compete with a 14 year old teenage boy

Four days later and this is still kind of bugging me. After my brother moved to Barrie, I decided that on Saturdays I would lead the half-hour exercises with the kids. At first I tried to do the things he was doing with them, albeit a lot toned down physically. Things stayed the same for the first six months, but I found that all the instructors had to continuously tell the kids to keep moving and doing the exercises, just like before. It was never really fun doing that. So then I had a few weeks of crazy work hours and didn’t get to go teach as often. That hectic period last for about two months. In mid-January I was ready to go back. This time I decided that I was going to try something new. I was going to make it fun. The point was to have all the students doing the exercises. So I toned down everything even more than before, and made it into a playful game where we’d pretend we were Olympic athletes, or basketball players, or soccer players etc. So every week it would be a different sport and we’d do drills related to those sports. I thought it was going really well. I had all the kids participating and not complaining, and most importantly they were having fun. But then last weekend one of my kids told me he wasn’t getting much of a work out. And yes, I could have turned it back on him and told him that the onus is on him to work harder if he finds the exercises aren’t hard enough. But I didn’t. Anyways, I’m at a cross point; do I keep doing ‘fun’ exercises or do I go back to being the drill sergeant? I guess I could always take a little from column A and a little from column B, but the truth of the matter is that I’m just not fit enough to lead a class that is fun and hard. (I have tremendous respect for all the fitness leaders that talk during their exercises and don’t break out a sweat.) But is that fair to the class? Am I impeding them from reaching their potential? I don’t want to be that teacher. I’m also not as inspirational as the main teacher, so I can’t even give the whole “you should work harder” talk with the kids. It would seem so phony coming from me.

I have three more days to figure this out. I don’t know what this says about me as an individual. Do I love teaching karate so much that I think about it for days and days, or if I’m just an obsessive compulsive person, or that I want to please everyone, or that I’m just not fit!

Hey, I know Him!

I’m so glad that I can finally say I know an athlete on the Olympic Team! Sasha use to do Judo at the same YMCA as us. The classes would run at the same time as ours and over the years we all got to know his brother and dad and him. It’s nice to see someone who’s trained so hard and for so long to make it to the Olympics! Also, as a footnote, I think any serious athlete needs to move to Quebec. Forget about all the other provinces that don’t even think about giving you funding or supporting you so you can concentrate on doing well in your sport.

speedos and swim caps

My great return to the adult’s karate class was a success and (after reminiscing about swimming classes with a few friends today) I’ve decided I will continue getting back in shape by including swimming in my workout regiment. Mind you I haven’t swam in over 6 years and I’m not even sure my swimsuit will even fit me!

My first pedicure

Being the big tomboy that I am was I never had the desire to have someone peal all the hard earned calluses [from karate] off my foot. So it’s not a big surprise that my first pedicure only happened today. It only happened because a) my friends bought me a gift certificate and b)The wedding is coming up. I’m not sure I will do it again. It didn’t hurt that much, but it felt a little unnatural. Maybe if I go more often then it wouldn’t feel so unnatural. So anyways my feet are all nice and smooth and have very little calluses, which is going to be an interesting experience when I go back to karate next week. I’ll have to make sure to buy a huge bag of epsom salt to soak my blistered feet when I get back from class. Fun!

An experiment in Exercising

I’m going to try an experiement out: exercising for the sake of exercising. I haven’t done that in 100% ernest since first year. That’s when I had a crazy regiment I kept to until I met Ram, then things went down hill. Sure, I try to go to karate three times a week, but that’s way too much fun, and it doesn’t seem right to count that as exercising. So I’m going to try to take advantage of the small, yet sufficient, gym in the Condo.

The goal is to work out the nights I’m not at karate. Like tonight. Damn work takes too much time out of my life.

The youth portion of the adult's class

I’ve been feeling real old the last few weeks and not because I’m now a year older than last year, but our karate club’s format has changed slightly. We now have a youth division in the adult’s class, which means everyone under 18 splits up from the rest of the class after warm ups and do their own thing. Being over 18, I am stuck with the older folks, and it hit me today: When did I become not a youth?! I remember not too long ago I was the youngest kid in the adult’s class. Now, I’m just one of those old people. Sigh. I want to be young again. Plus the youth class looks like it’s a lot more physical than the normal adults class, and I can stand to be a bit more fit. Maybe I’ll ask to train with the youth… hm.. wonder how that would fly.

I had an elaborate post planned about getting my 2nd Dan

But there isn’t much to say other than I got my second Dan. I’m really happy about that, but I’m even more happy that I didn’t step back and I blocked my face and.. and.. and… I caught my partner’s foot as she kicked and I didn’t get yelled at! (I did have to fight twice, but Ali ended up being my partner for partner works which is more than I could have asked for.) I think in some ways I’m more proud of my fighting than getting my second Dan! Go figure!

I’m going to bed. These last few months have been exhausting to say the least.

(Also, everyone else did very well as well. I never sit there and just them doing karate, so gradings provides a rare opportunity to see everyone perform at their best and do they ever perform. They were all so good! I’m seriously proud of them!)

If it's not one thing, it's another

Everything was going super well. Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever felt so confident until 4:55 pm yesterday (before then I had even gotten a so-so from Sensei the day before – which loosely translate to “you understand what I taught and you are now performing the technique satisfactory enough for me to not correct you). Anyways, just before 5 Sensei told us to do light sparing. I did as I was told. He walked around and ended near Sara and I. He watched us for what seemed like forever. And stopped us. Told me I shouldn’t move back so much and move to the side. At least it wasn’t “BLOCK YOUR FACE”. So we keep on fighting, he goes around and comes back and watches us for another eternity. Stops us and tells me to make the distance between us smaller. Laughs and walks away. God, that’s not a good sign. He didn’t watch anyone else. Sempai said he was watching Sara more than me, since he doesn’t really know her. Although I think that is some what true, I think he was also watching me. Seriously, that was heartbreaking because I know for one thing Sensei doesn’t just make up his decision regarding grading in those two hours (2:30 – 4:30 today), he watches you the whole time he’s here. So yeah, I was a bit upset yesterday. I still don’t know who my partner will be and now there’s three people I could potentially be fighting with. My goal for today is not to have him yell at me about my fighting, which is the last thing on the grading. So I just have to get through everything okay and then do super awesome in the fighting portion. We’ll see.

Day two of the Winter clinic

Sanaz and I are both worried that we are going to end up with one super leg and one super lame leg! You see for Kushanku*, which is a Kata) we have to do for the grading, you do a series of rather difficult movies but all the strain is mostly on one leg. And by the end of repeating the Kata a bunch of times super slow and then fast your muscles are burning and crying for you to stop, but you can’t stop because you’re in class and there is a zero tolerance rule. So you do it over and over again and with each repetition you feel your leg muscles getting bigger and bigger.. Ew. Yeah.

Day two was just as interesting. Sensei is really concentrating on the Dan grading syllabus. I believe it’s because this is the first time that 10 people are doing their Dan grading all together from our club. The most it’s ever been has been 7 people and that was the last time I graded, over 5 years ago. So he’s going over all the partner works and combinations and basics. Which is great, except I’m the bastard child, with no designated partner.. anymore. Well, I have a designated partner but her real partner is someone else, so she’s been working with him.. and well I have to work with the random brown belts. errr. And my own Sensei isn’t even sure that she’ll be my partner. On Sunday they’ll let me know who it’ll be. gee, thanks! A dan grading is stressful enough, I really really don’t need the added stress of not knowing who my partner is until just before grading begins!

We practiced Pinan Shodan* a bit today, so I think that will be the surprise Kata for the Dan grading. I think the last few gradings have been Pinan Yondan*. I don’t have a preference for either one, and both have similar transitions to Kushanku in them that can be easily mistaken so the chances of messing up are looking pretty good.

I think everyone is feeling the pressure to perform. I’m making myself sick thinking about grading.. oh boy.. Imagine writing an exam you’re not completely prepared for and multiply that by a 100 and you’ll know how I’m feeling right now. For those of you who don’t get worried or nervous, than lucky you.

*the link to the Katas are the ones I could find for now, but we do our Katas a little bit differently, and by different I mean we do a lot like how Sensei Shiomitsu does it. But for now you get the idea.

I *heart* Sensei Shiomitsu

Honestly, the man is a genius. It helps just a tad bit that he is an old cute Japanese man too. Every time he runs a clinic for us it’s an amazing experience and I wish more people were able to experience it.

The fact that my partner for partner works was changed at the last minute, or that some of the partner works have been revised, or the big bruise on my ankle, or the fact that I may not pass my grading means nothing when Sensei Shiomitsu is around. He’s just such an awesome Sensei.

You just need a super awesome title, me thinks

I wrote my essay yesterday over a period of an hour and half, and at first I thought I’d have less than 300 words, which got some shocked looks and questionable emails from others, but I ended up with just less than 600 words. (I don’t have time to write a 3000 word essay! Seriously!)

The essay isn’t great, and it only scratches the surface of Karate and my life, but I’m not going for my 3rd Dan and the essay is better than what I probably wrote for my 1st Dan. So I think it should be okay. Maybe I’ll post it here once I’m ready to hand it in.. tomorrow.

It's not always about Karate

Leading up to this week, Ali and I have had a very strict mostly strict schedule of training. And we’ve made it to the gym 5-6 out of 7 days every week. But this week, it’s going to be a little less crazy. Ali dictates when/where we train. I’m fine with that. He knows a lot more than I do. So on Friday when I called him to ask him when we were going to meet to train that night, he said that we should take some time off and let our bodies heal and not push too much now that we’re in the final few days. I’m super lazy so it was music to my ears to not have to train for a day plus I have a huge project due on Tuesday that I was happy to spend the next 36 still counting hours on it.

Today was another story. We met but I didn’t train much. Maybe my mind was on my project, maybe my body was just tired of the training, maybe I’m not sure I should grade. Tomorrow is another day. I may take Wednesday off to write my essay. I may

What you missed on Thursday was important

Just got home from Karate. I had one of the worst teaching days ever. I just wasn’t into it and I had one kid sit out the whole time, because I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with him. I’ve never done that. I usually talk to the kid before it escalates to a level where I have to kick them out. But my instructional class went pretty well, though I was so tired by the end of just doing the basics at full speed. How will I do it on Sunday?

While we practiced on our own I was told I’ll be fighting with two people, the only other person who has to fight two people is Ali. First things first, I hate fighting to a point where I usually opt out of it at any chance I get. It’s not that I’m scared of getting hit or anything, I just never really got into it. Though I’m started to enjoy it a bit more. Anyhow, my fighting skills are not up to par with any of the other black belts, since most all of them go to competitions and fight whereas I just fight in the dojo. So, Sensei told me today that he has paired us up with a designated partner for the fighting component of the grading. I don’t usually like fighting the two people who I’ve been paired up with since I’m not comfortable fighting with them. One of them is so out there, and I can’t bring myself to score on the other one. That’s all fine and dandy, I can get my self mentally prepared to fight them, but I’m no good at blocking my face and not too long ago, oh maybe 6 years ago, Sensei Shiomitsu yelled at me for not blocking my face. Not only once, but he yelled at me twice! I hope he’s been completely rested and nice this time around.

So there you have it, the one thing I hate the most I’ll have to do twice. I just have to remember to move around as much as I can. Tired them out before I get tired. Like that’s easy.

The Book of Five Rings

This last week leading up to the Dan gradings, I’ll try to write a little bit about my karate life. I know I’ve sprinkled bits and pieces here and there, but this will be a continuos log of my karate life for the next 8 days.

With every Dan grading comes the required reading. I can’t remember what I read the last time around, and for all I can remember it might have been The Book of Five Rings, but it’s already too late and I figure reading the book again couldn’t hurt. Let’s hope that I’m not called out on having the same book review as last time.

It’s a little bit of a miscalculation on my part. I should have started reading this book a while back, but I put it off for too long, and as tempting as it would be to leave the book review until the night before grading, I think I’ll be too jittery to be able to articulate my thoughts. I’m on page 1, I have 152 pages to go.

Shiomitsu Sensei will begin his winter clinic this Thursday and will grade us on Sunday. What I don’t look forward to is having the grading syllabus changed, just before grading (everyone interprets things different, and so inevitably there is some misunderstandings that will be clarified when he comes). I’m actually quite nervous about this grading, since I don’t feel that I have had too many ‘good’ training days where I’m 100%...75%.. happy with my technique. and I don’t have high hopes. But since it’s too late to back out now, I shall give it my best.

Karate Uniform Fashion Tip 01

Long karate uniforms are no longer in style. Invest in a shorter fitted Gi.

I was going to get a new Gi before I graded but the one I want is about 200 pounds though, so I might settle for a lower-end Gi which is about 160 Canadian.

I bet you never thought Gis can be so expensive, did you?

waiting in line at the YMCA

There aren’t too many Christmas days I can remember that Ali and/or I haven’t gone to the YMCA. I mean, what else is there to do if you don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas to its full potential, and even if you do, there are so many hours on Christmas day that need to be killed.

Anyhow, I can’t remember ever going to the Y right when it opens, except today. Turns out there are crazier people than Ali and I since there was a good line up of people waiting to get in and get their grove on! I was impressed.

Just a note the Scheduel that is online for the Holiday Schedule is not exactly correct. On Christmas day and New Years day the Y runs from 10 am to 4 pm and the correct scheduel for these two days is only available at the Y. (So even though it says there is Yoga at 10 on the online Holiday scheduel, it actually doesn’t start till 11:30!)

Wado Academy Dan Grading Syllabus 2007-2008

Not that any of you guys would/should care, but here is the Syllabus I need to know for my grading, now that I am grading (yes, it’s official, I got sort of the go ahead from Sensei tonight).

KIHON – TSUKI – KERI – UKE
1. Kette junzuki (kette mawatte:jodan uke)
2. Kette gyakuzuki (kette mawatee:gedan barai)
3. Kette junzuki no tsukkomi (kette mawatee:jodan gawan uke)
4. Kette gyakuzuki no tsukkomi (kette mawatee:jodan naiwan uke)
5. Tobikomi nagashizuki

KIHON KERI
1. Okuri ashi maegeri chudan
2. Tsugi ashi mawashigeri jodan
3. Tsugi ashi sokuto kebanashi chudan
4. Ushirogeri chudan

REN ZOKU WAZA (with a partner)

1.REN ZOKU WAZA NIHON ME (NO 2) Kamae: Gyaku gamai (Ukemi: hidari, Torimi: migi
Torimi: Tsugi ashi sokugeri gedan – jodan nagashi junzuki – mawashigeri chudan – kekaeshi sokuto kebanashi – jodan uraken uchi – chudan gyakuzuki.

2.REN ZOKU WAZA GOHON ME (NO 5)
Kamae: Migi ai gamai
Ukemi: Okuri ashi jodan junzuki.
Torimi: Naname ushiro e uchi okuri ashi – dojini nagashi junzuki onajiku chudan mawashigeri – okuri ashi gyakuzuki chudan – uchi ashi barai – tate empi uchi.

3. REN ZOKU WAZA HAPPON ME (NO 8) Kamae: Migi ai gamai
Ukemi: Okuri ashi jodan junzuki – chudan maegeri – jodan junzuki
Torimi: Ushiro e okuri ashi jodan nagashi uke – uchi okuri ashi chudan nagashi uke- jodan nagashi uke – dojini jodan (kubi) haito uchi – ayumi ashi uraken (kubi) uchi jodan.

KATA (ONE KATA FROM PINAN)
Shodan Kushanku, Naihanchi
Nidan Kushanku, Naihanchi
Sandan Kushanku, Seishan
Yondan Kushanku, Chinto
Godan and higher – ONE KATA FROM PINAN AND ANY KATA ASKED FOR BY THE EXAMINER ON THE DAY AT THE TABLE

KIHON GUMITE
Shodan
Ippon me (no.1)
Nihon me (no.2)
Yonhon me (no.4)

Nidan
Ippon me (no.1)
Roppon me (no.6)
Nanahon me (no.7)

Sandan
Ippon me (no.1)
Sanbon me (no.3)
Happon me (no.8)

Yondan
Ippon me (no.1)
Gohon me (no.5)
Kyuhon me (no.9)

Godan and higher – ANY NUMBER ASKED FOR BY THE EXAMINER ON THE DAY AT THE TABLE

TANTO TORI
Sandan and higher –
Ippon me (no.1)
Nihon me (no.2)
Gohon me (no.5)

JIYU KUMITE
The following essays to be prepared and handed in before taking the Dan Grade examination

SENIORS:

Read any of the following books and write an essay on your understanding of the text

BUSHIDO THE SOUL OF JAPAN by Inazo Nitobe
Published by Charles E. Tuttle Co.

A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS by Mushashi Miyamoto
Published by Harper Collins

ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY by Eugen Harrigel
Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul

THE SPIRIT OF BUDO: OLD TRADITIONS FOR PRESENT DAY LIFE
by Trevor Leggett. Published by Kegan Paul International

How to avoid excessive swelling and bruising

Did I tell you how I’m going to be testing for my second Dan at the end of February? Well, the plan is to do it, but I have to go through a mock grading with my own Sensei on December 16th.

This all means that I have to train as often as I can and in other words it means that I have plenty of bruises and tired muscles day-in-day-out. I’m not sure why I have so many bruises this time around, but I do.

Yesterday, during the last 5 minutes of class, I became the proud owner of a nicely planted shinny bruise on the top part of my foot. It wouldn’t have been all that bad or anything to write about, except just two months ago, I had a nice bruise in the same place on my foot after my foot made contact with Sanaz’s elbow. During the last two months, I had been very conscious of not using my left foot to kick, so I could give it time to heal, and for some reason I thought my foot was ready to join the big league. Bad idea. It was painful. I wish I had a picture of the shades of purple the impact left on my poor poor foot.

Anyways, here is my tip: as soon as you have a bruise, no matter how bad, put ICE on it! It does wonders. Not only can I walk (!) and do karate (!!), but my foot is only a tinny bit swollen(!!!) today. Good Times!

My dad has a Persian home remedy to avoid excessive swelling or bruising:

Add
1 egg yoke
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir until all the ingredients have been mixed. Pour and spread the concoction on to the area of bruising/swelling. Wrap with a tensor band-aid and leave it on for 8-12 hours.

My dad usually makes “zeft tokhmemorgh” for Ali and I whenever we come home injured. It helps. Take my word!

The first night back at Karate

after four years of living in a state of vegetation might be hard, but the first night back at training with your brother (who‘s probably the most fittest person I know) is like hell. You‘d think I had tears because I got punched in the nose or because I got kicked in the temple, but I think the tears were 89% due in part to the physically exhaustion. At the end of the 1/2 hr of the super intense training I had turned a shade of red I hadn‘t seen since just before I left for University (And something tells me that he wasn‘t even working me that hard). Sure it is hell to workout with my brother but the greatest thing in the world is that he is so encouraging. I think he knows my own limit more than I know it myself and he‘ll push me until I reach it. He also knows when to quit. He‘d probably make a real good person trainer, and lucky for me, I don‘t have to pay for none of his services.

The next step is to re-familiarize myself with the swimming pool and everything water related. I can‘t wait for my one-on-one time with the pool at the Y. YAY

I think one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave us was getting us started with swimming and karate when we were young. I can‘t wait to be a crazy mom that makes their kids do all sorts of athletic activities. YAY for super crazy moms! ha ha :)