Two Sundays ago I accomplished something I've never done before.
I ran 5 miles continuously for the first time, either in competition or in training.
I arrived at registration just 5 minutes or so before the race started, enough time to get registered and pay the fee. Since my goal was to finish the distance without walking, I queued up at the back of the pack and set off at a comfortable pace. My rule of thumb was not to run so hard that I couldn't talk, which I figured to be maybe a 12 minute-per-mile pace, practically speed walking for me.
Throughout the course I chatted up a number of friendly runners, including a fellow in his 50's or 60's with the same goal as me, several first-time racers, even a mother pushing her two sons in a jogging stroller!
There were two young ladies who started off next to me, then pulled ahead. Any time there was a hill, however, I'd catch up at my steady pace and pass them. Then when the course flattened out or went downhill, they'd pass me up. It became a tortoise-vs-hare kind of situation, and made for quite an entertaining race.
When we hit the last mile on main street, where the course was straight and flat, I spotted the two women walking again. I hollered at them to get running, or they'd be "in serious danger of making me look good!" They promptly picked up their feet to run, finishing perhaps 30 seconds ahead of me.
At the finish line, I was excited to see that I came in under an hour; my pace was 11:23 per mile, very satisfactory. I was nowhere near the fastest people, but I completed the course and didn't finish last, accomplishing what I'd set out to do.
Meanwhile my Karate training has been lagging; I missed two weeks from a sprained ankle, another week from pulled quads, and last week a busy schedule only gave me opportunity to attend one sparring class and a kickboxing cardio class.
On Wednesday of this week, we were doing a series of back-to-back slow kicks, and my balance felt so far off I may as well been drunk. I totally attribute it to a lack of training and losing my conditioning in the process.
Tomorrow I am volunteering to hold pads for Danny Long-Legs at his test for Black Belt in the morning. Danny holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do from many decades ago, and is being certified in my school's system as a 1st Degree Black Belt. I'm very proud of him and his hard work ethic, and honored by his invitation.
My hope is watching Danny and 6 other students getting their Black Belts will inspire me to get out of my comfort zone and get serious about training again.
Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
On The Road Again
It's been a long Winter, and Spring can't come soon enough.
Physically things are coming along just great. I saw my PT today, and we did a bunch of testing comparing the involved leg against the good leg.
Involved. Funny term, involved. I've been involved with Karate for 3 years, my body's been involved with training, my time involved with playing music, being a decent husband, and raising a child, but I never considered just my knee involved with anything. Huh.
Testing consisted of a number of squat-and-reach exercises, such as standing on one foot while touching the floor as far out as possible at a 45° angle each way from the foot without falling. Another test was one-legged squats as low as possible.
Numbers look good, my operative knee is 85-90% as compared to the good knee. That means I can start a re-entry to running following protocol; basically it's walking with short periods of running, working up to progressively longer running periods without walking breaks.
Not that I've ever been much of a runner, but it's at least a change in routine, and one that will get me doing something moderately resembling recreational activity outside. Honestly, I miss the solitude that running early in the morning brings, and I look forward to it.
So, yeah, just over 7 weeks post-op and I'm running. Cool.
Emotionally things are a struggle this time. First time was a novelty, second time was routine at worst, but the third time is really weighing heavy on my mind. There are times when the depression and worry is tangible, like a yoke around my neck that I just can't remove.
There's an annoying, nagging voice in my head that won't stop wondering if I'm some kind of natural klutz. Another one argues that no, it's strictly a case of freak accidents--hardly predictable, not likely preventable except to quit Karate.
And then the people who hear about 'the third time,' and keep saying I need to find a safer hobby.
A hobby.
A hobby??? This is not a hobby, it's part of my way of life!
It's as much a hobby to me as someone going back to school to get a Masters or Doctorate is just a hobby.
Thanks for reading, and pardon my ranting and raving.
It's been a long Winter, and Spring can't come soon enough.
Physically things are coming along just great. I saw my PT today, and we did a bunch of testing comparing the involved leg against the good leg.
Involved. Funny term, involved. I've been involved with Karate for 3 years, my body's been involved with training, my time involved with playing music, being a decent husband, and raising a child, but I never considered just my knee involved with anything. Huh.
Testing consisted of a number of squat-and-reach exercises, such as standing on one foot while touching the floor as far out as possible at a 45° angle each way from the foot without falling. Another test was one-legged squats as low as possible.
Numbers look good, my operative knee is 85-90% as compared to the good knee. That means I can start a re-entry to running following protocol; basically it's walking with short periods of running, working up to progressively longer running periods without walking breaks.
Not that I've ever been much of a runner, but it's at least a change in routine, and one that will get me doing something moderately resembling recreational activity outside. Honestly, I miss the solitude that running early in the morning brings, and I look forward to it.
So, yeah, just over 7 weeks post-op and I'm running. Cool.
Emotionally things are a struggle this time. First time was a novelty, second time was routine at worst, but the third time is really weighing heavy on my mind. There are times when the depression and worry is tangible, like a yoke around my neck that I just can't remove.
There's an annoying, nagging voice in my head that won't stop wondering if I'm some kind of natural klutz. Another one argues that no, it's strictly a case of freak accidents--hardly predictable, not likely preventable except to quit Karate.
And then the people who hear about 'the third time,' and keep saying I need to find a safer hobby.
A hobby.
A hobby??? This is not a hobby, it's part of my way of life!
It's as much a hobby to me as someone going back to school to get a Masters or Doctorate is just a hobby.
Thanks for reading, and pardon my ranting and raving.
It's been a long Winter, and Spring can't come soon enough.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Bracing for reality
***I'm posting some arthroscopic pics near the end of this post, fair warning for queasy readers.
This time around has had an interesting start.
By the second day after surgery, the knee was bearing weight unusually well when compared to my first two ACL reconstructions. Thursday I got stitches out and did a round of physical therapy. Quads are firing well, straight leg raises are strong, about 70 degrees of flexion and a degree or two of hyper-extension. The slight hyper-extension is a most pleasant surprise, usually that doesn't come along until much later in the game.
I was approved to go without an immobilizer brace during passive activity, such as working at my desk or around home. I'm supposed to continue wearing it as a matter of security until this week's session when my gait will be re-evaluated.
Tomorrow I return to the real world, going back to work for the first time in 2 weeks. We have overlapping responsibilities in my department, so I have all confidence that my partners have provided due diligence in my absence. Hopefully I won't be drowning in backlogged work to do!
Truth be told, I've done just about everything I can around the house, got a few 'administrative' things out of the way after many long delays. I'm ready to get back into a routine, although it won't include Karate for somewhere around 14-16 weeks.
I plan to continue my bench-time tradition of watching sparring classes on Monday nights to help keep me connected with my fellow students, and help satisfy my craving for Fight Night. It helps to keep me focused on what I need to do, and the encouragement from my friends on a regular basis is truly a balm for the soul.
I have made the very difficult decision to stop sparring for a long time. Sparring is part of the curriculum, but for folks over 35 they will adjust requirements for black belt as necessary. I don't plan to give up sparring forever, but 3 major injuries requiring surgical work and 2 other injuries have cost me well over a year of time.
By many accounts I would be screening for black belt later this year, but reality says it'll be some time in 2011 at the soonest. I'm tired of the annual re-set of my training and want to remove the one activity most responsible for my injuries.
There are no guarantees in life, but I need to start stacking the odds more in my favor if I want to continue with Karate for the foreseeable future. I'm damned good at open hand and weapons forms, time to focus on those strengths. I'm not any more afraid of sparring than before, but I am concerned that my reflexes are telling me to move in ways that are dangerous.
1st time: I was falling backwards, torn ACL from trying to stop a fall.
Lesson: Just fall.
2nd time: I was landing from a powerful tornado kick, torn ACL from a planted foot on landing.
Lesson: Don't go overboard on fancy kicks when you're tired.
3rd time: I was ducking under a punch way too far, torn ACL from trying to explode upwards.
Lesson: Don't go overboard on moves you haven't drilled on.
I don't want any more of these lessons.
As promised, here's 2 pics:
This one is of the floater found while inspecting the meniscus. Looks like a tiny bit of meniscus that had torn loose, not a big deal.
Here's the ACL. It starts at the top left looking great, the rest is simply a shredded pile of silvery ligament spaghetti.
This time around has had an interesting start.
By the second day after surgery, the knee was bearing weight unusually well when compared to my first two ACL reconstructions. Thursday I got stitches out and did a round of physical therapy. Quads are firing well, straight leg raises are strong, about 70 degrees of flexion and a degree or two of hyper-extension. The slight hyper-extension is a most pleasant surprise, usually that doesn't come along until much later in the game.
I was approved to go without an immobilizer brace during passive activity, such as working at my desk or around home. I'm supposed to continue wearing it as a matter of security until this week's session when my gait will be re-evaluated.
Tomorrow I return to the real world, going back to work for the first time in 2 weeks. We have overlapping responsibilities in my department, so I have all confidence that my partners have provided due diligence in my absence. Hopefully I won't be drowning in backlogged work to do!
Truth be told, I've done just about everything I can around the house, got a few 'administrative' things out of the way after many long delays. I'm ready to get back into a routine, although it won't include Karate for somewhere around 14-16 weeks.
I plan to continue my bench-time tradition of watching sparring classes on Monday nights to help keep me connected with my fellow students, and help satisfy my craving for Fight Night. It helps to keep me focused on what I need to do, and the encouragement from my friends on a regular basis is truly a balm for the soul.
I have made the very difficult decision to stop sparring for a long time. Sparring is part of the curriculum, but for folks over 35
By many accounts I would be screening for black belt later this year, but reality says it'll be some time in 2011 at the soonest. I'm tired of the annual re-set of my training and want to remove the one activity most responsible for my injuries.
There are no guarantees in life, but I need to start stacking the odds more in my favor if I want to continue with Karate for the foreseeable future. I'm damned good at open hand and weapons forms, time to focus on those strengths. I'm not any more afraid of sparring than before, but I am concerned that my reflexes are telling me to move in ways that are dangerous.
1st time: I was falling backwards, torn ACL from trying to stop a fall.
Lesson: Just fall.
2nd time: I was landing from a powerful tornado kick, torn ACL from a planted foot on landing.
Lesson: Don't go overboard on fancy kicks when you're tired.
3rd time: I was ducking under a punch way too far, torn ACL from trying to explode upwards.
Lesson: Don't go overboard on moves you haven't drilled on.
I don't want any more of these lessons.
As promised, here's 2 pics:
This one is of the floater found while inspecting the meniscus. Looks like a tiny bit of meniscus that had torn loose, not a big deal.
Here's the ACL. It starts at the top left looking great, the rest is simply a shredded pile of silvery ligament spaghetti.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt.
Hello, dear reader. It's been a while.
As I mentioned briefly on New Year's Eve, I re-tore the ACL in my right knee December 28th during sparring class. This is the knee that started all this business almost exactly 2 years ago.
I ducked under an opponents punch way too deep, with my right leg forward, and tried to explode upwards with a back fist while most of my body mass was still moving from right-to-left. I made it about 3/4ths of the way up, then my right knee bent sideways and I went down.
Last Monday, January 11th, I had an ACL revision done on the knee. The procedure is much the same as ACL reconstruction, except with a lot more prep work and bigger hardware. The prior ACL is removed and loose tissue cleaned up, and the old fixative screws are taken out. (I have my old screws as a token now.)
As with the prior 2 reconstructions, I opted for a femoral nerve block with a spinal block so I could observe the procedure. Good news is that the meniscus continues to be well anchored, with no signs of damage save for a tiny floater they caught doing laps in the saline on camera.
Again, like in December 2008, the spinal wore off a bit prematurely and I had major cramps in my lower back due to the position I was in on the table. Also, I began to feel the pins and needles in my right leg as the spinal wore off, and the tourniquet was removed. Yes, I could have opted for some sedation or pain killer, but I weighed the cost of $100 a pop against my short term discomfort--we have new insurance that would have me paying more out-of-pocket now--and I decided to save a buck or two.
Because the bone tunnel necessarily has to be enlarged, the replacement tendon and hardware are also larger. The original upper fixative screw was installed into the end of the femur 'from below,' essentially within the knee joint. This time, the screw was installed into the end of the femur from above, which meant my quads took a beating from being retracted while this somewhat gruesome business was conducted. I saw that bit from the arthroscope and realized that it's gonna sting like the dickens when the blocks wear off...
On a funny side note, Dr. K had some difficulty tightening this upper screw, losing his grip at one point and nearly knocking over some monitors and IV poles in the operating room! I suggested perhaps an impact wrench might not be a bad idea, but he replied that using motorized assistance tightening screws could result in over-torquing.
Once Dr. K was done and the other surgeons could take over closing things up, I reminded him of my request for a t-shirt from the clinic; I figure a guy is due something for his trouble after 3 operations! He not only made good on the promise, netting me a nice long sleeved Under Armor shirt with embroidered logo, he even put it in a gift bag with a birthday card and delivered it personally while I was in stage 1 recovery.
The card reads "Each year the wishes just get bigger and better!" with a note: That's 3 years in a row! Enough already! (Just kidding.)
So the first 36 hours post-op sucked as usual, peaking on Tuesday night when I had a major charlie horse in my thigh that felt like a dagger was stuck there! Fortunately a bit of Tylenol with Codeine took care of that and I could sleep peacefully. Since Wednesday I've taken nothing but Ibuprofen, a good thing and par for the course.
First PT session was Thursday. My prior PT clinic has closed its doors due to the recession, so I opted to do PT at the clinic where the surgery took place. There I met Ben, who will be my main PT this time around. I was encouraged by being able to toddle around the house with just a cane already, a very positive early milestone that the knee can bear weight well already.
Surprisingly my quads were firing quite well, and I could do straight leg lifts without too much difficulty. I even have a bit of hyper extension, already nearly equal to my good knee. Flexion is only at about 60 degrees while on my back, maybe 70-75 hanging over the edge with assistance from the good leg. The biggest stopper right now is the local knot of swelling to the outside of the quad, the result of insult to the tissue from installing the fixative screw.
Last night I was wide awake at 3am with a mild fever coming on. So on top of the typical post-operative pain, I had body aches as well, and lay awake for probably a good 2 hours trying to find a comfortable position. I should also mention, it's the first night back in my regular bed upstairs, and not on the totally comfy couch downstairs, so re-adjusting to sleeping on the mattress probably contributed to lower back cramps. Meh.
Well, tonight I'll be hanging out with Mrs. Shaft while G-Shaft goes to a schoolmate's birthday party for a few hours. We plan on tossing back a few Amaretto-Sour's while watching a movie and enjoying a new recipe for cold Thai peanut noodles.
More tomorrow, possibly pictures, and what the future holds for Paul "Hack Shaft" Pederson.
As I mentioned briefly on New Year's Eve, I re-tore the ACL in my right knee December 28th during sparring class. This is the knee that started all this business almost exactly 2 years ago.
I ducked under an opponents punch way too deep, with my right leg forward, and tried to explode upwards with a back fist while most of my body mass was still moving from right-to-left. I made it about 3/4ths of the way up, then my right knee bent sideways and I went down.
Last Monday, January 11th, I had an ACL revision done on the knee. The procedure is much the same as ACL reconstruction, except with a lot more prep work and bigger hardware. The prior ACL is removed and loose tissue cleaned up, and the old fixative screws are taken out. (I have my old screws as a token now.)
As with the prior 2 reconstructions, I opted for a femoral nerve block with a spinal block so I could observe the procedure. Good news is that the meniscus continues to be well anchored, with no signs of damage save for a tiny floater they caught doing laps in the saline on camera.
Again, like in December 2008, the spinal wore off a bit prematurely and I had major cramps in my lower back due to the position I was in on the table. Also, I began to feel the pins and needles in my right leg as the spinal wore off, and the tourniquet was removed. Yes, I could have opted for some sedation or pain killer, but I weighed the cost of $100 a pop against my short term discomfort--we have new insurance that would have me paying more out-of-pocket now--and I decided to save a buck or two.
Because the bone tunnel necessarily has to be enlarged, the replacement tendon and hardware are also larger. The original upper fixative screw was installed into the end of the femur 'from below,' essentially within the knee joint. This time, the screw was installed into the end of the femur from above, which meant my quads took a beating from being retracted while this somewhat gruesome business was conducted. I saw that bit from the arthroscope and realized that it's gonna sting like the dickens when the blocks wear off...
On a funny side note, Dr. K had some difficulty tightening this upper screw, losing his grip at one point and nearly knocking over some monitors and IV poles in the operating room! I suggested perhaps an impact wrench might not be a bad idea, but he replied that using motorized assistance tightening screws could result in over-torquing.
Once Dr. K was done and the other surgeons could take over closing things up, I reminded him of my request for a t-shirt from the clinic; I figure a guy is due something for his trouble after 3 operations! He not only made good on the promise, netting me a nice long sleeved Under Armor shirt with embroidered logo, he even put it in a gift bag with a birthday card and delivered it personally while I was in stage 1 recovery.
The card reads "Each year the wishes just get bigger and better!" with a note: That's 3 years in a row! Enough already! (Just kidding.)
So the first 36 hours post-op sucked as usual, peaking on Tuesday night when I had a major charlie horse in my thigh that felt like a dagger was stuck there! Fortunately a bit of Tylenol with Codeine took care of that and I could sleep peacefully. Since Wednesday I've taken nothing but Ibuprofen, a good thing and par for the course.
First PT session was Thursday. My prior PT clinic has closed its doors due to the recession, so I opted to do PT at the clinic where the surgery took place. There I met Ben, who will be my main PT this time around. I was encouraged by being able to toddle around the house with just a cane already, a very positive early milestone that the knee can bear weight well already.
Surprisingly my quads were firing quite well, and I could do straight leg lifts without too much difficulty. I even have a bit of hyper extension, already nearly equal to my good knee. Flexion is only at about 60 degrees while on my back, maybe 70-75 hanging over the edge with assistance from the good leg. The biggest stopper right now is the local knot of swelling to the outside of the quad, the result of insult to the tissue from installing the fixative screw.
Last night I was wide awake at 3am with a mild fever coming on. So on top of the typical post-operative pain, I had body aches as well, and lay awake for probably a good 2 hours trying to find a comfortable position. I should also mention, it's the first night back in my regular bed upstairs, and not on the totally comfy couch downstairs, so re-adjusting to sleeping on the mattress probably contributed to lower back cramps. Meh.
Well, tonight I'll be hanging out with Mrs. Shaft while G-Shaft goes to a schoolmate's birthday party for a few hours. We plan on tossing back a few Amaretto-Sour's while watching a movie and enjoying a new recipe for cold Thai peanut noodles.
More tomorrow, possibly pictures, and what the future holds for Paul "Hack Shaft" Pederson.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
3rd time: NOT a charm...
I'll be brief since we're heading out the door to a New Year's party (Happy New Year, by the way).
Monday at sparring I tried ducking under my partner's kick and coming up with a back fist from underneath.
At a guess, I was moving sideways too much, and tried coming up while the mass of my body was still shifting sideways.
The result: That too-familiar shifting sensation of a joint dislocating.
Tuesday was the MRI.
This morning's visit with Dr. K confirms that I re-tore the ACL in my right knee - the first knee that started this blog in 2007.
Surgery in 2 weeks. Sorry, everyone.
Monday at sparring I tried ducking under my partner's kick and coming up with a back fist from underneath.
At a guess, I was moving sideways too much, and tried coming up while the mass of my body was still shifting sideways.
The result: That too-familiar shifting sensation of a joint dislocating.
Tuesday was the MRI.
This morning's visit with Dr. K confirms that I re-tore the ACL in my right knee - the first knee that started this blog in 2007.
Surgery in 2 weeks. Sorry, everyone.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
11 Months
I have a curse, and it occurs every 11 months.
From my first ACL tear in December, 2007, to the next in November, 2008 was 11 months.
From the second ACL tear to a broken rib this month, October, 2009, was 11 months.
I plan to take September of 2010 off from any Karate-related activity, just to be safe.
It's been a while since I blogged, so let me fill you in.
August was busy with a lot of camping, and a severe shortage of opportunities for me to go to core classes. I maintained my conditioning, but didn't really have the new open hand form memorized. It seemed life was pulling me every which way but where I wanted to go!
September was filled with weeks of getting back to the swing of things, most notably the annual 3 school cross-training sparring classes. Members from 3 of the local schools gather together every 2 weeks leading up to the Diamond Nationals, the largest martial arts tournament of its kind, to spend time sparring with other fighters we don't see on a regular basis. I learned tons and was looking forward to sparring in tournaments again this year.
October came, and so did the Diamonds. It's a 2-day event, and I signed up for sparring and weapons on both days. The first day, Friday, is principally an intramural event, the second day is an open event to competitors nationwide.
I cranked out a 1st place weapons form with my Bo, besting 5 other competitors in the 35+ men's group. Then it was on to sparring.
There were 5 of us in the advanced belts, significant in that our rank allowed us to score points with head contact whereas the lower under-black belts have to avoid it. 2 pairs of us were from the same school, so they mixed up our order to avoid fighters too familiar with each other.
Since it's single-elimination and not round-robin, I pulled a bye with 2 other guys. My main training partner John waltzed through the first match, then the other two guys with a bye had their fight. That put my first match for the weekend with John, which had me somewhat concerned as he's a fantastic fighter and one I was hoping not to face right out of the gate!
The first clash had me executing a double side kick. Due to weird timing and physics, my supporting leg just happened to be in the air as John advanced on me, resulting in getting knocked on my butt. Hard. On a hotel conference room floor, devoid of the padding we have available at the school.
I danced a bit to shake it off, and we proceeded with the match. John and I were both going at it hard, and I returned the favor knocking him on his butt a short while later with a nicely executed front kick.
The next clash had me holding him at bay, but he blitzed me with a perfectly timed back punch just as I was chambering for a side kick. Unfortunately I took it full force on my left side, just barely above the protection of my rib guard. I was fine for about a second, then the pain hit me like a 2 X 4! I took some time to recover and finished the match, but I knew something was up with my ribs.
The following morning, Urgent Care confirmed a broken 6th rib on my left side.
I wasn't able to compete Saturday, including my Bo form, so I spent time video taping everyone I could, and made John buy me lots of drinks at the finale that night!
While I'm waiting to heal, I still go to watch the Monday fights and chat up folks, all the time watching...watching...watching...
John and I have talked a lot about what it was that allowed him to slip inside my kicking range, and with input from a few other fighters I've decided to return to a right-side forward fighting stance.
My right side is my bread and butter. My right leg is much more facile, and my right hand faster than my left, and in point sparring speed counts more than power--so it makes sense to get the faster side back in front. That was confirmed by a lot of the video I recorded.
Plus, I have a slight vision impairment in my left eye that results in less peripheral vision, so I can't see someone's big back punch or round kick coming around!
It's been 2 weeks now, and 2-4 more to go, mostly depending on how I feel. I'll gauge my readiness to return based on whether I can do sit-ups or push-ups at all, let alone getting up to any significant quantity of either.
For those of you who spar, how do you determine the best side to put forward?
From my first ACL tear in December, 2007, to the next in November, 2008 was 11 months.
From the second ACL tear to a broken rib this month, October, 2009, was 11 months.
I plan to take September of 2010 off from any Karate-related activity, just to be safe.
It's been a while since I blogged, so let me fill you in.
August was busy with a lot of camping, and a severe shortage of opportunities for me to go to core classes. I maintained my conditioning, but didn't really have the new open hand form memorized. It seemed life was pulling me every which way but where I wanted to go!
September was filled with weeks of getting back to the swing of things, most notably the annual 3 school cross-training sparring classes. Members from 3 of the local schools gather together every 2 weeks leading up to the Diamond Nationals, the largest martial arts tournament of its kind, to spend time sparring with other fighters we don't see on a regular basis. I learned tons and was looking forward to sparring in tournaments again this year.
October came, and so did the Diamonds. It's a 2-day event, and I signed up for sparring and weapons on both days. The first day, Friday, is principally an intramural event, the second day is an open event to competitors nationwide.
I cranked out a 1st place weapons form with my Bo, besting 5 other competitors in the 35+ men's group. Then it was on to sparring.
There were 5 of us in the advanced belts, significant in that our rank allowed us to score points with head contact whereas the lower under-black belts have to avoid it. 2 pairs of us were from the same school, so they mixed up our order to avoid fighters too familiar with each other.
Since it's single-elimination and not round-robin, I pulled a bye with 2 other guys. My main training partner John waltzed through the first match, then the other two guys with a bye had their fight. That put my first match for the weekend with John, which had me somewhat concerned as he's a fantastic fighter and one I was hoping not to face right out of the gate!
The first clash had me executing a double side kick. Due to weird timing and physics, my supporting leg just happened to be in the air as John advanced on me, resulting in getting knocked on my butt. Hard. On a hotel conference room floor, devoid of the padding we have available at the school.
I danced a bit to shake it off, and we proceeded with the match. John and I were both going at it hard, and I returned the favor knocking him on his butt a short while later with a nicely executed front kick.
The next clash had me holding him at bay, but he blitzed me with a perfectly timed back punch just as I was chambering for a side kick. Unfortunately I took it full force on my left side, just barely above the protection of my rib guard. I was fine for about a second, then the pain hit me like a 2 X 4! I took some time to recover and finished the match, but I knew something was up with my ribs.
The following morning, Urgent Care confirmed a broken 6th rib on my left side.
I wasn't able to compete Saturday, including my Bo form, so I spent time video taping everyone I could, and made John buy me lots of drinks at the finale that night!
While I'm waiting to heal, I still go to watch the Monday fights and chat up folks, all the time watching...watching...watching...
John and I have talked a lot about what it was that allowed him to slip inside my kicking range, and with input from a few other fighters I've decided to return to a right-side forward fighting stance.
My right side is my bread and butter. My right leg is much more facile, and my right hand faster than my left, and in point sparring speed counts more than power--so it makes sense to get the faster side back in front. That was confirmed by a lot of the video I recorded.
Plus, I have a slight vision impairment in my left eye that results in less peripheral vision, so I can't see someone's big back punch or round kick coming around!
It's been 2 weeks now, and 2-4 more to go, mostly depending on how I feel. I'll gauge my readiness to return based on whether I can do sit-ups or push-ups at all, let alone getting up to any significant quantity of either.
For those of you who spar, how do you determine the best side to put forward?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Seeing Red
Whew, what a busy month July turned out to be!
I tested for my half-belt (or "stripe") at the end of May, the day after officially having all restrictions removed by my surgeon. It felt like the toughest test I'd done, but I was very proud of my performance and felt stronger than ever.
Throughout June and into July I suffered a string of weird minor injuries, all outside of Karate class.
I strained both quads sprinting way too hard during a routine Saturday morning run, was knocked out of commission for a week with a nasty virus, and two weeks ago I twisted my left ankle something fierce stepping into a pothole on a local walking path that was overgrown with grass.
Waking up with stiff joints and pain has become de rigeur in my morning routine until I've loosened up with a hot shower. I'm OK with it, though, since it's a predictable thing.
What I didn't predict was testing for Red belt just shy of 2 months after my last belt exam!
It went well, but with all my down time I was less conditioned than I cared to be. This was most noticeable when doing slow-count kicks. Remember those??? Well, for Red belt and above, you no longer do them holding a barre or against a wall to steady yourself.
You're in the middle of the room.
And you darn well feel it when the test is done!
I talked to my instructor about having such a short interval between belts after the test. The curriculum requires a progressively higher number of classes between belts as you move up through the ranks, but he feels I'm ready for advanced belt classes based on my progress since returning from injury. Wow, how cool is that?!?
Tomorrow night's class is canceled. My school's head examiner for black belts is personally conducting a special class for advanced belts, which is predicted to be well over an hour long--possibly closer to two hours. It's intended as a preview of black belt screenings, and I'm both nervous and excited to take part in it.
When I went to watch the Family That Fights Together during their final screening back in November, the Examiner spotted me coming into the lobby and took time out--right in the middle of the screening--to offer his condolences, emphasizing that "there is life after this."
You see, he's a 5th Degree black belt with reconstructed ACL's in both knees.
We're an immense distance apart in rank, but wear the same scars marking our initiation into a regrettably elite club.
I look forward to working out with him if for no other reason than to thank him for his encouragement and his faith in me.
I tested for my half-belt (or "stripe") at the end of May, the day after officially having all restrictions removed by my surgeon. It felt like the toughest test I'd done, but I was very proud of my performance and felt stronger than ever.
Throughout June and into July I suffered a string of weird minor injuries, all outside of Karate class.
I strained both quads sprinting way too hard during a routine Saturday morning run, was knocked out of commission for a week with a nasty virus, and two weeks ago I twisted my left ankle something fierce stepping into a pothole on a local walking path that was overgrown with grass.
Waking up with stiff joints and pain has become de rigeur in my morning routine until I've loosened up with a hot shower. I'm OK with it, though, since it's a predictable thing.
What I didn't predict was testing for Red belt just shy of 2 months after my last belt exam!
It went well, but with all my down time I was less conditioned than I cared to be. This was most noticeable when doing slow-count kicks. Remember those??? Well, for Red belt and above, you no longer do them holding a barre or against a wall to steady yourself.
You're in the middle of the room.
And you darn well feel it when the test is done!
I talked to my instructor about having such a short interval between belts after the test. The curriculum requires a progressively higher number of classes between belts as you move up through the ranks, but he feels I'm ready for advanced belt classes based on my progress since returning from injury. Wow, how cool is that?!?
Tomorrow night's class is canceled. My school's head examiner for black belts is personally conducting a special class for advanced belts, which is predicted to be well over an hour long--possibly closer to two hours. It's intended as a preview of black belt screenings, and I'm both nervous and excited to take part in it.
When I went to watch the Family That Fights Together during their final screening back in November, the Examiner spotted me coming into the lobby and took time out--right in the middle of the screening--to offer his condolences, emphasizing that "there is life after this."
You see, he's a 5th Degree black belt with reconstructed ACL's in both knees.
We're an immense distance apart in rank, but wear the same scars marking our initiation into a regrettably elite club.
I look forward to working out with him if for no other reason than to thank him for his encouragement and his faith in me.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Feeling Torn
For the past 2 months or so, I've been running on Saturday mornings with 2 other people from my Karate school. At 7 am we head out for a perfect 4-mile loop, ending up at the coffee shop a block from the school. It's a great way to kick off Saturdays, and good incentive to get some out-of-the-classroom exercise.
The course is perfect, being flat crushed gravel for the first 2 miles, then rolling hills the last 2 miles. You get a nice warm-up while its flat, and just about the time you've caught your second wind you hit the hills.
2 weeks ago we ran the course backwards, hitting the hills first. Not withstanding the fact that I was still recovering from a nasty cold, it was a much tougher run, and all 3 of us needed to catch our breath at the halfway point. For the second half, we pretty much went from fast walking to occasional 50-yard sprints.
I hit one particular sprint pretty hard, and felt some funny muscle thing in my quads, like a group of muscle fiber I don't usually engage that way. Nothing painful, just new muscles being put to use. I was still sore after a week.
Friday while my daughter was sparring I decided to use the time to work on the Summer Goals program, which includes running our form 150 times outside of regular class between now and the end of August. I went through my Bo (staff) form and everything was fine until the last move, which involves a strike while going down on 1 knee.
I made it about 1/3 of the way to the floor when my right thigh lit up like it was on fire. Ouch!
G-Shaft commented from under her sparring helmet, "Knee problems?" I replied that it was my thighs, not my knees. For the remainder of the time, I simply avoided motions that aggravated my thighs.
Since that day, I researched the problem and concluded that I've got a level 1 quadricep strain. Since I have a week full of meetings keeping me away from Karate anyway, I'm resting and stretching, and will pick up a pair of compression wraps. Walking and gentle running don't hurt, I can bend my knees fully, but quad stretches are awfully tight at the moment.
Sudden explosive movement is what caused the problem, and what would aggravate it further; therefore I'll just run (gently) and attend core classes next week. No kickboxing aerobics, no sparring (except as a spectator.)
So to those of you who jog or run and are considering mixing in some sprints, take it easy! I went all-out, and my thighs are paying for that decision.
The course is perfect, being flat crushed gravel for the first 2 miles, then rolling hills the last 2 miles. You get a nice warm-up while its flat, and just about the time you've caught your second wind you hit the hills.
2 weeks ago we ran the course backwards, hitting the hills first. Not withstanding the fact that I was still recovering from a nasty cold, it was a much tougher run, and all 3 of us needed to catch our breath at the halfway point. For the second half, we pretty much went from fast walking to occasional 50-yard sprints.
I hit one particular sprint pretty hard, and felt some funny muscle thing in my quads, like a group of muscle fiber I don't usually engage that way. Nothing painful, just new muscles being put to use. I was still sore after a week.
Friday while my daughter was sparring I decided to use the time to work on the Summer Goals program, which includes running our form 150 times outside of regular class between now and the end of August. I went through my Bo (staff) form and everything was fine until the last move, which involves a strike while going down on 1 knee.
I made it about 1/3 of the way to the floor when my right thigh lit up like it was on fire. Ouch!
G-Shaft commented from under her sparring helmet, "Knee problems?" I replied that it was my thighs, not my knees. For the remainder of the time, I simply avoided motions that aggravated my thighs.
Since that day, I researched the problem and concluded that I've got a level 1 quadricep strain. Since I have a week full of meetings keeping me away from Karate anyway, I'm resting and stretching, and will pick up a pair of compression wraps. Walking and gentle running don't hurt, I can bend my knees fully, but quad stretches are awfully tight at the moment.
Sudden explosive movement is what caused the problem, and what would aggravate it further; therefore I'll just run (gently) and attend core classes next week. No kickboxing aerobics, no sparring (except as a spectator.)
So to those of you who jog or run and are considering mixing in some sprints, take it easy! I went all-out, and my thighs are paying for that decision.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Weaving Wisdom
So I tried the weaving thing, and it looks kind of interesting:
This is my prior 8 belts woven together, and the total weight is probably around 5 pounds.
It actually came out looking pretty cool, and is symbolic of how knowledge and ability gained at each belt level is woven into the next.
I don't know if I'll keep adding to it in the same fashion, but for now it's a respectful reminder of the road I've traveled so far.
This is my prior 8 belts woven together, and the total weight is probably around 5 pounds.
It actually came out looking pretty cool, and is symbolic of how knowledge and ability gained at each belt level is woven into the next.
I don't know if I'll keep adding to it in the same fashion, but for now it's a respectful reminder of the road I've traveled so far.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Still Standing
Well, I can't say as I made it through sparring class without injury, but I am still on two feet.
The injury was minor, but after a while it got to be some kind of cosmic joke--I stubbed my second toe on the left foot, next to the big toe.
Then that same toe was stepped on while we were warming up free sparring.
Then it was stepped on once more by someone else while I was refereeing a point fighting match.
Sheesh!
It's a pretty shade of purple today, and I intend to get it checked out tonight when I can get a ride--I'm also home with some kind of mild flu-like virus, and a bit too lightheaded to drive myself anywhere.
Anyhow, sparring was a very joyful experience for me, even with the bruising (and possible breaking) of a toe. I was on adrenaline the whole afternoon, but fell into a calm, rhythmic place once I warmed up and did some free sparring.
Now I just need to put into action all the mental notes I've taken watching class for the past 6+ months!
Time to grab some late lunch and take a nice, long nap...
The injury was minor, but after a while it got to be some kind of cosmic joke--I stubbed my second toe on the left foot, next to the big toe.
Then that same toe was stepped on while we were warming up free sparring.
Then it was stepped on once more by someone else while I was refereeing a point fighting match.
Sheesh!
It's a pretty shade of purple today, and I intend to get it checked out tonight when I can get a ride--I'm also home with some kind of mild flu-like virus, and a bit too lightheaded to drive myself anywhere.
Anyhow, sparring was a very joyful experience for me, even with the bruising (and possible breaking) of a toe. I was on adrenaline the whole afternoon, but fell into a calm, rhythmic place once I warmed up and did some free sparring.
Now I just need to put into action all the mental notes I've taken watching class for the past 6+ months!
Time to grab some late lunch and take a nice, long nap...
Friday, May 29, 2009
Freedom
I'm free...I'm free!
And freedom tastes of reality.
And freedom tastes of reality."I'm Free" from The Who's rock opera "Tommy"
1. Saw Dr. K this morning, restrictions are removed.
2. "Have a good life," he said.
3. Made a pact with him that we shall never meet again under these circumstances.
4. Got the above song stuck in my head.
5. Testing for my next belt tomorrow morning.
6. Sparring Monday night...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A memorial
6 days until my final (I pray!) visit with Dr. K, where I should be officially released from restrictions on activity.
One of my goals this Memorial Day Weekend is to clean house. Time to finally get the summer/winter clothes turned over, toss or donate items, and especially important--organize my office.
In one corner behind the door is a small plastic wash tub. When I did Triathlons, it was useful in competition for quickly washing sand stuck to my feet from running up a beach before putting on socks and biking shoes. Most recently it's been put to service holding G-Shaft and my old belts until Mrs. Shaft needed something to soak her feet in.
And so the various colored belts from white through red came tumbling down and are currently lying in a sad heap on the floor behind me.
You know, they really deserve better retirement than that, but there are so many of them I'm not sure what to do!!! Our advancement system has half-belts, referred to as stripes, between each solid color belt. So the order is:
I thought I might honor them with a vertical rack, and each belt would be hanging properly knotted in a nice array, kind of like a gun rack or sword display one might find in a hunting lodge. If I find a nice design, maybe I'll partner with one of the other parents I train with to sell a few to other students wanting to honor their history.
However, that's a lot of belts--so now I'm thinking of some kind of weaving. While a vertical rack shows progression, I think weaving them together shows the relevance of each belt's lessons to the next.
We'll try it this weekend and see how it looks.
What do you do with your old belts when you've been advanced?
One of my goals this Memorial Day Weekend is to clean house. Time to finally get the summer/winter clothes turned over, toss or donate items, and especially important--organize my office.
In one corner behind the door is a small plastic wash tub. When I did Triathlons, it was useful in competition for quickly washing sand stuck to my feet from running up a beach before putting on socks and biking shoes. Most recently it's been put to service holding G-Shaft and my old belts until Mrs. Shaft needed something to soak her feet in.
And so the various colored belts from white through red came tumbling down and are currently lying in a sad heap on the floor behind me.
You know, they really deserve better retirement than that, but there are so many of them I'm not sure what to do!!! Our advancement system has half-belts, referred to as stripes, between each solid color belt. So the order is:
- White
- Gold
- Gold - Green Stripe
- Green
- Green - Purple Stripe
- Purple
- Purple - Blue Stripe
- Blue (My current rank)
- Blue - Red Stripe
- Red
- Red - Brown Stripe (G-Shaft's current rank)
- Brown
- Brown - Black Stripe
- Brown - Double Black Stripe
- Black
I thought I might honor them with a vertical rack, and each belt would be hanging properly knotted in a nice array, kind of like a gun rack or sword display one might find in a hunting lodge. If I find a nice design, maybe I'll partner with one of the other parents I train with to sell a few to other students wanting to honor their history.
However, that's a lot of belts--so now I'm thinking of some kind of weaving. While a vertical rack shows progression, I think weaving them together shows the relevance of each belt's lessons to the next.
We'll try it this weekend and see how it looks.
What do you do with your old belts when you've been advanced?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Beautiful Thing
Sunday was my school system's Team Tournament, and the last one of the season in this area.
It features tag-team sparring for adults, and team forms for adults and youth.
My daughter and I presented a form together as part of the Family Performance division.
This is an open, non-competitive division for fun--and everyone gets to take home a trophy.
As a family of Scandinavian heritage, we had some fun with the form, calling ourselves Team Uff-Da. That's pronounced "Oof-Dah."
This blog from a local news anchor describes what I witnessed in this division far better than I ever could:
http://www.kare11.com/blog/insley_article.aspx?storyid=651634&catid=286
I am so proud to be a part of an organization that welcomes people of all abilities.
It features tag-team sparring for adults, and team forms for adults and youth.
My daughter and I presented a form together as part of the Family Performance division.
This is an open, non-competitive division for fun--and everyone gets to take home a trophy.
As a family of Scandinavian heritage, we had some fun with the form, calling ourselves Team Uff-Da. That's pronounced "Oof-Dah."
This blog from a local news anchor describes what I witnessed in this division far better than I ever could:
http://www.kare11.com/blog/insley_article.aspx?storyid=651634&catid=286
I am so proud to be a part of an organization that welcomes people of all abilities.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sparring, sweet sparring...
My Karate school has an intramural team tournament coming up in a week from Sunday, so Monday night sparring classes for adults have focused on tag-team strategy.
Needless to say, the fighting gets pretty intense, but with some goofy moments as well.
I did extensive taping of our class this past Monday:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F44D11BC0DF6CA18
Check out #5 at 6:25 - the slide kick that was more slide than kick
Check out #6 at 5:30 - Ouch...
The tape of ground work was for the woman in the video. She, along with my instructor, are competing this week at the East-West Open, a "Martial Arts Olympics" held annually in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since some fights at that event include grappling, she's receiving a cram course in basic ground defense. I shot this so she has some study material to review.
Best of luck to both of them!
For Thursday's class we had a guest instructor who was well-versed in one of my favorite torture techniques, the slow-count kick. As a warm-up, we did a lot of stationary work, simply holding stances and fine-tuning them . Then we did slow-count kicks.
While working slow-count kicks, I idly remarked that it'd be interesting to combine stances with slow-count kicks; She took me up on the concept, and we did just that!
So imagine this for a strength exercise:
1. Begin in a fighting stance.
2. Rotate hips forward, squaring yourself up, then bend your rear leg and slowly squat until the rear knee touches the floor.
3. Raise up from the floor slowly and execute a slow-count front kick with the back leg.
4. Lower the kicking leg forward into a fighting stance on the opposite side.
5. Repeat, marching across the floor and back again. Slowly.
I hated it, and loved hating it...
On a side note, big thanks to Black Belt Mama for the free book. Should make for interesting, light reading before bedtime.
Needless to say, the fighting gets pretty intense, but with some goofy moments as well.
I did extensive taping of our class this past Monday:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F44D11BC0DF6CA18
Check out #5 at 6:25 - the slide kick that was more slide than kick
Check out #6 at 5:30 - Ouch...
The tape of ground work was for the woman in the video. She, along with my instructor, are competing this week at the East-West Open, a "Martial Arts Olympics" held annually in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since some fights at that event include grappling, she's receiving a cram course in basic ground defense. I shot this so she has some study material to review.
Best of luck to both of them!
For Thursday's class we had a guest instructor who was well-versed in one of my favorite torture techniques, the slow-count kick. As a warm-up, we did a lot of stationary work, simply holding stances and fine-tuning them . Then we did slow-count kicks.
While working slow-count kicks, I idly remarked that it'd be interesting to combine stances with slow-count kicks; She took me up on the concept, and we did just that!
So imagine this for a strength exercise:
1. Begin in a fighting stance.
2. Rotate hips forward, squaring yourself up, then bend your rear leg and slowly squat until the rear knee touches the floor.
3. Raise up from the floor slowly and execute a slow-count front kick with the back leg.
4. Lower the kicking leg forward into a fighting stance on the opposite side.
5. Repeat, marching across the floor and back again. Slowly.
I hated it, and loved hating it...
On a side note, big thanks to Black Belt Mama for the free book. Should make for interesting, light reading before bedtime.
Monday, April 6, 2009
2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Today is week 16 since surgery, 8 more to go until no restrictions.
2/3'rds of the way, and feeling great!
That first week back was absolute murder on my quads, hams, and shoulders, but absolutely no complaining from my knee. I made it to classes Thursday evening, and though I could hardly walk Saturday morning, I went to a 30-minute class, primarily to loosen up all the stiffness. Last week my muscles complained far less, so I think my body is beginning to acclimate to my return.
At the end of Thursday's class we worked on some kicking drills, including an offensive side kick. No, it's not meant to offend, it's just an attacking style versus a defensive style.
From a fighting stance, the front foot crosses over the center line of attack as the rear foot steps behind the front. This leads to a natural chamber of the front leg for a side kick, and covers a lot of distance while delivering a powerful blow to your opponent.
My partner holding a large body shield was a 13-year old boy who plays football besides studying karate. Since the first side involved kicking with my left leg, I simply walked through the motions. My foot just touched the body shield, no hard kick at all. That was fine, just going through the motions.
Then we switched sides, and the instructor, Miss O, suggested she should probably hold the shield for me, knowing my past kicking ability.
The Kid, being reasonably good-sized, said not to worry--he's used to hard hits playing football...
...and promptly folded like a flying soft shell taco.
Miss O held the shield for me the remainder of the drill.
It's good to be back.
2/3'rds of the way, and feeling great!
That first week back was absolute murder on my quads, hams, and shoulders, but absolutely no complaining from my knee. I made it to classes Thursday evening, and though I could hardly walk Saturday morning, I went to a 30-minute class, primarily to loosen up all the stiffness. Last week my muscles complained far less, so I think my body is beginning to acclimate to my return.
At the end of Thursday's class we worked on some kicking drills, including an offensive side kick. No, it's not meant to offend, it's just an attacking style versus a defensive style.
From a fighting stance, the front foot crosses over the center line of attack as the rear foot steps behind the front. This leads to a natural chamber of the front leg for a side kick, and covers a lot of distance while delivering a powerful blow to your opponent.
My partner holding a large body shield was a 13-year old boy who plays football besides studying karate. Since the first side involved kicking with my left leg, I simply walked through the motions. My foot just touched the body shield, no hard kick at all. That was fine, just going through the motions.
Then we switched sides, and the instructor, Miss O, suggested she should probably hold the shield for me, knowing my past kicking ability.
The Kid, being reasonably good-sized, said not to worry--he's used to hard hits playing football...
...and promptly folded like a flying soft shell taco.
Miss O held the shield for me the remainder of the drill.
It's good to be back.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I'm born all over.
Monday I attended a beginner's class to 'wade in the water' a bit. Plenty of slow kick work and fundamentals.
That sucked!
Then I recovered and re-hydrated while watching sparring with a Cheshire Cat smile on my face, basking in the afterglow. It was tag-team drills, and an absolute riot to watch.
Tuesday was the intermediate belt core class.
The first half was open-hand form work, which came back to me quite well. However, while it looked good when I faced the mirror, somehow working form away from the mirror left me feeling unplugged, suddenly unsure of my moves. Strange.
The second half was spent working our Bo (staff) form. I had just begun this form when I was injured, but I still had fundamentals in place for holding the Bo, and remembering what each move was when it was called out by the instructor. By the end of class I could barely hold my Bo, and my shoulders were killing me.
That sucked--HARD!!!
But I got over that too and realized just how much I missed Karate.
How fun it is to push yourself, even with restrictions in place.
How nice my fundamentals still look.
How intensely focused I get while sensing all the feedback my body is giving me.
How priceless it is to come home dead tired and fall asleep with a grin so wide my cheeks hurt.
I.
Am.
Back.
That sucked!
Then I recovered and re-hydrated while watching sparring with a Cheshire Cat smile on my face, basking in the afterglow. It was tag-team drills, and an absolute riot to watch.
Tuesday was the intermediate belt core class.
The first half was open-hand form work, which came back to me quite well. However, while it looked good when I faced the mirror, somehow working form away from the mirror left me feeling unplugged, suddenly unsure of my moves. Strange.
The second half was spent working our Bo (staff) form. I had just begun this form when I was injured, but I still had fundamentals in place for holding the Bo, and remembering what each move was when it was called out by the instructor. By the end of class I could barely hold my Bo, and my shoulders were killing me.
That sucked--HARD!!!
But I got over that too and realized just how much I missed Karate.
How fun it is to push yourself, even with restrictions in place.
How nice my fundamentals still look.
How intensely focused I get while sensing all the feedback my body is giving me.
How priceless it is to come home dead tired and fall asleep with a grin so wide my cheeks hurt.
I.Am.
Back.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Going Home...Again...and Lemonade
For the regular reader of this irregular poster, you'll notice the updated countdown clock.
After passing the mid-point of my 24 week rehab period, I made the decision to update the clock to reflect my return to Karate on Monday.
Am I crazy? No.
Just feeling fat, uninspired, and bored to tears.
The PT I currently do at home in many ways is more aggressive on my knee than perhaps 80% of my Karate activity. I may as well work out in the company of friends rather than in isolation!
Therefore I've decided to return--with certain restrictions until June 1st, the end of my 24-week "restricted" period.
Forms / Kata shouldn't be an issue, since they don't involve jumping or spinning kicks, and the few kicks that are present are with my non-operative leg.
I will make appropriate substitutions for the next 10 weeks:
- Instead of kicks with hard snaps, I do slow-count kicks, substituting a strength exercise for a power drill
- Kicks with my non-operative leg will be performed with the chamber action slowed down (which usually involves some degree of pivoting on the supporting leg)
- Spinning kicks? More slow-count kicks.
- Jumping kicks? More slow-count kicks.
So basically between now and June, I'll be doing a ton of strength work, deep stances, careful pivots, and drill on learning my new weapon form with the bo staff.
Come June 1st, I'll be more than ready to get back to sparring!
I want to thank Black Belt Mama for the "When Life Hands You Lemons" award:
Like any good blog award, there are some rules:
Paying it forward, my nominee is a fellow Martial Artist, Bobspar.
Bob is a self-declared Middle-Aged Martial Artist, and the first blog I came across when seeking other Martial Artists with ACL tear stories. My own blog title is inspired from his attitude of not only embracing where he is in life, but also having begun his journey in the Martial Arts as a middle-aged person!
Bob found a particularly sour lemon to make lemonade--he was literally minutes away from completing his black belt exam when his knee decided to play a game of "Pop Goes The Weasel," tearing his ACL and delaying his black belt for over a year as a result. He is training hard for his test coming up this May, and I wish him the best of luck!
After passing the mid-point of my 24 week rehab period, I made the decision to update the clock to reflect my return to Karate on Monday.
Am I crazy? No.
Just feeling fat, uninspired, and bored to tears.
The PT I currently do at home in many ways is more aggressive on my knee than perhaps 80% of my Karate activity. I may as well work out in the company of friends rather than in isolation!
Therefore I've decided to return--with certain restrictions until June 1st, the end of my 24-week "restricted" period.
Forms / Kata shouldn't be an issue, since they don't involve jumping or spinning kicks, and the few kicks that are present are with my non-operative leg.
I will make appropriate substitutions for the next 10 weeks:
- Instead of kicks with hard snaps, I do slow-count kicks, substituting a strength exercise for a power drill
- Kicks with my non-operative leg will be performed with the chamber action slowed down (which usually involves some degree of pivoting on the supporting leg)
- Spinning kicks? More slow-count kicks.
- Jumping kicks? More slow-count kicks.
So basically between now and June, I'll be doing a ton of strength work, deep stances, careful pivots, and drill on learning my new weapon form with the bo staff.
Come June 1st, I'll be more than ready to get back to sparring!
I want to thank Black Belt Mama for the "When Life Hands You Lemons" award:
Like any good blog award, there are some rules:
- Post the logo on your blog.
- Nominate blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
- Link to the nominees within your blog post.
- Notify the recipients of the award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link back to the person from whom you received your award.
Paying it forward, my nominee is a fellow Martial Artist, Bobspar.
Bob is a self-declared Middle-Aged Martial Artist, and the first blog I came across when seeking other Martial Artists with ACL tear stories. My own blog title is inspired from his attitude of not only embracing where he is in life, but also having begun his journey in the Martial Arts as a middle-aged person!
Bob found a particularly sour lemon to make lemonade--he was literally minutes away from completing his black belt exam when his knee decided to play a game of "Pop Goes The Weasel," tearing his ACL and delaying his black belt for over a year as a result. He is training hard for his test coming up this May, and I wish him the best of luck!
Friday, March 6, 2009
I've given up.
What??? Say it ain't so, Hack ol' buddy!
Big guy like you, strong like an ox, you say you've given up?
Yes, it's true. I'm done for a while, and giving up.
Giving up something for Lent, silly!
What, you read the title after hearing nothing from me for weeks and just assumed the worst? C'mon, gimme a bit of credit here!
As has often, but not always, been my practice in the past, I'm resisting nearly 7 weeks of temptation. This year I've given up alcohol (except Communion at church) and fried food--specifically hamburgers and anything deep-fried. Believe me, as casual as it sounds it truly is NOT an easy thing to do.
So why bother?
I don't consider myself a fundamentalist or terribly evangelical sort of person, but I do enjoy a good challenge. For those unfamiliar with the basic premise, before he faced his final series of challenges culminating in execution, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert and facing temptation by Satan to give up his mission.
These 40 days are represented by the season of Lent, during which the Christian church asks its membership to sacrifice some practice from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Somehow giving up red meat and opting for Fillet-O-Fish for 6 or 7 Fridays in the Spring just doesn't resonate with me as true sacrifice.
Instead, I chose something I take for granted in my daily life, like the evening beer I drink while whipping up dinner, or the Wendy's I have after band practice on Wednesdays. Besides, I was putting on too much weight. Quoting Joni Mitchell, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!"
Temptation? You bet. Worst temptation so far was Tuesday night. I cooked Beer Cheese Soup, where the recipe calls for one beer in the pot and one in the chef. Somehow it tasted different.
In conclusion of this topic I'd like to suggest to those of you who observe Lent to really think hard about what practice feels impossible to give up. Then DO IT. Believe me, after nearly 7 weeks, you will be a changed person.
This coming Monday the 9th marks my half-way point. 12 weeks since surgery, 12 more weeks until June 1st when (barring any complications) I will have no restrictions on activity.
I'm meeting with my Karate instructor Monday evening to review leg movements. I'm going to review the various stances and core movements with my PT next Friday.
I intend to return to Karate within a few weeks. There's no reason to do exercises in solitude at home when I can do them in the company of my peers! I'm running nearly 4 miles these days, and will add plyometric exercises shortly. Heck, some of those go beyond the boundaries of what we do at Karate!
My restrictions are fairly self-explanatory. Obviously I won't risk re-injury:
- No sparring (DUH!)
- No jumping kicks
- No turning kicks
- No snapping kicks (slow-count or slow-motion only)
But even with these restrictions, there's TONS that I can still accomplish.
I'm giving up on waiting.
Big guy like you, strong like an ox, you say you've given up?
Yes, it's true. I'm done for a while, and giving up.
Giving up something for Lent, silly!
What, you read the title after hearing nothing from me for weeks and just assumed the worst? C'mon, gimme a bit of credit here!
As has often, but not always, been my practice in the past, I'm resisting nearly 7 weeks of temptation. This year I've given up alcohol (except Communion at church) and fried food--specifically hamburgers and anything deep-fried. Believe me, as casual as it sounds it truly is NOT an easy thing to do.
So why bother?
I don't consider myself a fundamentalist or terribly evangelical sort of person, but I do enjoy a good challenge. For those unfamiliar with the basic premise, before he faced his final series of challenges culminating in execution, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert and facing temptation by Satan to give up his mission.
These 40 days are represented by the season of Lent, during which the Christian church asks its membership to sacrifice some practice from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Somehow giving up red meat and opting for Fillet-O-Fish for 6 or 7 Fridays in the Spring just doesn't resonate with me as true sacrifice.
Instead, I chose something I take for granted in my daily life, like the evening beer I drink while whipping up dinner, or the Wendy's I have after band practice on Wednesdays. Besides, I was putting on too much weight. Quoting Joni Mitchell, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!"
Temptation? You bet. Worst temptation so far was Tuesday night. I cooked Beer Cheese Soup, where the recipe calls for one beer in the pot and one in the chef. Somehow it tasted different.
In conclusion of this topic I'd like to suggest to those of you who observe Lent to really think hard about what practice feels impossible to give up. Then DO IT. Believe me, after nearly 7 weeks, you will be a changed person.
This coming Monday the 9th marks my half-way point. 12 weeks since surgery, 12 more weeks until June 1st when (barring any complications) I will have no restrictions on activity.
I'm meeting with my Karate instructor Monday evening to review leg movements. I'm going to review the various stances and core movements with my PT next Friday.
I intend to return to Karate within a few weeks. There's no reason to do exercises in solitude at home when I can do them in the company of my peers! I'm running nearly 4 miles these days, and will add plyometric exercises shortly. Heck, some of those go beyond the boundaries of what we do at Karate!
My restrictions are fairly self-explanatory. Obviously I won't risk re-injury:
- No sparring (DUH!)
- No jumping kicks
- No turning kicks
- No snapping kicks (slow-count or slow-motion only)
But even with these restrictions, there's TONS that I can still accomplish.
I'm giving up on waiting.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
For Daze
Saturday I went to cheer on 5 people from my school testing for black belt. All 5 were awarded thier black belts, and I'm very proud of their efforts!
I decided to hang out and catch the fights on Monday night. I was pleasantly surprised to see all 5 of our new black belts show up for their ritual beating (except one, who doesn't spar due to low back complications.)
Each fresh black belt faced off against everyone else present, from under-belts to 2nd degree's, finishing with our head instructor. That was a blast to watch!
I plan to make Monday nights a regular thing. It's karate-related activity that will keep my spirits elevated, I can keep connected with that particular group of folks regularly, and very importantly, I can study my opponents and plan strategy!
Now this all sounds somehow underhanded or sinister, but I'm a visual learner and will absorb anything I can while laid up and rehabilitating my knee. One guy in particular, John, has always been a wonderful partner and a particular challenge to me. He's an inside fighter, and I prefer to keep guys like that at a distance with kicks, which are my stronger weapon.
I hate when he gets inside my kicking range!!!
However, even in the short down time I've had I can see massive improvements in John's technique. He's putting more kicks out there, and is developing a wicked-sharp reflex for getting his head out of the way of punches. I'll have to keep an eye on him for certain, and really look forward to getting back in the ring with him in June.
Four more days; Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
To be honest, I'm ready for this. My left knee has gotten progressively weirder and unreliable, with more "tricks" than I care for. I want my predictability back.
Sing it with me, folks:
All I want for Christmas is my A-C-L,
My A-C-L, just my A-C-L
Gee, if I could only have my A-C-L,
Then I could wish you Merry Kicks-mas!!!
I decided to hang out and catch the fights on Monday night. I was pleasantly surprised to see all 5 of our new black belts show up for their ritual beating (except one, who doesn't spar due to low back complications.)
Each fresh black belt faced off against everyone else present, from under-belts to 2nd degree's, finishing with our head instructor. That was a blast to watch!
I plan to make Monday nights a regular thing. It's karate-related activity that will keep my spirits elevated, I can keep connected with that particular group of folks regularly, and very importantly, I can study my opponents and plan strategy!
Now this all sounds somehow underhanded or sinister, but I'm a visual learner and will absorb anything I can while laid up and rehabilitating my knee. One guy in particular, John, has always been a wonderful partner and a particular challenge to me. He's an inside fighter, and I prefer to keep guys like that at a distance with kicks, which are my stronger weapon.
I hate when he gets inside my kicking range!!!
However, even in the short down time I've had I can see massive improvements in John's technique. He's putting more kicks out there, and is developing a wicked-sharp reflex for getting his head out of the way of punches. I'll have to keep an eye on him for certain, and really look forward to getting back in the ring with him in June.
Four more days; Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
To be honest, I'm ready for this. My left knee has gotten progressively weirder and unreliable, with more "tricks" than I care for. I want my predictability back.
Sing it with me, folks:
All I want for Christmas is my A-C-L,
My A-C-L, just my A-C-L
Gee, if I could only have my A-C-L,
Then I could wish you Merry Kicks-mas!!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Nesting Instinct
Being a father, I've seen this sort of thing before but never experienced it quite as much as I have lately.
The Nesting Instinct.
It's a phenomenon which occurs among pregnant women nearing birth. They get this burst of energy and seem driven to 'get the nest ready' for the new arrival.
In my case, I've been tackling not only the necessary details for surgery (PT, pre-op physical, follow-up appointments, FSA funds) but also a number of other projects around the house. I had a trim job on the stairs that I've buttoned up before Winter arrived. Gotta re-organize the garage and swap the lawnmower for the snowblower so it's ready for Mrs. G when that first big storm arrives. Buying some comfy, large pillows for leg padding. Gift-wrapping my sparring gear and uniforms.
And very importantly, getting my studio cleaned up and organized so I can perhaps do some music writing while I'm laid up!
I have no other way to describe it other than a nesting instinct. I'm making sure all I'll need those first few weeks following surgery will be at-hand without any fuss.
On a side note, please welcome Wei who is in late stages of ACL reconstruction PT as of this writing. She's a student of Tae Kwon Do, and a worthy read. Plus, I discovered the cool new gadget for blog links you can now see!
The Nesting Instinct.
It's a phenomenon which occurs among pregnant women nearing birth. They get this burst of energy and seem driven to 'get the nest ready' for the new arrival.
In my case, I've been tackling not only the necessary details for surgery (PT, pre-op physical, follow-up appointments, FSA funds) but also a number of other projects around the house. I had a trim job on the stairs that I've buttoned up before Winter arrived. Gotta re-organize the garage and swap the lawnmower for the snowblower so it's ready for Mrs. G when that first big storm arrives. Buying some comfy, large pillows for leg padding. Gift-wrapping my sparring gear and uniforms.
And very importantly, getting my studio cleaned up and organized so I can perhaps do some music writing while I'm laid up!
I have no other way to describe it other than a nesting instinct. I'm making sure all I'll need those first few weeks following surgery will be at-hand without any fuss.
On a side note, please welcome Wei who is in late stages of ACL reconstruction PT as of this writing. She's a student of Tae Kwon Do, and a worthy read. Plus, I discovered the cool new gadget for blog links you can now see!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
