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?

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...

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!!!

Details

For the creatively challenged trying to read last Tuesday's post, here's what happened on Election Night:

1. Obama won the Presidency.
2. Hack Shaft lost another ACL.

Oy. Well, it's been shocking to so many in my extended Karate community to hear the news, and everyone is surprised at how well I'm taking it.

Should I take it some other way?

Wednesday night I did some power-grieving with a few beers and a surprisingly large quantity of Jack Daniels. Understand, folks, I'm not a heavy drinker and don't recommend my blatantly juvenile, childish, alcohol-fueled reaction--but that night the reality of being out until June again hit me hard.

Why June? Primarily financial reasons. Like last time, I plan to use pre-tax money from an FSA at work to pay for surgery expenses, and the new funds aren't available until January 1st. The medical services have to occur in the same year as the FSA funds.

Then again, I may forgo the tax benefit if I can get surgery scheduled in early December. Guess I'll know more Friday after my visit with Dr. K.

Primary considerations are scheduling--such as carpools, time off from work, holiday parties--but maybe, just maybe, I can trim a month off the process...

Well, 'nuff for tonight. I'm heading out to support 5 friends from my school at their final Black Belt screening session.

Fighting Fatigue

Good piece of advice: Don't Fight Fatigued!!!

October's tournament was a tough one for me this year. 13 guys in my division doing open hand form, and just as many fighting, too. On top of it all, my band had its CD release party the night before, and I ended up getting about 3 hours sleep. Not exactly a good set-up for competing in the top-ranked national tournament of the year!

I achieved Finalist status in open hand form, which means I was in the top 8, and I'm satisfied with that. At this belt level my school's open hand form is not as complex or difficult as some I've seen. The winner was from a Tang Soo Do school, and had an incredible form; very powerful and clean presentation, and most deserving of a top placing.

Going into fighting, I pretty much knew I'd be out after the first round. New rules extended fighting to 2 minutes or first to 7 points. While I lost 4-7 to the fighter who ended up in 2nd place, I did have one bright moment.

Forgetting that I fight best reactively, the first two clashes went to my opponent as I tried to take off from the line. 3rd clash I began moving around and finally popped in some points. We went back and forth trading punches, and while I landed a solid kick to his chest right in front of the center judge, neither corner judge saw it well enough to award me that particular point.

The last blow I delivered came as a complete surprise, and ended up being the most revealing and valuable lesson of the tournament.

I have this habit of turning away from my opponent. Bad idea, I know, but in this particular case I turned while pulling my head back out of range of his fist. 1/3rd of the way through turning, I thought to deliver a back fist with my left hand, which missed my opponent's head. However, my right hand, seemingly of its own accord, delivered a beautiful follow-through that delivered a solid blow to his chin! That moment is awfully fun to watch on video...

What exactly did that moment reveal??? Simple. I need to return to fighting conventional stance vs. southpaw.

See, my right (operative) leg is really good at delivering repeated, jabbing side kicks. However, when it comes to follow-up with my hands, my left fist is really slow. Sure, my right hand in front is fine for back fist work, but there's just not much else to back it up!

I began fighting southpaw when I returned, mostly because I wanted to guard my operative leg from too much sideways motion. Conventional stance put a lot of pressure on the knee, either taking off forward, or if I was retreating. Since that time, however, my knee has toughened up significantly, so it's now time to reconsider my stance to take advantage of my strong side.

I'm right-handed, and my right leg is the stronger one these days. My first sparring class back I forced myself back to a conventional stance, and it was weird...but very effective! At first it felt like I was exposed, but now I realize the true feeling: freedom. Suddenly I felt like my hands truly did have something to contribute to the party, and it's really liberating.

Two Monday's ago we did something unusual that forced fighters to keep constantly on the move; we fought 2-on-1. This forced me as a defender to constantly try to position myself so one opponent was between me and the other opponent, effectively blocking the second attacker.

It was nuts. It was insane. It was a blur of motion. It was exhausting.

It was...A BLAST!!!

Next opportunity for tournament fighting in 2 weeks. Hope to have better results to report afterwards.

Where is the love?

Inter-school sparring went so well, we're doing it once more this coming Monday night. We've got 3 other schools sending students over to mix things up in preparation for next weekend's big tournament, and it should be a blast.

Lately I've been challenged to find that certain joy in doing battle during sparring that keeps me focused. Last night it returned by the bucketful, and I came home with such a buzz, it was really surprising!

I stopped concentrating so hard on myself and took time to work with a new student, and celebrate developing skills in other fighters. A few suggestions here and there, couple of good knocks to the head, and I was in Heaven.

Now...to keep that going and find it again a week from Saturday...

Updates

Hi, there, faithful reader! It's been nearly a month since my last post, time for some quick updates.

I attended my first tournament since my injury in December 2007 and had a blast!

In open hand form I took first in my division by .01 point. Just goes to show that victory can be by the slimmest margins sometimes!

I was also very satisfied with my sparring performance, taking second in my division. We had some great competition, and I have some very useful video provided by one of the parents to study what worked and what didn't work. I can't stress enough how useful it is to study video of yourself, be it during class, rank testing, or tournament. No matter the outcome, you're always way ahead of the game with video documentation!

That being said, G-Shaft accompanied me to an inter-school event this evening and ran the camcorder.

4 schools gathered for a mass sparring class at what is likely the smallest school in the system. Fantastic turnout, we had fighters from yellow/green through multiple black belt degrees, 13 to 40-somethings, about 30 fighters in total.

The purpose was to mix things up between schools, so that each person had an opportunity to work with unknown fighters. This helps to mentally prepare oneself for tournaments where you often meet fighters you've never been in the ring with, and it's an invaluable experience. I highly recommend it!

I came home having met some GREAT fighters, really nice people, and walked away with a nice Charlie Horse in my right thigh. Oh, well, any class you can walk away from...right?

G'night folks, and keep those hands up!!!

Anyone have time for sale???

If I could save time in a bottle...

Just a short note to let you all know that things are proceeding wonderfully.

It's been a fantastically busy summer, lots of great things happening at the moment:

- My band's CD recording is wrapping up, hopefully this week
- Spent a week camping hard-core, canoeing on the Canadian border
- Most significantly: Monday I accepted a new job at my company with a 20% salary increase!
- Loving the hell out of sparring, learning a lot and having a blast working out with so many great fighters.

Tournament season starts in September, so our classes will begin to intensify very soon in anticipation of the first event. I look forward to trying out my sparring skills against unknown opponents after hanging out with 13 or so of the same fighters all Spring and Summer.

Be good, and keep smiling at your opponents!

Well healed

Today's core class was quite a bit of fun. We worked on slow kick drills for side kicks, worked with body shields on a variety of side kicks, and finally grabbed hand pads and tried out 360 round kicks.

One of the drills was on a step-through side kick. From a fighting stance, the rear leg is brought up and cocked with a 90-degree bend (hip rotation is a BIG part of this one) while the front leg rotates 180 degrees to support you, then the kick is delivered like a typical side kick. Besides hip rotation, that supporting leg and foot MUST get full rotation to be effective.

My instructor related that this particular kick tore the ACL of the school's owner long ago when he failed to rotate his supporting leg! As we worked on them, he declared that if I could deliver step-through side kicks, I must be well-healed.

Later we added a combo of step-through side kick with a turning back kick. The result is that you almost pivot the kicking leg as it strikes your opponent, turning and swapping legs to deliver the second kick. An interesting and very challenging combo, but not practical in sparring except as a final shot since it eats up a lot of energy.

For fun we turned to 360 round kicks. Take a typical tornado kick, tilt your axis of rotation back maybe 30 degrees from vertical and add more hip rotation--presto, a 360 round kick. Being somewhat adept at tornado kicks, this came to me quickly after just a few tries. Man, did those pads make some nice, thunderous pops, quite fun to do!

My sister came to town for a Triathlon this Saturday that the family team is participating in. I invited her to watch sparring class back on Monday, and unknown to me she was shooting short videos with her digital still camera. We had fun later that night analyzing the clashes frame-by-frame. I was really happy to see Danny Longlegs get into using his hands much more, and I managed to best him 1-2-3 in our last clash by sneaking quick jabbing side kicks under his guard.

Tonight made me feel quite well healed, though not necessarily fully recovered. I'd put myself at, oh, 90% since I'm still a bit stiff in the mornings!

Here's a question for ACL recoverees: How did or how will you gauge your recovery?

Testing my study habits: Duck!

My posts lately have been about sparring and how much I'm really getting it now. Spending almost 7 months laid up, one has a lot of time to study things. In sparring, I believe that knowing your opponent's style and tendencies is of the utmost importance for you to have a chance of surviving a match, let alone victory.

We have a lot of 1st and 2nd degree black belts in my sparring class that are 18 or younger. The primary thing this gives them is SPEED, which at my (ahem) more advanced age is something still in development. My best defense until I gain speed is to anticipate what might be coming at me, and work on counter-attacks accordingly.

Two Mondays ago I was up against a zippy 13-year old 1st degree. I could hold him off or drive him out of the ring with repeated side kicks, but the very moment I turned away or otherwise took my eyes off of him, he'd nail me with a flying sort of blitz punch. It's a popular attack among the young black belts.

Guess what: I noticed.

In my head I reflected on it, and played out scenarios on how to deflect or avoid that particular attack. Watched a lot of WCL, checked out YouTube videos, and noted how advanced point fighters dealt with the attack.

Last Monday I was in the ring again with the same kid, but a different outcome. Anticipating the blitz, I ducked my head back out of range while delivering the last side kick in a combo attack. The result was an introduction of foot to chest--2 points!

Tuesday's core class was also a revelation. We worked on a lot of skip kicks, a long-range attack. That night I discovered my range is a lot longer than I thought. One more thing to note when gauging distance to my opponent.

Happy 4th of July!