I Have A Blog?

Yes...yes I do.

Sometimes I forget.

Just a quick note to say "Hello!" to all the readers who still stumble upon this blog from time to time.  There is not much...ok I mean nothing...to report on karate.  This is my first prolonged absence from the dojo and training.  I miss my instructors.  I miss my friends. I miss my fellow karate blog friends. I miss training.

During the summer, I was at the IKKF Annual Training event.  I was hoping the event would catapult me back in to training.  I spoke to Hanshi Hayes during a break in the sessions.  I mentioned my lapse in training and he told me not to worry because "it was about the long term commitment".

So here I am....focusing on the the long term commitment.

I will be back.

Teaching Your Own Child Karate

My daughter turns 14 years old next week.  In a few weeks, she will graduate 8^th grade.  In a few months, she will start high school.  In a few short years, she will head off to college. 

 Time flies like an arrow…

A few weeks ago, she mentioned in passing about learning karate.  (We have been down this road before).  She wants me to teach her and she wants to learn via private lessons.  I did not give this much thought at the time because I was in the process of driving her from one play practice to another.   The truth is…she simply did not have the time. (Historical society play, School play, Living Stations, Mathletes, Declamation Contest, Softball, homework).

Yesterday, Erin expressed interest in learning the tunfa.  I handed her my favorite set of Shureido tunfa and we went outside dressed in sweatpants and t-shirts.  There were no gi, no belts, no mirrors and we were barefoot on the grass.

It was a good training session. 

Questions:

Do you teach your own child karate?

Private lessons or class environment?

What are your biggest challenges?  

At what age did your child start learning?

I am inclined to have her learn privately and in a class setting.  My main concern is she is so busy with other activities that she will not have the time to study karate. 

PS. Hello Readers!  It has been a few months since I posted.  I hope everyone is doing well.    

Listen....

Listen...to your body.

In mid December, my sister Kim had surgery on her foot to correct a Haglund's Deformity and Plantar Fasciitis.  After the surgery, she had a list of instructions such as no weight bearing (crutches) and elevation for four weeks.  Kim wore a surgical boot for six weeks. 

My sister is not the type of person who is content being at home.  She is on the go....all the time.   Two weeks into her recovery, she asked me to take her to a jewelry making class a few towns away.   Kim assured me it was O.K. with her doctor because she was able to elevate her foot during the class.  On the ride to the bead shop, she told me her calf was sore for about two days and was not getting any better.

My sister was convinced she had a blood clot. 

The ultrasound test in the ER the next morning confirmed her suspicion.  The ER doctor kept her for observation because if the blood clot would shift it would travel to her lung.  The blood clot was in her ankle and was a result of the surgery.  The doctor said her blood clot was diagnosed early.  Kim returned home after an overnight stay in the hospital, blood tests, injections and a regime of cumadin

I am glad my sister was listening....

White Envelope

A few weeks ago, I was handed a white envelope by Fritz who is one of my training partners.   The content of the envelope....pictures.  I don't know about you but I don't like to get my picture taken.  I thanked Fritz and put the white envelope in my weapon bag.  It remained buried in the bag until I discovered the pictures last Wednesday during a black belt workout.  The pictures were taken in June 2012 during IKKF testing.  I paged through the photos critiquing my stances and weapon positions (bo, tekkos).  Did I mention that I hate getting my picture taken?

I guess I am feeling brave or perhaps crazy because I am sharing a few of the photos from the white envelope on the Photos page.

Might As Well Jump

An article from Science Daily: 

Go Ahead and Jump: Learning How to Properly Jump and Land Can Help Female Athletes Avoid Serious Knee Injuries

Female athletes tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) six to eight times more than male athletes who play the same sport. A leading sports medicine surgeon believes incorporating a jumping and landing program into a regular training regimen can help keep women on the field and out of the operating room.

"The jump program not only strengthens the knee, but it also help teach female athletes the motor control required to cut, jump and land properly," said Kelly Osburn, a Methodist Center for Sports Medicine physical therapist who helps female athletes recover from ACL injuries. "Most of my patients leave physical therapy stronger than they were before their injury."

Jumping is one area that I still feel insecure about during karate training...even after 5 years.   My ACL tear occurred while landing a jump on a matted surface.