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.

Reader Question: What if the fear of injury...isn't your own?

Hello blog readers!

I received a kind email from Carolyn and she asked the following question:

"What if the fear of injury...isn't your own?"

I ask because... I've seen students leave martial arts because their parents don't want them to start sparring, or get hurt in some other way. More tragically, these students are usually girls. 

Watching someone be forced away from something they enjoy because of someone else's concerns breaks my heart.

Thanks again for your email and question! 

Quiet

This blog is too quiet.

I miss writing.
I miss my blog friends.
I miss the exchange of ideas. 
I miss reading and learning.

I will be in touch soon. 

Michele

Out of Balance

It has been about 8 weeks since I was in the dojo. This was the first time I decided to take a break. In the past, my breaks from training were due to my work schedule or an injury (ACL). Since the dojo is attached to my house, taking a break is significant.

However, I am feeling miserable because my life is out of balance.

These weeks have been extremely busy. I coordinated a raffle, worked a full-time and two part-time jobs. A large portion of time was spent transporting my daughter to camp, play practice, a science institute and soccer practice. I am also dealing with some life stressors which include a family member’s medical issues and extended unemployment.

It has been a difficult two months.

Last night, I decided to stop feeling miserable. My first order of business is to resume karate practice.

Immediately.

Tonight.

I hope I will be feeling a little less miserable tomorrow.

Question - Total Knee Replacement / Karate

Hello Readers,

A karate friend asked me to post a question on the blog. 

Do you know anyone who had a TKR (total knee replacement) and was able to continue karate training?

Thoughts?  Insights?

Catching Up

I am trying to catch up on everything from paperwork to my Google Reader.    

A blog "To Do" list:

Update the recommended links column.  If you have a martial arts, karate or ACL blog and would like to be included as a recommended link, please leave a comment on this post. 

Write an "About Me" post.  The page has been marked Coming Soon for about a year.

Post on a weekly basis.

Respond to email requests.