Today is the Day

How Much Do I Remember?

No one was in the building.  I walked into the dimly lit warehouse and found an open floor space.  I wanted to know how much I remembered...if anything at all.  And so I began....

Anxiety Sucks

My face was pressed against the window in the back seat of the family’s green station wagon.  I sat quietly waiting for my dad to finish work.  I watched as he walked out the door and locked it.  Then the ritual began but I did not know what I was witnessing at the time.  He reached for the door handle and shook it three times.   My father walked down the short flight of steps and looked back at the door.   He proceeded back up the steps and grabbed the door handle again and shook it hard.  Three times.  Repeat.

At the time, I had no idea what I was witnessing.  I was only seven or eight years old at the time.  However, as an adult, I can say this is my first memory of anxiety.  Now I can recognize the signs of anxiety with ease.  It’s the little things.  It is the food that can’t touch each other on a dinner plate.  It is the patterned blanket that can only be facing one direction.  It is the nervousness to carry a water bottle in a theater.  It is the glasses, keys and pen that must sit just right on the counter.  It is the ritual of setting the breakfast table in proper sequence.  It is the person sitting in the corner quietly on their phone during social events.

It manifests differently in each person.  In my case, it started as a teenager and continued through college.  The anxiety focused on electricity and fire.  So curling irons, hair dryers and crock puts became a source of stress. I was so aware of my anxiety and I hated it.  It was a waste of time and I knew I was transferring my anxiety onto these objects.  When Erin was born, I had no time for it any longer.  I had to focus on her and I stopped.

Fast forward seventeen years later.  It is different but it is back and I want it to go away.

Sadness

Haven't been this sad in a long time.

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....