The Family that Kicks Together, Sticks Together!

The other day, I told you all about how my 10 yo son, "Buddy" was returning to karate after a summer hiatus. I was worried he'd forget all his hard work leading up to this point, but we practiced a bit over the 2 months or so he was not actively taking classes. I also mentioned that my 18 yo daughter, "Sissy", was beginning classes this past Thursday for the first time. She's a newbie like I was at one time. She is young though and it is not as intimidating for her, so I wasn't worried about her.

Buddy's class started like always. And he remembered it all - including his kata. I was so proud of him. Sensei even had the other kids watch Buddy demonstrate a certain kick because he had executed it well. At the end of class, his regular teacher asked me if I had been working with him during his time off from class during the summer. I admitted, "Just a little...definitely not as much as I had hoped for." His teacher said, "It shows. Buddy did very well tonight." Yay for Buddy! I was so proud of him!!

Now as for my daughter, I am wondering if she will love martial arts as much as I do. I don't think she is obsessed the way I am, but I think she enjoyed it all the same. It was difficult to really see what and how she was doing as the beginners were taken to the other end of the dojo like always and I was just too engrossed in my own training to keep a close eye on her. I knew she was in good hands so I didn't make it a huge goal. She did reveal that she was sore the next day because she pulled a muscle she didn't know she had. Turned out the new class of beginners consisted of 7 teen to early 20's girls and one young mom. This is the first beginning class with those demographics since I've been a member of our school. And that is a good thing. After class, my daughter and I were guessing which of the 9 total will stick with it. I hate to be negative, but there are two who we don't think will continue. My daughter said from things she overheard them say, she thinks they joined to try to meet guys there. From the little bit I did see, they just didn't look all that "into it". But hey, you never know, they could fool us all and be the most dedicated students ever. And Although that was not my daughter's reason, I wonder how long she'll stick with it. I hope the bug catches her, but it's not looking good - as I was totally obsessed by that point in my journey. But then again, most people aren't like me - self proclaimed "Research Girl" who will throw herself into every little detail and read anything she can get her hands on. I guess only time will tell for all of the newbies...

As for my own class, only two people returned from last session's beginner's class (or at least only two showed Thursday night. Maybe some were on vacation or not able to attend for some other reason.) But that reinforces the typical beginner class - only two of twelve returning for the next session. I guess that just shows how we are all so different - Once I had finished my first session, I could not more have quit than voluntarily cut off my right arm!

Whene we finished our work out, Sensei wanted everyone to work on the kumites specific to what they needed for their next belt test, then to continue on with the highest kata they knew and needed work on. Here I was again - the only yellow belt amonst the class. Since we were an even number, but everyone else was matched up pretty closely with their own belt rank, one of our black belts said he'd work with me. I've never worked one-on-one with him before but he was an excellent teacher. He walked me through the kumites - first five - both sides - that's what I'll need for my orange belt test and then we did two katas - the first two Pal-Gwe katas. I felt I had a great first night back.

And now I have two people to practice with instead of just one...The family that kicks together, sticks together!

Good Intentions...

Due to school events at Buddy's school, my mother's poor health, and my own health, I missed the final 2 Thursday night karate classes of last session. Then we had a week off between the summer and falls sessions. Because of this, it has been almost three weeks since I attended a formal class and I have to tell you - I don't like the me that I've morphed into during that time. The obsession with karate is still there. But so is utter and total mental, emotional and physical exhaustion.

I planned on working out a lot during that time. Practicing a lot during that time. Studying the pranic breathing/healing book I told you about approximately a month ago. Planned on refreshing my son's memory of our Basic Kata # 1, the first five kumites and proper form and execution of the basics. My intentions were good. However strong the intentions, the flesh was WEAK, WEAK, WEAK!

I have just been so stressed over money, my parents' health, my kids, working, my messy house…do I really need to go on?...that my own health has been suffering because of it - both my mental health and my physical health. Most of the time, I can use the mental to get past the physical, but as the old joke says, in taking one day at a time, lately, several days have attacked me all at once. And I just couldn't pull my head out of my…well you know…and practice regularly no matter how bad I felt physically.

My life situation is not any better than it has been during the three weeks hiatus, but tomorrow night is the first class of our new fall session. And I am so excited because not only am I going back and getting back to a regular dose of martial arts, but my 18 year old daughter, Sissy, is going to start the beginning adult karate class. I am not holding my breath, but I am hoping she loves it as much as I do. Only thing is - our verbal sparring at home could take on a whole new life as physical sparring in the dojo! (I can just see the headlines in the National Examiner now, "Teen Opens Can of WhoopAss on Mom as Karate Class Watches"?)

Tonight I will go over Basic Kata #1 and kumites with Buddy again. As for myself, I will practice the other 3 katas I know myself and practice the first five kumites on both sides. I will practice some of the steps to pranic breathing and healing as well. I will clue my daughter in on protocol, but not on actual moves or techniques, as she should learn these from the senseis. I also need to prepare everything for class tomorrow. Make sure my gear bag is packed, my gi cleaned and pressed, my water bottle ready to fill.

Yep, it's been awhile. I can't wait!

If You Blog It...They Will Come...

Okay, I have a gripe. I've been blogging for about two months now and I try to post something new every 3 or 4 days (or so). I also try my best to at least have the main subject of my blog, no matter in how many tangents I go off, to be martial arts related.

It is getting tougher.

Since I am newer to martial arts, I don't have all these wise insights yet. (I know occasionally, something terribly profound comes out, but it's usually a fluke, but not always!)

Over at the Aikido & Judo blog http://www.mokurendojo.com/, blogger Patrick Parker gives kudos to 3 other m.a. bloggers who have great blogs but haven't posted in awhile. I commented, telling him I thought that was a great idea. (Although these bloggers weren't major offenders like some I've seen on TopList. I actually believe some of them have decided to no longer blog for whatever reason.)

So, here's my gripe (and yes, also finally my point)...I joined TopList of Martial Arts Blogs when I started MAM in June. I was the last blog listed - number 96 at the time. Now I'm 101! And I blog regularly and I don't think the things I write are that boring or lame that I can't even beat out the bloggers who haven't posted since December of 2007!!!!

Hey, I'm not asking to be number one. Or even number twenty. I just want a respectable place amongst my blogging peers...peers that post more than once every 8 months! So, I emphatically beg you...RATE MY BLOG...PLEASE!!!!! (oh, yeah, and I hope you won't just rate it, but actually READ it sometimes as well!) Thanks!!!

MAM Stars in "Breaking Training"

I've mentioned how my school is based out of a local community center. In doing so, our format allows for 1 week breaks between sessions. This week is our current hiatus from formal training before the next session starts.

I unfortunately had to miss the last class of this session (last Thursday) due to illness. There was just no way to work through this one. I just felt awful, so technically, it will be a full two weeks between formal training for me. And I sure do miss the comraderie of my fellow students.

Just to give you a little background, long story short, I'm an only child and both my parents are in poor health. My mom, who is a dialysis patient to begin with, fell and broke her arm about 2 weeks ago and she is in a rehab center where they are helping to get her so she is able to get by with just one arm while the broken one heals. My dad helps me a lot by taking "Buddy" (my 10 yo son) to school for me since my hubby and I are at work. But he has a beater for a truck and can't afford something more reliable, and he has all kinds of serious health problems including a defibrillator implanted in his chest for his heart. That all worries me on his behalf. My hubby and I make decent money and we don't spend on any extras. We don't have expensive cars or a house, nothing like that, yet with gas prices and increased taxes, and health insurance costs, we are barely scraping by. Couple all this with the just normal stress of having a family, and it's no wonder I don't feel very good, huh?) But back to the subject at hand…

I have meant to practice the past few days since the last class I attended, but with all the stress I'm going through right now, I'm just not feeling all that great lately. The sick stomach feeling coupled with what I'm sure are stress headaches has really made it difficult to get myself moving without a formal class. I still do my practicing in the bathrooms at work and every so often I'll be walking down the hallway at home and launch into a jumping front snap kick. (But only with my right leg…still haven't gotten comfortable with the left yet.) But the substantial chunks of time spent sweating and really pushing myself have been pretty non-existent lately and I need to get back into that. Actually, I would probably end up feeling better if I did as it would release some of the stress and tension.

My other goal is to motivate my 10 year old son, who took a session long break this summer so he could go with my hubby to watch him play softball (hubby, not son). I want to work with him between now and when we go back on August 28th to remind him of where he was and refresh the kumites and kata in his mind. I think two girls passed by him and got their yellow belts this past session while he was out on his little break. I know it is not about the belt, but am still hoping that this might motivate him to apply himself a bit more this time around.

Just writing this post about it has made me want to get moving. I wish I was at home right now so I could act upon that surge of energy. So, tonight, by the light of the moon, I will be on the back patio doing my basics with my son. In refreshing his muscle memory, I will be doing the same for myself.