Business and Kata

I am in my office. I love saying my office by the way. I even say it with bold emphasis.

Anyway, I am, as I type, sitting in my office. Things aren't quite like I expected though. I was supposed to have a big piece of wood from my landlord so I can make a sign. Well when it snowed, he plowed it under. What I have for signs right now are just black poster board colored in with chalk pastels in the lobby. Shihan is going to drop off some wood he has in the dojo, but that will do indoors. Not for the big sign I need. I will make do. I am thinking of getting some canvas and painting on it with ink, then making a wood frame from 1X2's so it will be light enough for me to hang. Just a thought, still stewing on it.

No one wants a website or to actually pay for computer repairs. I did however get a couple clients for ebay consignments though. I am selling someones inventory of Mary Kay and someone would like me to sell their hand-crafted coffee tables. Tuesday I am going to his house for some pictures. While I am there I am going to do the "American Picker" thing.

Have you seen that show, American Picker? It is on discovery channel. These two guys drive around the country knocking on doors of junked out houses and climb ion and over the years of hording trying to find a pearl. They sometimes do.

Tomorrow I am headed to in auction. I am headed there with Shihan. He wants to see how it all works. Should be fun. BTW I am selling as PanOpticPC on Ebay

KATA
This week was very slow when it comes to karate. Sunday I went to the Bethel dojo for Sensei Kris's class. It was mostly kata. I was the lowest belt. As a matter of fact I was the only one without a black belt so because of that, she asked me which kata I wanted to work on. I picked Pinan San.

It is above my belt. It is generally frowned upon to practice katas above your belt, but I have been doing it for months now. The only full contact class we have right now is right after advanced kata class, so I go through all the katas until we hit black belt before I am told to sit out. I don't get corrected when doing things above my belt. Only those who need those katas for their next belt get corrected.

Sensei went over each pinan with me and their applications so I learned a whole lot. I really like her classes.

Dojo Kun
I have been practicing the dojo kun all week. Whenever I have a minute, I read it to myself out load. My kids can probably recite it by now. Sunday, we ran late so we didn't have a chance to say it. The snow all week has left me house bound so I haven't been asked to say it. It is all good. I need more time.

Weakness of Spirit, Mine

We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaken spirit. 

That is the beginning of the dojo kun. The dojo kun, traditionally in Japan, is recited at the beginning and end of every class. In America, even in my home dojo, we only say it at the end of class, if time allows. One person will recite the dojo kun in parts and the rest of the class will mimic it. I have been listening to it for over a year and a half.

Last Sunday, I went to Sensei Kris's dojo. At the end of a very good class, she said that I was to say the dojo kun. 

Huh? Me, really?

New Dojo in Town

This week, Sensei Kris has opened her own dojo. She will be having classes in Bethel Maine twice a week, two hour classes. Tuesday was the first night and I couldn't wait to be her student. Well, okay, I already am her student. She was my teacher in beginner lessons and almost everything else.

Shihan was in a really bad car accident about 5 months before I joined karate. So for the first six months, I only saw him occasionally and didn't really know him except for the occasional full contact class. Sensei taught just about every class I went to.

A shout out to Modern Paleo

A big thanks to Modern Paleo for featuring this blog in their roundup!