Breaking Wood

The last time I went to Canada, the very nice people at Atlantic Canada Kyokushin-Kan Karate (ACKK) gave me three boards to break. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Ligo Dojo Tournament March 10 2012 Durhan NC

Coming soon to North Carolina, the Ligo Dojo of Durham will be hosting their first tournament. It is slated as a beginners tournament. My dojo will be sending some fighters and I will be coming down to join them, but as support and a spectator.

Tidbits from their facebook page:

The Gauntlet of Links

Vacation week in Maine has been hectic to say the least. When you work at a ski mountain, the action is non-stop all week. Every morning I was fitting rental skis to guest. In the after noon I would take the guest on the ziplines. Finally at night, I sold tickets. 12 hour days all week.

Today is my day of rest so I caught up on all my favorite blogs and I am going to share the best with you.

Kuwait Karate Journal wants you to know how fit you really are. Take the US Army fitness test twice a year to gauge your fitness.

Over at ExploringKarate, Steve will take you through his planned workout with a free standing bag. He says, "You can feel and see when a technique connects well and work to improve it."

At the Knockdown Fighter board, join the discussion of you most favorite and least favorite techniques. My most favorite (today) is inside leg kick, my most hated, spinning hook kick. I just can't seem to get it.

Want a new workout gadget but don't want to spend the cash? How about a new TRX suspension trainer? the guys at Homemade Gym Stuff will show you how.

My favorite topic, food. So how does a fighter gain weight and build muscle? Mark Sisson will tell you how without all the white carbs that does your body no good.

Being Published

GOOD NEW! GOOD NEWS!! I am a published author now!! Wrote about tabata intervals in Osu Magazine. download your copy for free. I had the copy on my desktop forever and didn't know I was in it. I was waiting for a magazine with a different name

 http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/324920

US Open Returns to Maine

Mark your calander. The US Open Kyokushin Tournament is returning to Maine this May 23rd at Sunday River Resort in Newry Maine. Stay tunes for more details or call 207.890.6724 or email mkka12@yahoo.com

Here in Maine we have a lot to do before that tournament comes up. This month we are having an Inter-school tournament for beginners. This inter-school tourny will introduce newbies to the tournament edicuitte, what to expect when they get there, what the ref is saying, general rules of the fight.

In March we will be headed to North Carolina for a Tourament that is structured for New and Beginner fighters. (I think I will be coaching)

What's Your Range??

A little personal information first: I am very new at teaching. I don't think the first lesson I taught went over as well as I wanted to. I feel like I rushed everything but I do think the sparring game I had made up for it. People said that they really liked it. (see http://www.kihonwasa.com/2011/11/class-was-taught.html)

So for my second lesson, Shihan asked me if I would teach about 5 days before the class. I know, five days is a lot of time, but being new at this, 5 days seemed very short. I racked my brain for something that would be relevant to teach. Do I go over a basic technique and help them perfect it? Like front snap kicks, or the basic jab, cross? Do i go over something a little more fancy like a spinning jumping back kick? Do we work on something I need to work on so I can get better while helping others?

THE Class was Taught

Last night was a big deal for me. I taught my first Sabaki class. That is fight class. Gosh I had such anxiety about it. I have to thank my dojo mates for dealing with me.

I started with kihon, basic strikes, blocks and kick. I totally had a plan when I went in there. Just go through the basics, nothing fancy, but went I went so fast that I was under time, I started to make up kicks. Ever stand in zenkutsu dachi (front leaning stance) while throwing a round knee kick?? Neither have I, but lucky for me it worked.

After fitness and a water break, we went over my plan of attack. I had everyone line up at the back of the room so we could walk up and down the room throwing a jab, reverse, and a knee kick. Then we took turns strapping on the full body kicking shield and we practiced the combo against it. The next step in my master plan was to learn to defend against it.

Me And Ryan last belt test

Time flew by and I had 10 minutes or so of actual sparring time. There was only seven people in class so instead of regular sparring, I had them all circle up. I put one in the middle and sent people to spar him for 30 seconds. While this was happening, I walked around the circle and I would tag someone and keep walking. I would shout to stop fighting and the next person would spar the person in the middle.

I had a hard time explaining it, but while I was trying, Patrick said "Oh Boy!" cause he knew what I was doing. He got to go first. Pat sparred Manny, I walked around and tagged Ryan. When Manny's time was up I told him to stop. As soon as I did, Ryan pops into the circle. He just happened to be behind Patrick so that when Pat turned around, he got hit in the stomach. So round and round it went. We went about 10 minutes over time because it was SO MUCH FUN. I totally wanted to jump in.

There was one accident. J went to through a spinning back kick at Ryan and when he spun, he wasn't in total control and it turned into a spinning hook kick that got Ryan in the throat. I felt so bad, I still do.

Brown Belt Blues

When I was an under belt, under green with stripe (3rd kyu), a new belt rank meant a new kata or two and  a slight increase in fitness. Yea, we did fight training every week. But belt tests focused on kihon and katas and as long as you sparred just once, you passed.

At 3rd kyu however, it seemed like there was a lot more on my shoulders on my journey to 2nd kyu, brown belt. The katas I had to learn, three of them, were all similar, were confusing me. As an upper belt the things I thought I was doing correctly, were now getting nit-picked. Okay nit-picked is a bad word, maybe tweaked is a better word, but it sure did feel like nit-picked. Seemed like all the pinan katas were running together and would often start a san kata and finish with a yon somewhere in the middle. Also trying to train for a fight so I could be eligible for the Japan fights next year. The worst thing was when testing for my brown belt, for the end of the kihon and katas, I was in front of everyone doing them by myself.

Things are even harder for me as a brown belt. Sensei tells me that this is the level that they lose people at. This is where it really gets tough. I agree. I feel the frustration. I am being corrected, but instead of just saying what I am doing wrong, I am told that I should know better at my rank. I am told that I am now a leader as a brown belt. People are looking up to me to show them how to do things correctly. No pressure or anything.

Shihan is already asked me about the next belt test and weather or not Ill be ready for it. Brings my anxiety level up but if I am not working towards something, I am simply existing. I don't want to just exist so somehow I have to push through this. I have to pull it together and get the new katas learned, perfect my stances, use proper fighting techniques and be able to teach.

What It's Like Before a Fight

6 Months Out

Shihan, sensei or someone tells you about a fight coming up, sometime in the month of say, October. I am either asked if I want to fight or I am told that I am going to fight. Doesn't matter which because if I wasn't asked, I would ask if I could go.

Visions of training plans and completely filled out workout sheets dance through my head, much like pre-Christmas sugar plums. I'll do fine, I think. I can't wait. Confidence flows through my veins. Not that I think I will win, but the confidence that I will arrive, fight and they will remember me, win or lose.

2 Months Out

new job, new training

New Job

I started to work. I know it may be a shock, but I have a real job. One with a time clock. I have been a full time stay at home mom for 15 years. Sure I have worked, but some computer repair, webdesign, graphic design, and other things here and there. No time clock, no boss, no human resources needing 2 forms of ID so I can pay my taxes.

I am working for Sunday River in Bethel Maine. Sunday River is a four season resort, but it main draw is the skiing. The best skiing in New England. I have been hired to help work the Ziplines.

Training is going to have to be different. I have to be up and out of the house before 6:30 in the morning. No time to work out in the morning. On the up side, zipline guide is a very physical job. Then I go straight from ten hours of work, to two to three hours of training. Sleep and do it again.

I feel like I am skimping on the training because I am  missing my morning workouts. No time for weight lifting and I only have a month till I fight in Canada. Shihan says it will all come together, just like always. That I shouldn't worry about it, and funnily, I am not worried.

Worry is my first name when it is just a month out from a fight. Not this time and I am not sure why. This fight, if I win, will qualify me to head to Japan in May. I already bought the Rosetta Stone, Japanese version. I am just taking it as it comes. No I am not cocky, I plan on going to Japan. I hope to be a fighter but even if I am not, I will go, somehow.

New Trainer

Sensei has a student, Tim. On Thursdays, Tim visits a gym in Mexico, Maine. Last April, when we went to Connecticut to a tournament, Rich came with us. While there, Sensei invited him to coach Tim with her. He was awesome. Rich has a black belt in some other martial art style. He also teaches boxing and kickboxing.

Soon after the April tournament, Rich started kyokushin. I got to know him and some of his history and found out that he trains another fighter and trains people who want to learn fighting. So I asked him if he could do some personal training with me. He seemed to love the idea.

Our 1 hour personal training session is two hours long. It started out that way, so now it is scheduled for two. Rich is a great trainer. He and Sensei are talking about me behind my back. When I get there he has drills tailored just for what I need to work on. Seems like whatever Sensei says that I am doing wrong on Sunday, Tuesdays training is all about my shortcomings. I think this will help me a lot.

The best thing about training with Rich is that it isn't all about fighting. Rich is a martial artist. When he trains me, he is training me in martial arts, not just for the next tournament. It isn't all about the winning, it is about my body, my mind and especially my spirit. To me, my chi or my spirit is the most important thing that I can train. After all the hard work of training plyo and bag work and techniques, Rich works awful hard at helping me quiet my mind through breathing exercises and even incorporates kata.

I can't wait for Tuesday morning so I can train with him again.

Kokutsu Dachi (Back Stance)

Last night was Sensei's class in Bethel. We did things a bit different. We didn't do kihon, but went straight to a technique.

We practiced the applications of Kokutso Dachi. It is also called the back stance and even "the akward stance". Often,it is described as the oppisite of zenkutsu dachi, forward stance. Kokutsu dachi is a very good defenseive stance. Usually it is paired up with shuto uke (knife hand block).

CLINIQUE DE KYOKUSHIN-KAN KARATE CLINIC

Last weekend Sensei K, Sempai S, Jared and I took a 7 hour drive to Edmundston, New Brunswick for a Kyokushin Seminar. It was held by the Edmundston dojo and was attended by many people from all over Canada. Shihan Fujiwara, from Connecticut, 6th Dan, Uchi Deshi under Sosai Mas Oyama and also Ushi Deshi under Sushu Shigueru Oyama, ran all the classes.

The first class of the day on Saturday, was the children's  class. Shihan Fujiwara was inspiring. The man had so much energy and really enjoyed being with the kids. He began with the tradition warm-up,

Front Snap Kick

Taken by TJ Whittaker
Patty Pittman VS Ivanna Williams
Patty is the blonde in the green belt

I went, I fought ~ Japanese Karate, So much Fun

Sempai Harry and me

Those who read my blog on a regular basis, might have noticed that I wasn't posting as often as I usually do before a fight. I really couldn't post all my thoughts. You see, I was hurt and didn't want to give it away. I didn't know if my opponents were reading this or not. I know I would be reading the blog of someone training to fight me.

Before the fight:

Nice lean, hoping the other coach didn't notice

So the thing I couldn't write about, I was hurt. Two weeks ago I got tagged on my lead leg, just above the knee on the outside. I limped around all weekend, doing the RICE thing and come Monday It was still tender but I could walk on it. Then during full contact training, I was sparring and wound up getting tagged in the same spot. I didn't show it but I couldn't kick anymore and I think I got hit 3 or 4 more times there. I couldn't lift my leg to kick, I couldn't get it out of the way to block. Someone was yelling for me to use my legs and the guy I was sparring just cracked me hard, really hard right there. I fell to the floor, tears were coming down my face and I couldn't breathe. Finally, seemed like an eternity, I got up and bowed out. They brought me ice but my leg is ruined.

Fighting Tonight GAHH!

Today is the day, well I should say that tonight is the night. This the the worst part, waiting to fight, the sleepless night before the butterflies in my stomach. Wishing it for to be done.

Yesterday was such a long day. We didn't leave until way after the time we were supposed to and it took an hour longer than we planned. Didn't get in Connecticut until after 8:30. When I got to the room Sensei was off training Tim. I should have been with them, but I missed out. Took a quick swim, sat in the hot tub and then I hit the showers.

Sleeping before a fight is harder than the fight. You see in a fight you choose to get on the mat and go at it. With sleep, I chose to sleep, but didn't. It was so very much beyond my control. I tossed and turned. Stupid thoughts and ideas popping into my head. When I did sleep, the dreams woke me up. Dreams, equally stupid as the ideas.

Today I have a kata competition. Last night during one of my sleepless bouts,I imagined myself doing kata. I am supposed to do pinan ni. So I did ichi, ni, san, shi, then blanked out. Could not for the life of me remember what the next 3 steps were. I could remember all of those after that, but those three step drew a complete blank.

Fighting doesn't start until 5ish, it will be a long day.

Teaching Karate ~ My First Class

Last Sunday, at Sensei's dojo in Bethel, the orange belts asked if there was going to be class on Easter. Sensei told them that she was visiting family. She asked how many people wanted to come in and just about all of them raised their hands. I did too. So she announced that there would be a class. Said that if she couldnt find a black belt, that I would teach. I don't think Sensei even asked anyone else.

Thusday she sent me a list of things she wanted me to work on with a huge gap of time for me to teach whatever I wanted. I went over to K4L and asked for games and drills. I watched countless videos on youtube. I browsed many martial arts sites. I made a list of drills and games. I so wanted to make sure that everyone had fun.

Sunday came, I arrived early and practiced my kata for the upcoming tournament. Ray was the first to arrive, 10 minutes early.  Ray was the only one to arrive. sigh.

Ray asked if Sensei found a black belt and I told him that she hadn't. I think he was disappointed. He told me that it would be okay if we didn't have a 2 hour class, that we could leave early.

We lined up, bowed in and did our stretching and kihon. We went through the strikes and block. We then did our kicks while moving. Then in zenkusu dachi, moving, we did a block and reverse punch, trying to get the block and counter to flow naturally.

Kata was up next. Ray wanted to learn Sigogi Ichi but I was told that I should teach juji kata becasue they all needed to learn it and we haven't gone over it yet. Looking at the clock, I was speeding through every thing. So I decided that we would do all of the required katas. We took our time going over sigogi Ichi. Then we did juji kata. I taught him juji kata and he did well. Then I was having him do it without a count. He was going through it without kiai so he could concentrate on which way to go. Sometimes he would forget or he would have to think for a few seconds. Then I had him do it again. This time I insisted that he kiai. So weird, because his mind was on trying to remember to kiai, he did the kata totally correct.

On to the bag work. During kihon I noticed that his side kicks and round house kicks were off. His whole body would not only go back when he kicked but his torso would tilt forward as well. So out went all the drills I had and in came a half hour of kicks.

We practiced in front of the mirror going very slow. I wanted him to get the technique. He was struggling to get his kick high. I made him do the kick to the knee. Told him that in time he will get height but technique is more important. So he asked "I thought we weren't supposed to kick to the knee in the dojo?"

"Well yeah", I said. "Take out my knee and I can train anymore but kyokushin is not about the tournaments, it is about the real world. Take out a drunk muscle head's knee and the bar fight is over before it started."

I got the kick shield and still had him work slow for a 20 count, then I made him speed up. Now that he was all warmed up and the technique was better, I had him kick to the stomach, but I made him do it fast. No time to think and his kicks were so much better. No longer was he falling over.

The two hours was up before I knew it. and hopefully I did well. I wont know until Sensei talks to Ray. I hope I am asked to do it again.

Feeling Like Me Again

During the last month, I have been trying really hard to get into training. I just feel like I am not good enough. So I have been trying extra hard. Weights in the morning, kickboxing in the after noon and 2 to 3 hours of fight training at night. I was feeling exhausted, burnout. Every time I would preform badly, I would work harder.

A week ago last Monday, after fight class, Shihan had us all take a knee. He discussed the ups and downs and the plateaus of training. He asked if any of us were feeling tired. I reluctantly said that I was. We discussed my training schedule. I was told to cut back. Run only once a week, weights twice and to rest.

Shihan knows so much about fighting and the fighters body. If I am doing this for 50 years I won't know half as much as him. He has an instinct to create fighters. The first fight I was in, we went to Connecticut. There were 6 of us. Sensei K fought full contact and the rest of us were doing semi-contact, because it was our first fight. Every one of us brought home first or second.

Shihan was so great. Sensei was supposed to be my coach and I could hear her shouting commands. I was also hearing the commands of Shihan. "Finish Up!" he'd scream. His voice so deep but loud that it seemed like he was just a few feet away. He was sitting with the big wigs on the big table at the front. I never heard anyone but Shihan yell from that table.

I listened to him, I put away my fitness equipment and joined the gym. Now when I am done working out I go home. No more do I look at the weights and whatnot thinking I should do more.

It took a week but last Monday, when sparring, I didn't feel like I sucked as bad. Last night I sucked even less. I wasn't as out of breath, I defended myself instead of just getting hit. I hit the target instead of just swinging. I felt good.

After last night, I don't feel as anxious as I was. I think that after I posted my fight videos, people in class, especially the new one, have expectations of me. I feel like I cant live up to the hype. Maybe that's why I was training so hard. But I am just a girl and sometimes I will lose, but as long as I do my best, it will all work out.

My Sensei, The Dojo Monster

Sensei is a monster. It's true. I wish I could be like her though. Here she stands, 5 foot 6 inches tall, weighs about 135 soaking wet and has all the respect and awe of grown men and teenage boys alike for her fighting abilities, stamina and strength. They look up to her and hang on every piece of well thought out advise, so do I.

Every month she spends the weekend with the US branch chief of our organization. Every month she some back with a new torture drill for us.

Last time she went, we did back kicks for at least a half hour. At first we stood with our hands against the wall. We were to bring our knee up to our chests and opening our hips bringing our leg out and behind us. We then brought them back the exact same route. Our knees were not allowed to go down past hip level. She went to each of us individually and for the first 2 count of every set, manipulated our legs into the correct position.

Sometimes, you get knocked out

I am posting the fight that I lost at the Dageki World Champs last October. This was the fight for first and I sadly lost. I need to keep my hands up to start with, I know. I also need to work on blocking. I am not ashamed of what I did, in fact I am proud of the fight, even though it is VERY short. I got knocked out. In fact I can't recall when the ref tied my belt, even when watching it, I can't remember. It is like seeing someone in a Patty suit fighting from 20 or so seconds on. The next thing I remember is the doc standing over me, and me telling him that I needed to fight. He was telling that I was done.

Dageki World Karate Championship

Last January the video came in from last October's world championship fight. It was saddly misplaced. Good news though! It was found the other day. So here is my semi-final fight from Montreal, Canada. I am the cute girl with the pig tails and the yellow belt.