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:

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 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

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.

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.

Dagéki World Karate Championship 2010

Leading up to the fight

We got to Montreal around 4 in the afternoon. After we settled into our rooms, we went to weigh in. I was up to 178, which is 5 pounds heavier than at the dojo. That made me disappointed. I haven't been overeating. But then I thought that maybe all the coffee and sitting around for 4 hours might have added some water weight. 

We waited to eat until after weigh-in because kenny had to be sure to be in light weight and it was awful close. Dinner was a very nice Indian Buffett. I never had indian food before and I have to say that even though the flavors were foreign to me, I really liked about half of the things they offered. I didn't over eat, which is usually hard for me at a buffett. I guess it is hard for everyone because as I sat, my tummy warm and full, everyone kept getting more food. I started to get picked on (freindly) that I could eat something, until Sensei K told them to leave me be. I think it is hard for people who don't struggle with weight to understand.

Nerves, Nerves, and more Nerves

 Tonight we had our last full contact training before the World's on Saturday. It was supposed to be an easy night. We did some sparring. It started light. Sensei Kris and I were sparring, probably 30% power. Then Kenny and I sparred and it started at 30%. Kenny is so hyped up. Slowly the power got turned up to about 80%, by him. I was still trying to keep the power down but defending myself, I turned it up too. The last 30 seconds hurt. When Kenny and Sensei sparred it was almost a fight.

Kenny is all about a certain technique. I can't say what it is because I don't want to give away any inside info right yet. But I have to say it is a very nice technique, but a fighter has to use a technique when it is an open option rather then trying it until you succeed. It was his downfall at his last fight. He was just looking for the opportunity to show his awesome skill, that he got beat with basics.