Blog Feed: Just A Thought

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. > read more

Karate Provides Options

Published on 2012-04-11 11:14:19

I am a parent, > read more

What Would You Do?

Published on 2012-03-30 10:56:22

Last weekend, I led a small group session on the topic of women’s self-defense. The group was great because they added to the discussion and asked good questions. The exchange prompted me to remember and share an incident which happened years ago. I have been thinking about > read more

Smorgasbord

Published on 2012-03-29 09:28:53

Wow...it has been three weeks since I posted! > read more

Basic / Advanced

Published on 2012-03-08 11:07:54

These words are used regularly in a dojo setting. We practice basics, drill basics, learn advanced techniques, attend advanced class, basic bunkai, advanced bunkai and so on... Basic - of, relating to, or forming the base or essence: fundamental Advanced - far on in time or course, being beyond others in progress or ideas Do you remember your first karate lesson? During my first class, a black belt was pulled out of class to work with me individually. He showed me how to punch, a few stances, b [..] > read more

10kyu x 4 = ?

Published on 2012-03-01 10:52:43

I handed my 12 year old daughter a crisp new gi and white belt. If my calculations are correct, this will be her fourth uniform. The gi have ranged in size from 00 - 2. She has progressed through 8th kyu twice and almost made it to yellow belt. We have been down this path before. Perhaps she needs a little non-parental encouragement... If you were given the task of encouraging a potential student to learn karate, what would you say? > read more

ACL Gender and Geometry

Published on 2012-02-28 22:40:57

A new study about ACL injuries. From Science Daily: Much orthopaedic research has been devoted to determining why women are far more susceptible to knee ligament injuries than men. According to a new study, the answer may lie in geometry -- the length and shape of a patient's knee bone -- more than gender The study found that most of the women (those who had ACL injuries and those who did not) and only the ACL-injured men shared a common geometry on the outside of their knee joint: The upper p [..] > read more

General or Specific?

Published on 2012-02-24 13:50:35

As a kyu rank, I remember being in a class of 15-20 people. The class instructor was leading the group through drills, kata and basics. He would often pause and offer pointers to the class. The instructor would tell the group to “check your stance”, “bend your knees” or “fix your hand position”. After each suggestion, students would check their technique and make corrections as needed. This pattern went on for a few minutes until he stopped the group. The class instructor announced [..] > read more

You Can't Make Someone...

Published on 2012-02-22 13:18:11

From the "Draft" folder dated May 2010: Learn. A teacher can present information, give examples, share stories, discuss concerns, make corrections and answer questions. Students can learn by seeing and hearing, reflecting, practicing, repeating, analyzing, visualizing, in pieces or in chunks. My own experience is from being a student, a parent and a karate instructor. As a student, I feel learning is my responsibility. I need to pay attention, receive the information, ask questions, practice. [..] > read more

Big Class / Small Class

Published on 2012-02-01 09:37:55

Our dojo opened in 1995. The building was a bar/restaurant which we converted into a house/dojo. The very first class had two students. Through the years, class sizes have varied from 1 person to 20+. When class size reached space capacity, we split up the kyu ranks and added more classes. If class size was too small, we consolidated the classes. The student population has varied over the last 16 years due to economics, trends, fads and interest. There are advantages and disadvantages t [..] > read more

Discussion Topic: Training

Published on 2012-01-31 10:26:51

Is your training where you want it to be?I was asked this question by a karate friend during an email exchange. I responded by talking about the dojo, a black belt student's recent testing and promotion, upcoming training camps and new students in the dojo. A few hours after I sent the email, I realized I answered his question without answering the question. Is your training where you want it to be?I have fantastic instructors who guide and share their knowledge. I have a great group of tra [..] > read more

Relax

Published on 2012-01-25 10:15:36

The movement of a karate student is tense and stiff. Movement is slow and transitions are difficult. The instructor tells the student that they need to relax. Sound familiar? Two examples: My tai chi instructor would take one look at my movement and identify where I was holding stress. It usually manifested in my right shoulder. My movement was stiff and restricted. At work, I notice the tension in my right shoulder when I sit at my desk. I relax my shoulder and step away from my desk for a fe [..] > read more

Discussion Topic: Women's Self-Defense

Published on 2012-01-18 10:41:19

A co-worker shared a story about advice she was given ten years ago on the topic of women's self-defense. At the time, my co-worker worked as an executive for a large retail department store chain. She would often travel to store openings and promotional events. She was given the following advice by a security professional: You are a women and at the end of the day it doesn't matter. A man will overpower you. You have to remember...men are stronger than women. Regardless of size, a man c [..] > read more

The Temporary Student

Published on 2012-01-11 13:44:21

I think teaching a temporary student is challenging for the karate instructor. In the dojo, there were several occasions when students wanted to learn karate but only had a limited amount of time. It may be a parent who wants their teenager to learn basic self-defense before heading off to college. It could be something a person has always wanted to learn but never had the time and are able to give it a few months. The temporary student is usually forthcoming about their time constraints. "I [..] > read more

Happy New Year!....Ten Days Late...

Published on 2012-01-10 08:29:33

My plan was to start off 2012 differently than prior years. My daughter and I were going on a trip over New Year's weekend. Our initial plan was to drive to Niagara Falls with my sister and her husband. After many phone calls and Internet searches, our New Year's destination changed to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is my sister's favorite place. We had a busy itinerary: 1. Fly from Philadelphia to Phoenix. 2. 1 night in Phoenix. 3. Visit Sedona/Montezuma's Castle/Tuzegoot 4. Drive to [..] > read more

Deer-Vehicle Collisions

Published on 2011-12-17 16:28:35

My car stopped inches away from hitting a large deer this afternoon. I was taking a back road by the lake to avoid the holiday traffic. A deer jumped over the railing to cross the road. I slammed on my brakes hoping the truck travelling behind me would see the deer too. The deer ran across the road in a scattered manner. When my car was stopped, I noticed several more deer running away from the road. It was mid-afternoon on a cloudy day. Most of the roads I travel are marked with deer cr [..] > read more

Information Overload

Published on 2011-12-06 10:03:23

When I was a brown belt student, the dojo offered Intro lessons to prospective students. The Intro was taught by a black belt or 1st kyu brown belt. I remember being asked to lead an Intro session as a brown belt. I was handed a clip board with a detailed sheet listing the items to be covered in each lesson. The instructions… Stick to the list and try to resist offering too much information. I followed the advice of the class instructor even though I did not understand it at the time. The se [..] > read more

How To Be A Good Customer

Published on 2011-12-01 06:05:26

I am tired and grumpy. The "busy" season at work is soon over. I work for a company in the Christmas business. We distribute seasonal merchandise. Each year, I hire and train seasonal customer service representatives to work seven weeks in a demanding call center environment. Overall, we have great customers. It is nice seeing our regular customers who stop in for their order. I am sad when I hear an "old timer" in the business has died. This year, a few of the customers have been especia [..] > read more

What Makes A Good Training Partner?

Published on 2011-11-09 05:23:16

A few weeks ago, I was at the Honbu for a kobudo training event. We worked weapon applications for about an hour before the group was split up. Hanshi sent the instructor level students to the first floor to train. There were six of us on the floor led by two Kyoshi. The workout began.... The Kyoshi led us through material at a pace and intensity level I had not practiced at for a long time. It was wonderful. I watched how they trained together. They were great training partners. The [..] > read more

Happy 4th of July!

Published on 2011-07-04 14:00:20

Happy 4th of July! I wanted to share a few pictures from the 82nd Airborne Museum on Fort Bragg. I visited the Museum last month. My Dad was in the 82nd Airborne from 1948-1954. Check out the post Thanks For Serving, 82nd Air > read more

19 Days

Published on 2011-06-30 13:39:25

Last night was my first night on the dojo floor in nineteen days. I was surprised when I checked my calendar and counted off the days. Has it really been that long? June has historically been a slow karate month for me. T > read more

Anonymous...or Not?

Published on 2011-06-26 20:18:26

Six months ago.... The phone rang at midnight. Late night phone calls startle me. I immediately think there is something terribly wrong. I rushed to answer the call. I did not recognize the voice on the other end of the phone. > read more

Graftbolt: ACL Surgery

Published on 2011-06-22 12:52:07

Interesting article about a new "bolt" for ACL Surgery: GraftBolt aims to improve the patient’s quality of life by successfully repairing their injury first time and improving the quality of bonding of the graft to the bone, which speeds up the hea > read more

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Published on 2011-06-19 09:43:23

Hello Readers! I am back from a road trip to Miami (approximately 2300 miles round trip). It was great to get away but it is nice to be home. Here are a few photos from the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in De > read more

Paths

Published on 2011-06-18 20:28:45

Ohiopyle 2011 Whenever I download pictures from my camera, there are usually a few pictures of paths or roads. I like the point in the image where you can no longer see where the path goes. Where is the path going to take me?&nb > read more

Parents: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Published on 2011-06-09 06:48:10

When parents/guardians bring their children to their first karate class, they sit on the sidelines and watch the session. Our dojo is open so the parents can see and hear what is happening in class. The parents talk to the instructors and ask q > read more

The Summer of No and Less

Published on 2011-06-07 05:56:14

I have declared this to be my Summer of No and Less. My revelation happened when I was cleaning out a wardrobe closet looking for a specific item of clothing for my daughter. I emptied the closet and was surprised by what I found:&nb > read more

Things to Avoid at Black Belt Testing

Published on 2011-06-03 11:24:17

The dojo has two students preparing for dan rank testing in July. During the weeks leading up to black belt testing, I am always asked questions about my testing experiences. I have shared advice on this blog about Preparing for > read more

Poll: Training

Published on 2011-06-02 08:56:11

Summer is around the corner! The kids are out of school and vacations are planned. Some people may find it harder to maintain their regular training schedule. For others, the summer provides more opportunities to tr > read more

From The Draft Folder: Practice, Patience and Time

Published on 2011-05-26 08:41:08

Here is a post from my Draft Folder originally dated 06.29.08. A key part of learning karate is patience. I have heard audible groans when I told the class that we were going to review earlier material. There have been many students who leave behin > read more

Roll Falls

Published on 2011-05-17 11:25:47

Teaching karate students how to fall properly is part of our curriculum. We drag the mats out and practice our falls…front, side, back and roll. The kids in the karate school love to practice falling almost as much as they like to spar. As an instr > read more

ACL Reconstruction - Four Years

Published on 2011-05-15 09:39:49

May 15th is the anniversary date of my ACL surgery. I almost forgot about writing my anniversary post! I remembered yesterday when I saw a person walking around the grocery store with an ACL brace. Four years.... For the most part...my k > read more

In Between

Published on 2011-05-09 20:12:33

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar taught by Kyoshi William Hayes. Major Hayes is the author of “My Journey With The Grandmaster”. I wrote about a previous seminar I attended in the post Get Uncomfortable.&nb > read more

Blank Page

Published on 2011-05-05 10:25:02

It is what I am staring at when I try to write a blog post. I have ideas for posts in my draft folder but there are only titles or a few sentences. In an attempt to get back on track, this post will list the random karate thoughts in my brain. Conf > read more

"Lucky" or "How Much Will the Grand Prize Cost Me?"

Published on 2011-04-27 10:38:51

A few months ago, I reluctantly went to a travel show with my sister. I had no intention of going to the show. I went because my daughter asked (begged) me to go. We arrived at the show a half hour before it ended. We walked in the hotel lobby and wa > read more

Back To The Gym

Published on 2011-04-26 09:05:34

The last two months have been extremely busy. In fact, the word overscheduled comes to mind when I think back over the past weeks. I need to learn how to say "No" and do a better job managing my time. Whenever I am busy, the first thing > read more

Observations From a Rural Route Delivery Person

Published on 2011-04-24 20:06:40

I may have mentioned previously on this blog that I work part-time as a rural route delivery person. I work one night a week delivering newspapers on a driving route. After my daughter was born, I quit my full time job to stay home > read more

Benefits of Being a Martial Arts Practitioner While Raising a Teenage Daughter

Published on 2011-04-23 19:16:19

Ok...my daughter is not a teenager yet. She thinks she is a teenager despite the fact she only turns twelve next week. Outings at the mall with friends and talking about boys are on the top of her priority list. Just for fun > read more

What Should I Be Working On?

Published on 2011-04-14 20:32:19

When I started learning karate I was given a booklet which outlined all the belt rank testing requirements. Each level was outlined in detail and included vocabulary, basics, kicks, waza, kata, kobudo, sparring and self-defense. I liked having a tang > read more

What Type of Thinker Are You?

Published on 2011-04-04 14:12:36

I took an online quiz which tests nine types of thinking styles. My results: Intrapersonal Thinker. Spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to understand themselves. Reflect on their thoughts and moods, and work to improve them. You understand > read more

Mean Girls Strike Again - 2011 Version

Published on 2011-03-31 10:21:35

I spoke too soon. I recently commented that my daughter’s 6th grade year was better in regards to bullying. The moment the words came out of my mouth I wondered why I dared say it out loud. The voice on the other end of the receiver asked if I coul > read more

Uncomfortable

Published on 2011-03-30 07:58:50

A little less than a year ago, I wrote the post Get Uncomfortable. During an excellent training seminar, Kyoshi Hayes, author of “My Journey With The Grandmaster”, told us to embrace discomfort. Today…I am feeling uncomfortable. It has everythi > read more

Returning To Karate Training After A Long Break

Published on 2011-03-26 10:16:13

It has been years since you were inside a dojo. Your gear is packed in a gym bag stored in the attic. Your karate uniform is long gone. Your bo is propped up in a corner of the garage. Every once in a while you reminisce about the time you spent > read more

The Dojo Door

Published on 2011-03-23 14:24:03

New students begin their journey.They come to class each week.Students learn, question, drill, improve and enjoy.They become part of the dojo community.Parents sit and watch their children.They too become part of the dojo community.Instructors share > read more

Love What You Are Doing

Published on 2011-03-17 10:19:31

Two weeks ago, I picked my daughter up from the extended care program at her school. The moment she saw me she came running over…“Can I play softball?”The request was a complete surprise. There was an open gym practice at school. Instead of sit > read more

Would They Pose A Risk of Violence?

Published on 2011-03-16 11:59:47

There was a message on my home answering machine requesting a return call. A former co-worker gave my name as a reference for a job. The company requesting a reference is a national retail chain. The message had a sense of urgency.Please return my ca > read more

Take Up More Space

Published on 2011-03-13 21:14:20

The black belt group in the dojo meets on Wednesday night. The group has been working on kata, 2 person weapon forms, tegumi drills and kobudo. At the end of the session, each person demonstrated Chinto kata for the group. We analyzed our individu > read more

Repost: Go Outside and Play

Published on 2011-03-11 05:41:03

I am reposting an article from March 2009. Last night in the dojo, the parents were talking about how things were when they grew up. They spoke of going outside and playing until dark. They rode their bikes, played games, invented games and learned h > read more

Mirror, Mirror on the Dojo Wall

Published on 2011-03-03 10:19:17

The dojo wall mirrors have been a training tool since I started practicing karate. I remember one of my first class instructors stopping the beginner class in the middle of a kata. We would remain in stance while he walked around and correct each stu > read more

Accountability

Published on 2011-02-25 09:57:32

My schedule has been busier than usual. It seems like I am always in the car driving with my daughter…school, work, basketball practice, choir and play practice. On a night when I teach karate, I have one hour after I leave work to pick up my daugh > read more

ACL Surgery - Hamstring or Knee Tendon Graft?

Published on 2011-02-24 12:46:50

Interesting article from the Los Angeles Times:The hamstring may have it, a study finds. In research presented at a recent meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine in San Diego, 180 people ranging from 13 to 52 years old who ha > read more

Two More Blocks

Published on 2011-02-20 19:04:36

We headed to Philly this weekend for a scavenger hunt at the Reading Terminal Market. We had two hours to answer 17 questions, eat at 6 different vendors and return to the starting point. There were 13 groups and we finished a respectable 3rd place > read more

Me, My Daughter and Tai Chi

Published on 2011-02-16 09:50:20

It has been a few weeks since I attended tai chi class. The Northeast had its fair share of winter weather...especially on a Tuesday. My plan was to go the gym and drop my daughter off in the child care room for an hour. My daughter has been surro > read more

Adapting to Environment and Limitations

Published on 2011-02-12 17:22:40

I work for a seasonal distribution company. The building is in an industrial complex off a major highway. The space is divided between offices, a showroom and a warehouse. My office is in the back of the room (no window) and I cannot see the door fro > read more

About Knives

Published on 2011-02-09 10:13:28

Journeyman from Japanese Jiu Jitsu is posting a Knife Survival Series.From his article:To understand how I've come to arrive at my conclusions, and where my opinions and strategies come from, I'll share the following:I've been lucky enough to have cr > read more

Solo Karate Training

Published on 2011-02-01 16:26:57

A few weeks before Christmas, I saw an old friend. We we both in line waiting to fill our gas tanks. The line was long because the grocery store was running a promotion and it was the last day to redeem gas points. I earned $.80 off per gallon! He wa > read more

Snow Shoveling Safety

Published on 2011-01-27 13:47:42

Last February, I wrote a post about Snow Shoveling Safety. I wrote the post because my Dad made a visit to the ER with chest pains after a day of snow shovelling. This past summer my Dad had pacemaker surgery and is doing well.The Northeast has been > read more

Things I Only Understood After Black Belt

Published on 2011-01-23 14:07:32

The Wednesday night class in our dojo has been mostly black belts. Two of the students (a father and son) are new black belts. They tested for their shodan in Okinawa Kenpo Karate and Kobudu during the summer of 2010. The father told me a story about > read more

Can You Learn Karate from a Video?

Published on 2011-01-16 11:07:51

One of my 2011 karate goals is to learn a specific kobudo kata. I have attended a few seminar sessions on this kata in the past but it never stuck in my brain. Small portions of the kata are familiar but for the most part I am learning the pattern fr > read more

One Word

Published on 2011-01-13 14:17:11

Describe in one word why you write or read martial arts blogs.My word...Community > read more

Bring Your Own....

Published on 2011-01-07 07:39:58

Throwing Knife.Wednesday night is black belt night. Our first class of the New Year was BYOK. Several dojo members recently purchased throwing knives, stars and darts. Another person brought his personal collection which included a throwing axe. The > read more

Returning to Martial Arts Training After A Break

Published on 2011-01-05 08:45:24

A few months ago, I wrote a post called Managing A Break in Your Martial Arts Training. I was facing a busy work schedule and I made the decision to put my gym membership on hold. I called my Tai Chi instructor and told him that I was taking a break > read more

What Rank Are You?

Published on 2011-01-02 20:35:41

Stop...don't answer that.I cannot recall ever asking anyone about their martial arts rank. I did not even like typing the question. When non-practitioners find out I am involved in martial arts, they inevitably ask me if I am a black belt, the style > read more

2010 Blog in Review

Published on 2010-12-31 09:25:44

Happy New Year! It is time for my annual blog review. The most important thing I want to accomplish in this post is to convey my genuine thanks to all the Readers and Followers of this blog. I appreciate your comments, questions and emails. Now for > read more

Happy Holidays!

Published on 2010-12-25 02:00:09

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! > read more

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