DeeLovesKarate

It's a passion. A feeling that I get from executing the perfect move, or having the perfect match. I love that feeling, and I can't get it anywhere else, except from writing and cofee, but it's still... different somehow. I love the disipline. I even don't mind being yelled at for doing something wrong, or teaching wrong. I love getting critiqued, I guess that's the masochist in me. I look around my dojo, at the blackbelts, and i see my role models. I see people like my friends, but theey are so straight edge and cool.

I have those nights. And it's worse cuz I'm getting ready for my blackbelt test in jan, and sensei's having all the blackbelts tell us what hell the training is, and how many times they wanted to quit, and I get critiqued a lot more now. Even on my good nights, I get hosed. lol. I know it'll be worth it.

I like it. It's even funnier when its one of my blackbelt friends. It's funny. Sensei will be like, "Anatoliy, come over here for a second."

I have to do two musical forms for my blackbelt extravaganza, which is the huge party-like show/ceremony. The audience thinks it's the test, but that's not the actual test, the test is the day b4, no1 can watch, and the candidates have no idea what the test will be. It's different every year. The musical forms are more of a crowd pleasing thing, or as my sensei put it "the flash and trash of martial arts". I need a song for my open, I had one, but I didn't wanna bellydance... don't ask

How do you calculate body fat Percent? Is there a good site or mathematical formula?

I'm not so sure. Many of our young instructors suffer from joint problems and tendonitis than make it difficult for them too. Plus, whose to say who lacks compassion in this scenario? I still stand by my statement that it is an ego thing for the students, and a self-confidence issue for the teacher in the original, and perhaps most other, scenario(s).

I think this is a case of "depends on the teacher, not the age". Years studing, rank, and skill all factor in here, and I know some teenage instructors who far surpass the skill of their elder counterparts. Plus, it's a matter of ego to not want to be taught by, granted, someone younger than you, but someone younger and more skilled than yyou are. It's a bit bruising to the ego.... although most will never admit it.

God knows I have that problem. I'm a 14 year-old assistant instructor, and I'm astonishingly lacking in self-confidence, so I tend to stand off to the side, and not do much during classes. I've been spoken to about this so many times, but it's nothing anyone else can fix for me... I have to work at it. Try to look at what you're doing and figure out if your posture is commanding enough, you're voice loud, and sure, and that you can be seen or heard through most of the class. Look at the methods, postures, etc. of your elder instructors. What is it they are doing right? Trust me, age has nothing to do with it. My senior instructor when I help teach is a year older than me, but it's such a difference in our demenor (sp?) that you'd think him to be three years older. It's an additude/confidence issue. Hope I helped. Ous, Dee

I'm female. I've always loved to spar, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just that feeling. The exhileration of pure adrenaline on the mat. Never been afraid of getting hurt. It's happened many, many times. I've had a few nice bruises, black eyes, etc., but I keep coming back. Once I'm out of physical therapy for my knee, I'll be doing it again. It's just amazing to me. I've found that people who don't like to spar, usually end up liking point-sparring. It's less riskyy, I guess. Rounds and such. Start off with point sparring after the have good technique, then 1 minute rounds, light contact, then gradually increase it. I think it's just one of those things some people need to get used to by trying it in modification. Ous, Dee

I'm on a swat team, but storm is our sister team. It's the younger kids in our school, where as SWAT is like the senior version. It's really rewarding, and when you're offered such an honor, I think you should accept. That's just my two cents. Ous, Dee

Water is my best friend. I drink a couple gallons of the stuff every day, but I guess that's because I don't like much else. Just juice, sometimes milk. Hate soda. Can't stand the taste of it, and it has no nutritional value. Anyway, that's just me ranting. Don't be surprised if you see me on an Aquafina commercial or something sometime in the future. LOL. Ous, Dee PS. Ignore me, I'm antsy

Great post. I had suspected a lot of these things were true... I just needed some validation. It's nice to know. Thanks

Don't worry about it. After my old dojo closed, I started at my current one. I was 12. I wasn't treated any differently. We have people in our dojo who started at the age of twenty. I think it's an ego thing. You don't want to be of lower rank than people younger than you.

I'm Chode Bilem (sounds like a disease) And my title is Ett Ford of Advil

I dig guys who do ma. I'll probobly meet my husband by kicking his butt in a sparring match

Never. I could never quit. My art, my school is my passion. I don't know what I'd do without it. Besides, every martial artist has suffered some kind of injury, it just makes for good war stories. I have enough to fill a few pages. Gives me something to talk about with my friends of different styles. I've never believe in quitting because of small, or even large setbacks. If i quit it will be because the passion is gone, which won't happen, or if I am paralyzed, or something, which won't happen.

One thing I can tell you from experience; Don't ever strut around in your gi. I was coming home from a class, and I didn't have a change of clothes, people seem to find it amusing to provoke me from a safe distance... down the street. Luckily, I have a relativelyy cool head after class, otherwise you'd see me on the six o'clock news

From my experience, which is, of course, reputable , I have found these to be very effective: Bjj, and Shotokan. There are others, but I know that many, many people would argue them, as with shotokan.

I have crutches right now, and it is killing my already bad, but just cured shoulders, and back. Can someone help me?

Um, partial shoulder dislocation as a result of repeted hyper-extention. Snapping Scapula Syndrome, Patellar Tracking Disorder, Really sucky knee disorder (lol), and black eyes, bruises, insignificant little things. Advil and Ice fix almost everything

How do you calculate body fat %?

Okay, I have a torn medial, and lateral meniscus. I was checking out recovery time online for sports, post- surgery, and it says 2-3 months. Has anyone here ever had this kind of sugery? Please tell me that the website i saw was innacurate. I've already been out for almost a month, stupid, stalling doctors. And can anyone describe to me their experience, and recovery with the surgery. Don't sugar-coat it, okay? I'm just about sick of that, too. Sorry, if I'm grouchy. Grrrr... Ous, Dee

Shoulder injuries are not fun. I'm just getting out of Physical therapyy for mine, and I could not be more thankful. You should have your primary refer you to an orthopedist, and he can direct you to pt. My pt lasted a couple months to fix a shoulder problem that's been ignored, and misdiagnosed as "double jointedness" or "growing pains" for about 3 years. Of course, now my knee is the problem, but it's not a result of the pt. Try asking about an orthopedist in your area. It can't hurt, and if you tore something, and MRI will show you. I would not tr to fix this on your own and risk further injury. Ous, Dee

Is anyone else like me? I have a recently aqquired sai, and I'm very protective... I have already shined them twice today, and they're practically new. Someone who was in a competition used them like once, and gave them to my school, they're perfect. I haven't named them yet, like I do with my instruments... but I will. For now, I'm calling them my "babies". lol. It freaks out my friends. I may start calling them my precious. I name my instruments after great players of that particular instrument. Example: my keyboard is named elton. I hope it gives me more confidence while using it, (I have about 0 confidence), and I believe it builds a bond, making the weapon, like an extra limb, an extention of my body, rather than me just "holding them". Me and my precious babies, signing off. Ous, Dee

Well, I just got my dream weapon... the sai. Now, all I need is to learn to use it...any suggestions?