My karate weekend

I am exhausted, bruised, sore, humbled, challenged, encouraged, and inspired; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I just got home from a karate clinic in Montgomery. Well, actually I went straight from Montgomery to Hoover this morning to get to church (maybe more on this morning’s service later, it was awesome), and then home to take a nap. So technically I just woke up, and some of the exhaustion is relieved. Anyway, it was a great clinic.

Some of what I learned and re-learned:
MOVE – don’t stand there with a big target painted on your face! Get out of the way!
No unnecessary motion
BREATH
Relax
Use my hips to generate power to block, punch, throw, whatever
Use angles
TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN
Sushi is good
I am part of a great martial arts family, I love them dearly, and I thank God for them!

Those of you who were there, I hope your various bruises and injuries heal quickly! We spent a lot of time fighting… and as a result there were a few black eyes, 3 stitches, a broken hand, and a lot of bruises. Everything but the bruises was upper ranks. And not me . Yes, I am crazy, it was great fun. Beaten on the outside, but not on the inside.

I love kata, more than anything else, and the blackbelts got to spend some time doing kata. We also learned a new kata from Jim Davenport Sensei. Wow, training with him is always an awesome thing. I love to watch him move. His gi snaps with every movement he makes in kata. He moves so effortlessly. He throws people around without ever seeming to exert any effort or power on them. And then there was Bill Stockey Sensei, also awesome. He seems to cause pain, but not harm , effortlessly. And Doshu, of course, who breaks down and teaches us such wonderful self-defense. To spend time with all 3 of these men is an opportunity not to be passed up. And the numerous other shihans, including my own teacher, as well.

This post seems rather pointless to the non-karate type folks out there... I apologize. I think you all know me well enough to know that this is my passion, if you give me a chance to talk about it I tend to get carried away...