bloodsong1: (Karate)
"Ok, do something."

"No really, do something."

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT WAS HIS FOOT BY MY HEAD!!!"

"EEEEEKK!! DODGE BLOCK DODGE BLOCK!!"

"Ok, this is actually challenging."

"AAAAA!!! WATCH THE KICKS!! WATCH THE KICKS!!"

"Man, if this was real I'd be on the floor bleeding and unconscious by now."

"DAMN! Can't I land ONE?"

"Wow, this is SO MUCH FUN!!!"

"HAH! Blocked THAT kick, YIKES!"

"I am totally loving this."

"Uh-oh, getting a little dizzy"

And that was when Sensei stepped in and had me switch partners. The slight break gave me just enough time to realize I was starting to have vision problems. I went to get a drink of water and it didn't help, so I sat out the rest of the sparring session. My fingers were purply splotched and shaking and I could NOT stop grinning.

Needless to say, that wasn't gentle sparring. That was all out competition sparring and I was thoroughly trounced by a geeky looking brown belt with about 10" and maybe 30 pounds on me.

Such a blast.
bloodsong1: (Karate)
ExpandHow much I love karate? )

That would be the wonderful sparring bruise. The one on my left arm isn't bright enough for good pictures. I'm a trifle disappointed my wrists aren't showing the self-defense grips.

Now if I could just get "Crush" out of my head...
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Got my green belt tonight. I had this feeling when Sensei was watching us two orange belts going through Wasshin Ryu Tenakata that Something Was Up. Fortunately my Junior partner was three weeks behind, so we went nice and slow.

And I realized I had left out an entire section when I was practicing by myself before class.

AND when trying to do Hitachi Shodon (so not spelled right) by myself, not two minutes after reviewing it, I got stuck on the fourth move and couldn't remember what came next.

Yeah, I'm soooo ready for Green.

*SARCASM*
bloodsong1: (Jareth)
That attending a charity function for one Northern Japanese village gives me some small measure of comfort in my own grieving process? I wept silent tears for the bravery of the plant workers and the sign shown on the video loop that said simply "We are not AFRAID (in red letters) to die." Because I GET THAT. I get that kind of devotion, not only to one's job, but to one's family, friends and country. It's a similar devotion that keeps me going now, despite the nonsense I deal with at work. This is My Duty. I will Do My Duty.

One of my classmates is Japanese. Her daughter wrote "Ganbatte!" (Do your best) on the scroll that everyone was supposed to sign. I copied her hiragana as best I could. I messed up the last symbol and forgot a punctuation mark. My classmate filled in the mark and said I had done a very good job. I signed my name next to my first attempt at hiragana. (^_^)

I bid $100 each on a kimono and a shiny silver tea set in the silent auction. I threw raffle tickets at a pretty purple bowl (lost), a set of three white figurines, a delicate looking white vase with blue flowers, and several pictures of Japanese landscapes. I bailed at 7:30, they had only drawn about half of the raffle offerings at that point, and no word on the silent auction. I also picked up two certificates to Kampai, the local hibachi restaurant. I promised IDK we'd go, just the two of us.

Good news though! The kimono was donated by a local seamstress who specializes in such works. Since Megfaun is drowning in work drama, paralegal drama AND derby drama, I won't bug her about a kimono, I'll try this lady. (6 gets you 8 she charges 2-3x what I paid for my Kenshin clothes.)

Then again, there was that one chicky on Etsy that I bought Cuteness' kimono from...

Well, we'll see. I'm dropping several hundred on that spa day in a week and a day, HUZZAH!!! No need to sink several MORE hundred on a complicated outfit I'll only wear a few times.

Speaking of Megfaun and Kenshin, she's starting the NYCC planning again. AUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

*flails madly*

I want to GO, but Wolf died a week before and it will always be the week after the anniversary of his death and how soon is too soon to go to a NYCC after one's husband dies?!?!?!
bloodsong1: (Karate)
And he tells me this the day AFTER I paid for next month's lessons.

*SIGH*

So now it will just be Queenie doing katas and being tossed around/tossing around and generally learning the Warrior's Way. At least I have the meditation practices down.

But not tonight. I fell in Mama A's driveway on the ice this morning, landed on my right hip. Tried to tuck up and avoided hitting my head, which is good, but as the day progressed my right hip twinged and then the twinge started radiating down my right leg.

I must have a wicked bruise.

Ow.

Dec. 14th, 2010 09:27 pm
bloodsong1: (Karate)
I really, really need to practice falling.

My tush has a lovely bruise.
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Sahwah Sehv...

Oh! That's me!

And so I run to the front of the dojo, blinking madly and trying not to look completely and utterly incredulous at my second belt advancement in a month.

I failed miserably.
bloodsong1: (Wolf)
Made it through karate practice tonight, despite the all day migraine. It's amazing how much katas and being tossed around by a purple belt helps one focus on something other then head pain. The Excedrin Migraine probably helped too.

Like most dojos, Ochai-Sensei's is paneled on three walls by mirrors. I caught a glimpse of myself during the last kata practice and blinked. I recognized the face as the one I've been seeing in my Golden Mirror meditations. Direct, determined, ready to take on anything.

In the dressing room after class, I changed and glanced into the free-standing mirror. Yep, same calm, focused eyes.

"Hi, True Blue Self!" I chirped and headed out to wait for IDK.

Heh. The last time I did a Golden Mirror meditation, I looked into a black tie gathering. I saw Wolf's business partner talking to our series producer and main star. I also saw two women I knew played secondary characters, and one looked JUST like the woman who inspired the role, passed on for, hmm, about 7 years now. Then I saw the woman herself! Blinking, I looked for True Blue Me. TB Me was standing off to one side, looking dapper in a black tux with a jewel-purple blouse and a silver tie, holding a glass of wine. I walked over and asked if Wolf was hanging out at the party too, given the female ghost I had seen. TB Me pointed to the business partner and sure enough, there was Wolf, standing at his shoulder and BEAMING. Gods, he looked SO DAMN GOOD in a tuxedo!!!
bloodsong1: (Karate)
IDK and I advanced to yellow belts tonight. Sensei made it a point to remind me that advancing in rank is only part of the progression. Mental clarity is always important and learning new katas can't be done without a strong foundation in the first katas.

He's right, of course, but considering how much time we had missed due to Wolf's death, I wasn't expecting this honor for another month. I'm actually rather excited about this, as the advanced katas are so very beautiful. I'm looking forward to learning them.

This was a good end to an otherwise sad day. I've made it through the first month and haven't fallen apart at the seams. I can make it through the next month, and the next, and the next.

At 23, I looked into the mirror one cold November evening and said "You know what? You're going to be okay. Even if it's just you and IDK for the rest of your life, you can do it. Yes, you're deeply and truly in love with Wolf, but he's not coming back and you've accepted that fact. Everyone has the one that got away. He's yours. Don't go looking for second best, 'cause you deserve better." Within a month Wolf was back in my life and we were engaged a mere three months later.

Now, it's another cold November. I'm 32, and Wolf is truly gone. I can't look in the mirror yet and say "You're going to be okay!" I can actually meet my own gaze, which is something I haven't really done in the last month. Small steps. Small steps.
bloodsong1: (Karate)
It's amazing how much better one feels after an hour of katas and self-defense training with a quick-on-the-draw black belt. It felt SO GOOD to lunge at her with purpose and have my punch blocked. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy the defensive katas? They are SO MUCH FUN!

I even managed not to cry when I got up in front of everyone and did my "My husband is dead and thank you all for your sympathy" speech. woot.

I expect I'll have a full out bawling session later on tonight, probably in the shower.

Which reminds me, I really need to go eat something.

SEE!?! I'M EATING!!!!

*gobbles strawberry/raspberry tart*
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Srsly, it's totally backwards! Inside to out or outside to in? Opposite hand, which is actually the same hand that's attacking you, and the knee that attacks is the same as the hand that blocks which is the same as the hand that's attacking and AUGH!

*flails madly*

On a related note, I've finally figured out the blocking trick to Tai-kyoku san-dan. Bottom arm blocks. Whoot.

Tai-kyoku sho-dan is easier. Down blocks only.

I made contact a few times with my sparring partner, an absolutely GORGEOUS brown belt who turns out to be a high schooler who knows my nephew. I apologized each time and she laughed it off, as it wasn't a full strike, but boy did she grab my arm! I expect finger shaped bruises in the next few days.

At least I made it through the entire session. Tuesday I had to bow out of sparring. Lightheadedness caused by dehydration. Take a drink at every break!

Excuse me, I now have to bully a 10 year old boy into a shower.

*chases IDK with her bokken*
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Karate class kicked my ass tonight. Changing sides while practicing self-defense moves completely throws me off. I have a very hard time switching left and right in a multiple move not-quite-kata. I also had to sit down before I fell down during sparring practice, and that blister on my right big toe has lost two layers.

I'm showered and fed and bandaged and soon will be falling into bed.

I need a karate icon. Preferably something goofy, like a Ranma or a Kenshin. Hmmm.

Yes, Zahde, I've still got What If Birthday chewing away. I'm trying to figure out how much detail I want to put into Kev's restored Victorian, three story+basement bachelor pad, complete with English Manor kitchen and study and formal rooms...augh!

*flails about, falls over*
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Finger shaped bruises on my right arm from being grabbed by a brown belt during self-defense practice. I am ridiculously proud of these bruises, and the marks on the calcified tendon just below my kneecap from kneeling properly on a wood dojo floor.

There are now TWO blisters, one on each big toe. Kicking with the ball of the foot is hard when one's previous kicking training was Highland Dancing and Cheerleading. No pointy toes! Toes will break off! argh.
bloodsong1: (Karate)
Ripped open a massive blister on my right big toe during karate class today. Fortunately I didn't bleed all over the dojo. I also have to keep reminding myself that Karate is NOT Yoga, keep your stance wider, woman!

My thighs hurt.

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