Swords and Arrows

Post By: Deena Hucko 

Perhaps we had a touch of spring fever in Ken Jutsu class this week. Someone suggested we try knocking arrows out of the air with our bokken. Everyone agreed it would be an interesting exercise.

We warmed up by tossing balls into the air, then drawing our swords and "cutting" them. After honing our reflexes on the foam balls, we were ready for the real thing. Sensei Lee has a compound bow and a set of arrows with tips wrapped in red duct tape. As each of us took a spot at one end of the karate floor, Sensei Lee sighted her weapon and shot a series of arrows.

I took my turn with some trepidation. It seemed a little crazy to be standing there letting someone shoot live (albeit padded) arrows at me, and I had a flashback to when I was 12 years old. My brother and I were outside with a group of neighborhood children, in the fields behind our houses. One of the boys had a bow and arrow, and suddenly he aimed it straight up and shot an arrow into the air. His face turned to shock and fear as he realized what he had done, and everyone started to run. Except me. As the others ran, I felt a calmness that told me to stay still and watch the sky. Time slowed down, as it sometimes does, and I waited.

Back to the dojo, I was in place on the karate floor, waiting for the first arrow, fighting the sense of panic that was rising inside. Suddenly, I found that calmness. I was able to relax and wait for the arrow. While I can't claim to have knocked any out of the air, I was able to watch and step aside when the arrows approached.

Finding the calmness inside is an important part of martial arts training, where it is known as "mizu no kokoro" or "mind like water". To develop this calmness, we work on controlling our breathing, and on performing our techniques under duress in the dojo. Learning to face fear is part of that development, building confidence and courage. It is a lesson we are able to take out of the dojo and apply to our every day lives.

And that sky bound arrow of my youth? Fortunately, I watched it fall to the ground without harming anyone.

Spring Training

Spring is here! And among other things it means that it is time to wake up and push forward with our training. Spring is that special time of year where you naturally feel more energized as the days become longer and warmer, but the hot and humid days of summer are still months away.  We have some fun events coming up at the dojo:

Sensei Phil is testing for his second degree black belt on March 31 at 10:00 AM. Make sure you are there and prepared to participate.

The Outdoor Seigan continues! With things like sunlight and above freezing temperatures, training outside this time of year is enjoyable. Come to practice Thursdays ready to venture out onto the hill.

Advanced Breaking Seminar for brown and black belts is on Friday the 23rd. Sign up for an opportunity to break boards, bricks, and ice!

Think about any possible seminars you would be interested in having. Contact any of the black belts about ideas or interests you have.

Along with all this, take some time to look over your testing requirements. Work on conquering your goals in the martial arts. That might mean achieving your next belt rank, attending more classes, or getting better at a specific facet of your training. Whatever your goals are, focus and use this time to train hard and experience the necessary mental and physical growth required to achieve them.

Photo By: Dan Hucko

Getting Hit Too Hard in Sparring

Post By: S Lee

You're in the middle of a sparring match and your partner starts striking you harder than you are comfortable with. Maybe a punch penetrated your guard and got you hard in the gut, or even gave you a black eye. Or maybe the strike didn't get in, but you are afraid of getting hurt if it does. Either way, you are concerned and in the middle of a very uncomfortable situation.

There are a few ways of dealing with this. First, remember where you are. Karate and sparring in particular are combative. Striking and getting hit are major components, and they are not always a bad thing. Surviving a hard sparring match relatively unscathed shows that you can handle the ordeal. It also teaches you that bloody noses, black eyes, and rough throws to the ground while painful do heal. They are survivable. You learn how much punishment a body can take without being incapacitated. This is extremely important when applied in self defense.

That being said, we do not want our students to all end up in the hospital. If you feel like your sparring match is out of control, then you should say something. Politely ask your sparring partner to ease up or slow down. Stop the match if you have to. Make sure he or she knows that you are serious and not joking around. Also check yourself. I have found over the years that most people return the amount of speed and power they feel that they themselves are receiving. It could be that you don't realize how strong or fast you are going, and that your partner is simply returning that pace. Once both of you are aware and have reset the match, see if things improve. If they do not and you still feel threatened, get the attention of a Sensei. Sensei can intervene and make sure the situation is handled. However, make sure you flag us down and actually have our attention. While we are very aware of our surroundings we are not omnipotent, and we may not realize what is going on right away unless you tell us.

Another option is to wear sparring gear. Gear protects you as well as your sparring partner, and if you want to hit harder without the lasting damage this is a great option. If your partner is punching or kicking too hard bare-knuckle, ask them to put gear on. Those inches of foam padding make a difference, and that might be all you need to make the sparring match civil. This is often a double-edged sword. If you are wearing gear, your partner may take that as a green light to hit you harder. I will often request gear if I want to have an intense match, but I'm concerned that my partner may do lasting damage without it.

Lastly, access what it is that you are specifically worried about. If you have an old injury that could be made worse, such as a bad knee, there are ways to protect it. You can request that your sparring partner avoid take-downs. If you were hit in the temple too hard once and are fearful of experiencing that again, talk to a Sensei. We can help you adjust your guard and give you other strategies to better protect yourself.  

The worst thing you can do is avoid sparring altogether or to avoid specific people. It is perfectly fine to take a break in order to recover, but you must get back to it. Overcoming fear is a huge learning experience in the martial arts. By avoiding you are not learning anything. When I think of the people I used to be afraid of I realize that these are the individuals who have taught me the most. If I had avoided them the first time they had hit me too hard, I would have missed out on some truly valuable lessons. In fact, some of the people I used to be afraid of as a yellow belt eventually turned into my favorite instructors.

If your sparring match is out of control, stand up for yourself. You can also ask an instructor for assistance. Try suggesting sparring gear as well. Never avoid the situation, and instead look for learning opportunities. Get the most out of sparring by being assertive and by working at your own pace.

Photo By: S Ken Smith 

Board Breaking

Post By: S Lee

Board breaking is one of those iconic karate things that new students are often in awe over. It is a showy and strong example of sheer power as a hand or leg blasts through wood or even concrete like it was nothing. Reserved for seminars and belt testing, board breaking is also a "special" activity we don't get to do at every practice.

While breaking boards looks impressive, you may find that it is not at all as difficult as you first imagined. Some power, speed, and muscle are needed, however, most of the ability to break a board comes from your mind. Staying focused and hitting through the board, as opposed to ending your strike on contact will determine the likelihood of your success. Mentally, you have to imagine that you are going to explode through that wood board. Being afraid or timid will likely result in failure. Send your energy past the board and into the holders, as if the wooden separation isn't even there.  

That being said, there are other nuances to board breaking. Your Sensei will help you and explain what you exactly need to do. Listen to them! Some techniques are more difficult than others, and if a Sensei suggests trying something else, there is a good reason for it. There are many different techniques to use, including kicks and upper body strikes. It is best that you pick something you are familiar with, especially if it is your first time breaking.

There are different ways to go about breaking your 4 boards. Some students will go through them one by one, choosing one technique at a time to focus on. You pick your technique and find someone to hold your boards. After performing a few practice strikes, you then launch your technique and break. More advanced students, typically green belt and above, will do a series break. This is where you select at least two techniques to do in a sequence without a break in-between. After finding your holders, position them where you want. It might be with them standing across from each other or in a circle around you. Practice your entire sequence a few times. As soon as you are ready, break your boards in the order of your sequence. Another option is to break multiple boards at once. Pick a technique that is very strong for you, like an elbow strike. The holders will keep at least two boards steady, giving you a chance to break both boards at the same time with just one strike.

Enjoy board breaking! This is a fun way to challenge your mind and body. Those boards won't stand a chance this seminar!

This comic used to hang in the Kung-Fu studio. It always made me smile!

Photo By: Ken Smith 

   

Solitary Training

Post By: S Lee

We are all happy to get to practice and see a group of people ready to work hard! Their energy helps keep us going. Seeing people you enjoy working with is always a bonus as well. However, solitary training is also valuable.

Training by yourself can seem boring at first. You also may worry about practicing things incorrectly. But the benefits of this kind of practice outweigh the potential risks. Going through techniques on your own can give you insight you would not normally have gained working in  group. Your focus becomes internalized, forcing you to examine yourself more than you would in a class full of people. As we progress, this is also how we develop our own art, as opposed to doing a kata or technique a certain way because we were told to do so. This might mean seeing other possible applications of the techniques, such as transforming a simple side-block reverse punch combination into an arm break in Seisan Kata. Solitary training is also when you have an opportunity to be experimental. You can freely play around with weapons, techniques, and drills without worrying about possibly messing up and being embarrassed. I spent a week drilling the "suicide" nunchaku move by myself before attempting it in front of other people, not wanting them to see me bash myself in the head with the things. Committing to a seigan is a great outlet for solitary training. Unless you are able to make it to the dojo every single day for classes, you will end up doing some of your training alone.

Lone training can help you develop into a stronger martial artist. Overcome any trepidation you may have about practicing techniques incorrectly. Working on your own is an excellent opportunity to really examine yourself.

Photo By: Ken Smith

Outdoor Seigan

Post By: S Lee

During the Thursday class we have been challenging ourselves by having part of practice outside. The idea is to continue to do this, despite whatever weather conditions might arise. Though we have not been purposely adding time to our half hour challenge, it has been naturally happening. The first time out there we lasted half an hour, while last class we spent about forty-five minutes training outdoors. So why would anyone insist on this?

There are a number of reasons why outdoor training is beneficial. First, we did not pick the Thursday self defense class randomly. Using techniques on uneven ground, sometimes slippery ground, against people wearing layers of clothing, adds some needed realism to self defense. Chances are if you are ever attacked in real life, you may have to face these conditions. Even throwing a simple and normally powerful elbow strike is difficult if you slide on a patch of ice (which I found out last week.) It makes you realize that things like head kicks or spinning kicks are maybe not as good for self defense as you once thought. Plus, with the noise of the passing traffic it is almost impossible to hear your attacker approaching. This drastically cuts down on the time you have to react with something that makes sense.

Toughness is an element that is necessary in nearly every sport, and certainly in the martial arts. Forcing yourself to train in less than ideal conditions helps develop this inner sense of strength. It shows you that you can go outside in the rain or snow, do what you have to, and return relatively unscathed. I think anyone who has experienced this will agree that it feels good running up that hill. It feels good throwing your techniques and working through circle attacks as the wind rushes at you. There is a certain amount of satisfaction when you throw your wet and mud-stained uniform in the wash.

Personally, staying focused outside is the toughest thing for me. The rushing cars, occasional jogger, dog walkers, and the huge glowing Tim Horton's sign are all major distractions. Staying focused through kata and basics is even more difficult with all these other things going on.

I strongly urge people to join us outside. It is excellent training and you will feel good about it. Oxyclean and Tide are great at getting mud out of white uniforms.  

Photo By: Ken Smith

Warming-Up Before Practice Starts

Post by: S Lee

You bow in, enter the dojo, bow to the shrine, and see that you have a good ten minutes before practice starts. Now what? Lately we have been going over some good ways to warm-up on your own when you get to the dojo a little bit early.

Range of motion exercises are a good way to start, but they shouldn't be done for more than a couple minutes. Muscles are like taffy, when they are warm they are stretchy and flexible. However, when they are cold they are susceptible to injury. Therefore, it is best to start warming up those muscles before you start stretching or doing strenuous activity like punching and kicking the bags. Here are some ideas:

-Knees to chest
-Jumping jacks
-Light jog, incorporating upper body movement
-Light shadow boxing
-Jump rope
-Kata
-Tai Sabaki

After a few minutes of warming up with one of these activities, your muscles should start feeling warm and loose. Depending on how warmed up you are, you may feel like stretching at this point. Another option is to start practicing techniques. Bag work, push-ups, sit-ups, weapons kata, rolls, and other techniques can be practiced for the last few minutes before class starts.

There are some things you should NOT be doing:

-Talking about non-martial arts stuff
-Sitting down to stretch
-Staring into oblivion

It is important to get the most out of every class you attend. This is true for everyone, but even more so for people looking to test. One of the things black belts look for in potential testers is their readiness and enthusiasm. This is also your chance to work that new part of your kata or to go over your offensive sparring combinations without a Sensei scrutinizing your techniques.

Keep these things in mind when arriving to practice early. Have any other ideas for warm-ups? Add them in the comments!

Photo By: Ken Smith

When the Technique Does the Work

Post By: Sensei Lee

Keep in mind that while I have earned the rank of 2nd degree black belt in karate, that in Aiki I'm an orange belt. So I apologize ahead of time if this post is incorrect and shows my Aiki ignorance. I hope that any Aiki readers will correct me if this comes out wrong.  

The other night in Aiki Sensei Dawn put us through a pretty grueling practice. In circle attack fashion we had to go through three techniques in order with the attackers punching 1-8. Not only is it difficult to remember where you are in the sequence and to correctly perform the needed technique, but it is also hard on the attackers. Attackers need to pop up from a throw quickly in order to provide the next punch. Sensei Dawn pointed out near the end of this practice that the Aiki black belts were breathing normally. Meanwhile, the lower belts (myself included) were out of breath and dripping with sweat. 

It amazes me how little physical exertion and effort are needed in Aiki when the techniques are done correctly. Granted, sometimes I want to push myself in practice in order to get a decent "workout." Unfortunately, I don't have time to make it to a gym and then to practice, so martial arts remain my primary form of exercise. However, having the ability to choose when to push yourself in terms of exertion and when to let the Aiki work for you, now that sounds like a great ability to have. 

Photo By: Ken Smith

 

Training with an Injury

Post By: Lee Phelan

Eventually one day it happens: you move incorrectly, have a lapse in concentration, or find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sure enough, you walk away with an injury. Hopefully it wasn't serious. Maybe all you need is some ice, ibuprofen, and Tiger Balm. But sometimes it is serious, and you end up having to take some time off or drastically change how you train.

Injuries for the most part are frustrating, painful, and reminders of our vulnerability. However, they can also teach us a great deal.

Being injured does not have to interfere with your training. Just about anything we do can be modified and adjusted. Techniques can be done one handed, sitting down, slowly, gently, or even mentally. This forces us to use our other abilities to accomplish an end result. Sure, you may feel silly at first. But in actuality you are enhancing your training and adding an element of realism as well. In an actual self defense situation, you may not have all your weapons available. You may end up injured in the exchange and have to improvise. Working around an injury allows you to work on other facets of training that may otherwise be ignored. Without muscle to compensate, balance and positioning become that much more important.

That being said, always follow the advice given by a doctor or other medical professional. If they tell you to take it easy and stay out of practice, do it. If a Sensei tells you to stop and treat an injury, do it.

One of the biggest lessons the martial arts have taught me is perseverance. No matter what challenges are ahead, continue fighting and confidently head forward towards your goals.    

Photo by: Akeeris

Famous People Who Are Also Martial Artists

This is a fun blog post!

Here is a list of 10 famous people who have trained in the martial arts:

Sean Connery: Kyokushin, also trained under Steven Seagal

Vladimir Putin: Judo Master

Bill Clinton: Taekwondo

Paul Walker: Brazilian Jujitsu

Criss Angel: Karate, Kung-Fu, Taekwondo

Theodore Roosevelt: Judo, Jujitsu

Madonna: Karate

Courtney Cox: Karate

Lucy Liu: Escrima, Silat

Abraham Lincoln: Wrestling

So keep training, who knows it may help you win the next election or land that movie role! Add any others you can think of in the comments.

Balancing Life and Training

Post By: Lee Phelan

It isn't always easy finding balance with life in general, but it can be particularly difficult in the martial arts. This is especially true while training for an upcoming test. Training too much can lead to burn out and a disruption of life. Not training enough can lead to the stagnation of progress. Aside from hitting your ideal amount of training, there are also things like work, school, family, friends, movies, video games, and other obligations all demanding a certain amount of attention. So how does one balance all of this?

Priorities and goals play a huge role, and are a personal choice. If your goal is to one day run your own dojo, or to become a master in the martial arts, then training moves to the forefront of your life. If your goal is to achieve a certain level of fitness, again, the priorities adjust. Other goals like achieving a specific belt rank have an end in sight, which again influences your priorities. For some people martial arts become a passion, while for others it is a hobby. Depending on your own priorities and goals, training takes on a very different level of importance. Priorities can change year to year, day to day, moment to moment. If you have a hectic work week packed full of meetings and demands, then work might end up being a priority for awhile. If a loved one is in need, then again, your priorities will change. Depending on your goal, you may adjust and fit in training somehow, or you may take a break from training until things are settled.

One simple yet eye-opening moment of enlightenment for me was when I realized my training did not have to take place at the dojo. At first training at home was weird, and slightly damaging (nunchaku and ceiling tiles don't mix). But eventually I came to enjoy being able to work on my own thing, entirely at my own pace.

We are lucky enough to live in a time and place where superb training is not necessary for survival. None of us need to know hand-to-hand combat in order to protect our loved ones or property from barbarians. However, the martial arts for many become a way of life. Consider your goals and priorities in order to get the most out of your training.

Photo By: Deena Hucko

Eating the Good Fight

Post By: Kris Green 

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always make the best food or drink choices. Dr. Pepper is a particular weakness – nutritionally, though, it counts as a big negative, adding sugar and calories without any benefits except flavor and caffeine.

But I want to eat better so that nutrition doesn’t work against my training. A lot of things can interfere with our training, and they’re hard enough to work around without also getting tired or losing focus because I didn’t eat right that day.

Starting at the top, this means getting a decent mix of the three macronutrients: fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Without protein, your muscles break down. Without carbs, you have no energy to burn. Without a little fat, the entire engine stalls before it starts. What’s the right mix? That’s a little harder. Some experts say to go with 30% of your calories from fat, 30% from protein, 40% from carbs. Other experts have different mixes. Bottom line, though, is that each meal should have all three in decent proportions.

I also try to get the right kinds of proteins and carbs and fat. Lean protein, like chicken or fish or tofu, is much better than fatty stuff, like beef. Slow-burning carbs from whole grains are better than fast, simple carbs like sugar. And yes, honey counts as sugar, so I’m trying to stop adding honey to every mug of tea I drink. But a plate of pork ribs covered in barbeque sauce gives my willpower a black eye every time. Tasty, but it’s all the wrong stuff since the pork is high in fat and the sauce has a ton of salt and sugar.

Another factor I try to keep in mind is varying the sources of each of these nutrients. Sure, tofu is good for you, but it shouldn’t be the ONLY source of protein in your diet. All foods have micronutrients as well, like the omega-3 acids, iron, and potassium. Only by varying the source of the food you eat can you get a reasonable mix of these. And at all costs, I try to minimize the condiments on my food. A salad of fresh veggies is about as healthy for you as it can be – especially with some nuts for protein and fat thrown in – but after you add a typical salad dressing, you’ve done yourself more harm than good. (Fact: Some salads and dressing combinations at McDonald’s have more 30% more fat than the Big Mac!) So what can you do to punch up a salad? Add balsamic vinegar instead of dressing, or sprinkle unsalted sunflower kernels on it.

Finally, I find it helps a lot to spread my calories out through the day. Three balanced meals of 650-700 calories with some small 150-200 calories snacks helps keep my energy level more consistent throughout the day and avoids overeating at one meal. This also avoids spikes and slumps in blood sugar. Then your workouts are building your body up rather than tearing it down.

Photo by: YaiSirichai

Seigans and Commitment

Post by: Kris Green 

On this, the 950th day of my Seigan, I find myself wondering what has helped me

continue with my commitment? I’m not doing it for a record; it’s a personal 
challenge. 
 
Some of what’s kept me going is definitely an obsessive personality trait. 
That’s the part that has me log each class. (That’s how I know that I’m 
averaging just over 63 minutes per day.) Mostly though, it’s the desire to 
improve myself physically, mentally and emotionally that’s kept me going. 
 
I started simple, challenging myself to keep an official seigan going. Then I 
tried to bump it and do an hour each day. It doesn’t always work: sometimes I’m 
sick or injured or too busy or make other excuses and only get in 30 or 45 
minutes. But I always feel a little bad about it the next day – there’s the 
obsessive part of me. A half hour sometimes feels like I haven’t quite gotten 
what I want out of my workout, especially since I’ve started trying to bring 
more balance to them. 
 
A big key for me is variety. For a while I achieved this by making each day’s 
workout different. I’d do my kata as slowly as possible one day (I made the 
motion-sensing lights in a racquetball court turn off and stay off while doing 
kata once!) The next day, I might try to get power out of the kata, or focus on 
my stances or balance. Or really envision all the attackers and different ways 
to apply the movements. Some days I’d do a thousand kicks, or a thousand 
punches, or both to work on stamina. 
 
Recently, though, instead of doing the same thing for the entire workout, I’ve 
started to bring variety into each day. I’ll break the hour up into segments, 
like three 20-minute segments or four 15-minute segments. Then each segment gets 
a different focus. I may do one segment for conditioning, one to go over the 
most recent moves from kenjitsu, one to run through some self-defense moves, and 
one to work on my kata for third degree. It’s amazing how quickly the time 
passes. 
 
Another trick is to add in a little outside element to your training. For 
example, if you like to watch cartoons, have them playing while you work out and 
make them part of the workout. Scenes change quickly in cartoons, and every time 
the scene changes, you could swap to a new sparring combination, or add in an 
extra punch or kick to the head of your imaginary opponent. 
 
Anything we do in class is a potential source for a workout, and everything can 
be modified for different situations. Try doing all you upper body basics 
sitting in a chair, or doing the lower basics from seiza. 
 
Start small, build up, and pretty soon you’ll realize that you’ve made it 100 
days or more! Keep a record of your workouts so that you can vary them and to 
encourage you to remember to do it. 
 

Photo by: Salvatore Vuono 

To Aiki-Otoshi Or Not to Aiki-Otoshi

Post By: Dawn Hampsey

It’s a running joke around me that I will do any Aiki technique we have except Aiki Otoshi. It’s one of the first techniques you learn in the Aiki Judo program. Karate people know it, maybe not by name but they know it. It’s the first technique you learn in Judo as well, except it’s call O-Soto-Geri. It’s not that I don’t like Aiki Otoshi, it’s just that I like the other techniques too and Aiki Otoshi monopolizes the floor too often. I have to step in and give the other techniques a chance to play. As a white belt you spend most of the time doing Aiki Otoshi. Then you progress in rank and learn other techniques. Then a new student enters the dojo and that technique is all they know so you do Aiki Otoshi. Then you work a drill, and yes, we all do Aiki Otoshi with it because everyone on the floor who is white belt and up knows it.

Well, this past week, I had this drill where I was trying to get Aiki techniques on Sensei Ken. Not a lot was working, but then he was waiting for them and would counter as fast as I thought to do them. Until, Aiki Otoshi showed up and he hit the mat.  Yes! Everyone noticed that I did Aiki Otoshi. Shaking their head like it’s the technique of the Gods. Pointing at me. You see, Aiki Otoshi – tried and true. Could it just be that Aiki Otoshi is the only technique I’ve practiced enough to make work that fast? Which only proves my point, I’ve worked it a lot, time to let the other techniques have a turn. I feel a challenge coming on – I should now work Kaiten Nage so much that I can execute it on the unsuspecting uki regardless of their cooperation. Fun times.

Photo by Terry David-Smock

Balancing Exercise and Inner Training

Like many people, I use martial arts as a way to get a good workout. I've always joked that without karate, I would probably weigh about 500 pounds. Going through katas full power, snapping the bo around, and blasting through the punching bag all provide an excellent workout. So does sparring at a fast and intense pace. At one point I believed if I didn't leave the dojo with a sweat-soaked uniform, that I didn't work hard enough and had wasted the class.

After receiving my black belt, I realized that there was a lot more to training than pushing these physical limits. It is one thing to fly through katas, but it is another to actually feel the moves and to understand them. This higher level training is only possible to achieve by going through things slowly and methodically. The same goes for sparring. The only way you can improve and eliminate bad habits is to slow down and cut out all the unnecessary movements. To ask yourself "Why did I just throw that front kick?"

That being said, there is also a place for physical exercise in martial arts training. Without endurance and muscular development you will not last very long performing katas, while sparring, or in self defense. Push-ups, sit-ups, squat-thrusts, and bag training help turn our bodies into efficient tools capable of delivering devastating power when necessary. Having the ability to sprint or run away from an altercation is just as important.

I believe that you need both components in order to be a well-rounded martial artist. The difficulty is managing to balance them out. Sadly, most of us do not have the luxury of being able to train at a gym for a couple of hours, and then to train in the dojo. So how do we work in both sides of our training?

Training on your own is very important. Getting to class early or staying late and slowly going through katas is always a good idea. Even 15 minutes will make a difference.

Vary your goals during sparring. Pick a few rounds to slow down and to work with your partner, regardless of their rank.

Take advantage of the endurance training during class. Perform all these exercises to the best of your ability and without any excuses.

Think about martial arts during the day. One thing I love doing is looking at people walking by or standing in line at Wegmans, and imagining how I would best unbalance them.

I'm sure there are other ways to fit in both sides of martial arts training. Feel free to share your own ideas and methods!  

Photo by Federico Stevanin  

The Harp Karate Blog is Now Open!

Harp Karate now has a blog! This space is for students and teachers who would like to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions on some dojo-related topics. We can also share photos and videos on here as well. All posts are going to be open for discussion and comments, which is a great way to exchange ideas.

If you have something you would like to blog about, simply email it to me and I will post it. Don't panic if your post isn't on here right away, it just means that I haven't had a chance to add it yet. As long as your post is positive and insightful it will go up on our blog.

Here are some ideas:

Your favorite kind of class
Thoughts about a seminar
Techniques
Sparring
Ideas about the competing clans
Kata or basics
Things you would like to see more of
Testing requirements
Independent workout ideas
Weapons

There are plenty of other things to write about, so be creative and share your ideas! Meanwhile, don't forget to check the Harp Karate Facebook page.