Musings about Karate…

I went to karate tonight, and I had the good fortune of being asked to lead the younger kids in three time sparring and slow sparring. I took them through 3 time sparring by the count, and then let them do it on their own without my counting. Everyone seemed to be doing great! Later on in the class we moved on to doing slow sparring, and they all handled it pretty well. The yellow belts scared me a little bit because they went at it with the same reckless abandon that yellow belts go at everything with, and I had to slow them down on several occasions.

Walker is his father’s son. That kid is going to put me in a grave by the time I’m 30.

I had to leave class early in order to come home and help my mom and Tasha with reception favors. I’m not going to spoil it since several people that read this are invited, but needless to say they’re each unique and it’s taking some man-hours to get them done.

Sensei Mikami is coming to Chicago this weekend, but due to vast amounts of wedding planning and a lack of funds I’m not going to make it. I don’t like missing things like this and the guys at the dojo offered to chip in so I could afford it, but I just have other obligations that I have to take care of this time around. He’s been likened in quality to Osawa and Kanazawa, both of which I really enjoyed training under but I’m going to have to take a pass this time, despite the concerted effort of many people to get my ass up there.

I was talking this over with my Dad tonight (a scary prospect to be sure), and Dad seems to think that everyone’s zeal to get me to come to this workshop might be in concern that I am losing interest with Karate. I promise this is not the case at all. I don’t like making excuses, but between the wedding, my back, a lack of money, and the lack of a job I have been suffering from some motivation problems. Hopefully all of these things will resolve soon and I will be back to beating my own ass into submission.

I still have aspirations of Nidan. After I get my life settled down a little I will recommit myself to training like a madman to attain that goal. If my job takes me away from home, I will find a dojo wherever I land. That, or my friends at my home dojo will begin seeing a lot more of me.