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Karate last night was a pretty good workout. Tasha and I hadn’t worked out since last Tuesday because of our company picnic and we were both feeling it. I was very proud of Tasha for sticking it out as much as she could.

Her hips don’t let her do some things for long periods of time, but Sensei Hartman showed her how to adjust her stance a little bit and she told me afterward that it helped quite a bit. She’s still extremely tentative about the sparring, this is likely because she’s only seen me come back tenderized from rounds with my peers in the dojo.

Speaking of that, I found myself on the receiving end of a side thrust kick. He caught me right below the left pectoral (or where the pectoral would be if I had one) in the front of my ribcage with his heel. It only hurts in an area about the size of a half dollar right on top of my rib so I don’t think it’s broken. If it is, it’s the most pleasant broken rib I’ve had for awhile. I’m going to put my money on bruised or seperated.

Regardless of all that unpleasantness, Tasha wanted me to help her ask a sensei about whether or not she’s allowed to take her next test. She knows Heian Shodan because it was all that they did over in Macomb, the only part we need to brush up on for the next month is her three time attack. She still gets the chu-dan (stomach level) blocks confused sometimes.

She’s doing pretty well either way, her stances are good when she can stay in them and her techniques are strong too. I think we’re going to order her a heavyweight karate gi next month.

I’m really working on my connection and keeping my stomach and hips together when I’m moving in stance. It tends to break down from time to time when I’m sparring and I end up feeling like a big flailing mess. Hopefully I can get that under control soon.

A little funny tangent from my brain… last night accidentally did a few techniques that were different from what the class was doing. Sensei remarked that he had his own class going on in that head of his. For some reason my brain wanted to fill in “with clowns and Mega Man” to the end of that idea, and I got myself a chuckle. 🙂