The TKD Thread

[Thumper]

Resurrected FWIW, for those who care (there used to be one or two).
There are two new 3rd Degree Blackbelts in the house. This was a tough stint. The Kid is doing more and more in school and other extracurriculars so less time in TKD classes. Several of my buddies have quit TKD in the last year, leaving me more and more alone. So as I was losing interest, I had to prepare myself and the others for their tests this past weekend.

The test basically went fantastically. The Kid did awesome, both the Grandmaster and the Chief Instructor commented multiple times. CI basically told her, "You've set the bar. Nobody your age has ever done this or gone this far before. You are now the standard. She was happy, repeatedly thanking her family for coming to the test. I even got an unsolicited hug from her after my break.

I did have to break a cardinal rule, though: Never do anything at a test that you've never done before. For the most part this is easy. We have a full page of requirements. We have to demonstrate and get checked off each skill and technique by a senior master before we even become eligible to test. With the exception of our breaks. We have to get the technique approved, but not demonstrated. Should have been easy enough, sometime in the summer or very early fall, I'd work up my techniques and break two concrete bricks on top of each other at home. (At the test I'd have to do it at the end of a 3 day fast.) But one thing kept happening after another: I hurt my hand and had to lay off for a while, then I broke a couple ribs and had to lay off. Then alot of work and travel and holidays got in the way. Once it became late October or early November, we're not supposed to do any full on breaking anyway, risking injury right before the test.

So I had to go in untested and that was very unnerving and discouraging. My buddy who recently quit gave me some very good encouragement and advice. It really helped. I was finally able to get my head in the right place in the last week, and could even visualize a successful break. Before we took the floor as I was meditating, I went through the list of every single person, some in the class, some in the audience, some not on this earth anymore that really wanted me to succeed. I cashed in some Mojo chips.

When I hit them, they just didn't crack, they exploded. I called it an "ugly break." My buddies were ecstatic. "Ugly, it was beautiful! Pieces of $hit flying everywhere!" The CI gave me a real sly grin. When I got back in line all the people in the class I felt I hadn't been able to motivate and in fact had alienated because of my pissy attitude over the last 6 months all came over to congratulate me. You never know. Self doubt is a b|tch. It really is like my old linebacker coach always said, (tapping his temple) "It's all up here, baby."

[squ1d]

cool

[Swift]

Awesome Thump.

[SciFiFisher]

Way Cool! Congratulations!

[pumpkinpi]

Resurrected FWIW, for those who care (there used to be one or two).

One here.

Thanks for the update.

My niece--the Cowgirl--11 years old--is in her 2nd or third year of "UMAM karate--a unique combination of American Kenpo Karate, Tang Soo Do, Ju jitsu, Chin Na, and Judo." I think she's up to a yellow or orange belt. She enjoys it, but she wasn't upset to miss a session this weekend when we were visiting. She was happy to have a sleepover with the cousins and grandma&grandpa's house. But I know she will stick with it for a while.

We need a karate smilie.

[Thumper]

Oh my goodness, the Cowgirl is 11!
I still have a picture somewhere I want to show you of The Kid sitting in the Cowgirl's seat at her restaurant.
Cool , I hope she sticks with it.

[geonuc]

Exploded. Way to go.

[Swift]

We need a karate smilie.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, congrats Thumper

[code monkey]

fantastic!

you broke 'a couple of ribs'? omg when? how? are you ok now?

[Thumper]

fantastic!

you broke 'a couple of ribs'? omg when? how? are you ok now?

Well, if you must know, it was sometime in the summer, can't remember exactly when. It was, of all places at a "family indoor go-karting track." I'm short legged and long torsoed. (yeah, I know that's not a word). These karts have centrifugal clutches, once you lose your revs, you lose all momentum and it takes forever for them to spool back up. I was getting frustrated at pretty much coming to a complete stop at every corner waiting for the power to come back. So I applied a technique where I never let off the gas and try to control momentum with hard braking. It was working but this one corner I plowed the wall full throttle. As I was sitting taller than most, a brace that should have been outside my shoulder was under my armpit, and I smashed into it with my ribs as the wall didn't move, the car stopped and I kept going. If I didn't crack them then, I cracked them in the next heat when I hit the exact same wall in the exact same corner, this time a little faster. It was about 6 weeks of suck then another 6 weeks of slowly getting it back into shape. I've only felt it a time or two in the last month.
Sorry, you asked? I am.

[code monkey]

fantastic!

you broke 'a couple of ribs'? omg when? how? are you ok now?

--- Sorry, you asked? I am.

i apologize most humbly and sincerely for having caused you to relive a painful episode. however, i will point you that you could have simply said that you preferred not to say.

i'm very glad that you've recovered.

[Thumper]

Painful, sure. Silly, even more so.

[SciFiFisher]

Painful, sure. Silly, even more so.

<bad yoda imitation> hmmmm.... Go-Kart Racing did you? Ribs did you break? Return to childhood painful is it not?

[cid]

Expecting any calls from contractors when they need some bricks trimmed for an odd-size wall?

[Thumper]

I'm not very good at precise breaks, or squared edges. I do have one of the pieces on my desk that looks a bit like the state of Kentucky...