I can move my head.

It’s been a few days since my first Chiro where I got my neck crunched back to where it belongs…. and finally the pain in my neck is subsiding.. whew!  

I went to the Chiropractor today for the first time… it’s true.. they crack your bones.

Oh.. my … gawd…

My kyu test is tomorrow.. I’m testing for the first time.

I shouldn’t be terrified, but I kinda am.  Sensei wanted me to test three months ago, but I couldn’t be there.  Saturdays are tough for me… so instead he is making an exception and I’m testing on a Tuesday.

Wish me luck!

Tags: test

My first Kyu test is on June 21st…

sweating … bullets….

I got new shoes on Saturday.

I wore them to work on Monday and by Tuesday my knee was swollen.  So I muscled through it and went to the dojo.

That was dumb. 

My knee BLEW up…  and I couldn’t train last night.

Sucks sitting on the floor, watching everyone else practice.

I have an anti spam thingy on this blog and have upgraded to Wordpress 2.5 and yet.. there they are…

Must contemplate course of action.

I wasn’t sure if I should post this on my  dog blog or here but this seemed like the more appropriate spot.

 When I train my dog, I expect that they will make mistakes. It’s how they learn.  These are the steps I take when teaching sit, for example.

1. Model the behavior.  While standing at the dog’s side, I put one hand on his chest and one on their back and say “Sit!” and then I slide my hand down the spine and scoop under the butt to coax him into a sit.  The hand on the chest is to prevent them from moving forward.  Then Praise.  Repeat a few times a day… usually for about a week.
2. Use a food lure.   Put a treat infront of the dogs nose and say “Sit!” while lifting that cookie up.  Nose up/Butt Down.   Feed that treat.
3. Add compulsion: same as step two only we now add in a slight lifting of the collar with the leash… this associates the feeling of lifting up on the collar with the word “Sit”.   Feed the treat.
4. Remove lure, continue with compulsion.  Feed a treat when dog sits.
5. Remove compulsion.  Ask dog to sit.  If the dog does not sit (oopsie! a Mistake) lift on the collar with the leash.  This should be a reminder cue to sit.   Feed the treat when that butt hits the ground.

Eventually we phase out the treat.. and treat only occassionally.  It’s like gambling.. the possibilty of the reward is what keeps us pulling that lever.

I know.. you’re still wondering what this has to do with Karate training.

When the dog doesn’t sit, he gets a reminder.  What I expect from the dog is an  ”Oh! Right” lightbulb moment and then an immediate fix.  No muss.. no fuss.

 I would be very surprised if what I got instead was “Well, you see, my hips are sore today from all my romping about and I didn’t want to move to quickly, but I was going to sit”.

In Karate Training, I’m often given corrections. 

• Move you arms and legs at the same time.
• You turned the wrong way, Jennifer!
• Stand up straight!
• Don’t pop up when you kick.. pretend there is a low ceiling.
• Shoulders back!
• Don’t let me bend that leg! Don’t let me!

You  have no idea how HARD it is not to say “Yeah, I know but I had a long day at work today and my brain isn’t working” or “Sorry, Sensei I wasn’t paying attention”… or “Aw crap, I knew that was wrong!”

I keep reminding myself of my dogs.. just fix it.  And try harder next time.

I decided that before class yesterday, I would walk the track at the Y first. Not fast and not a lot.. just enough to warm up my major leg muscles. Our warm-ups are often not long enough for me since I’ve been so sedentary.

My mistake was not hydrating myself. I should have brought water, but didn’t.

Halfway through class I had to ask to leave to get a drink. My heart was pounding so hard it was scaring me and I could feel my mouth drying up.

Sensei asked “Do you really need to?”

I was so mortified… I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think I was going to blow a gasket.. he let me go, but I was very embarassed that I didn’t take care of myself before…

Then I almost kicked the kid next to me doing side snap kicks. And I was so surprised that I started giggling.. my stress response is to giggle or cry. I prefer giggiling.

Sensei reminded me to keep my focus. Then I made another mistake and tried to explain myself.. Doh!

Sensei then told me that it was ok to make mistakes, that’s how we learn. Funny, that’s how I train my dogs too…

It was a hard class for me.. oddly, physically it wasn’t as bad.. mostly it was the mental challenges and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

I’ll do better on Saturday.

Every class I take, of course I’m going to get criticism. It’s expected. There is so much to learn. Today I discovered a bit of dojo etiquette.

When Sensei offers instruction or criticism, acknowledge it, make the correction and move on. That’s really hard for me.

I grew up making excuses. Especially if I felt embarrassed or foolish… I would find a reason, any reason so that I could excuse myself and blame someone else for my mistake.

Not in Karate and not with Sensei.

Sensei told me to just say “Osu” and make the correction.

He also said that if he tried to give his Master a reason for making a mistake, he would hit him with a stick.

Got it.. no talking.

Check.

This morning I got up and was sore… which was to be expected. However my old elbow injury from 10 years ago certainly has my attention.

Fortunately, we aren’t at the point where I can’t feel my fingers, but the tendons are aching. Not good. Thats the first step to numbness and if left alone, eventually, I’m out of work.

My job has me typing and clicking and shuffling paper. Can’t do that and rest my elbow at the same time.

The old Ortho doc told me to “use it but don’t abuse it”. So I’m wearing that elbow thingy that has the pressure pads to help relieve some of the pain and hopefully impede any real damage.

Enough “unneccesary” typing. Off to work I go.