Operation Look Like A Goddess

[ledove]

*snort* This posted at an appropriate time:



Probably a result of low cal all week and then trying not to eat, but my body told me it was either eat now or pass out/throw up/some unpleasantness very soon. Been in that situation too many times, and I know it's not joking around. So I had my protein shake now; I've got another in my bag that I'll have before TKD.

Just found it funny that the picture posted right as I was giving in to my shake

[ledove]

Er, where did everybody go? We had another low turnout day at class. I know some of the guys are gone for the summer, and two were at a tournament, but really, we were missing a lot of guys. And with a low class number, and two of them guys I'm trying to avoid... Meh. Only one round, though, and he was actually more controlled than The Wild One (but did try to tap me with some dumb moves. I just looked at him and told him it wouldn't work and he was wasting his energy. So he quit and started moving for something else.).

Cool thing--and it could've been for any number of reasons, but it made me happy--when we got to the drills, the instructor paired me with the new guy. (We always seem to have a new guy... who rarely comes back... Anyway...) We were working on getting out of side control, and of course the guy doesn't know what side control is. So I taught him that and then worked with him on the move. And the instructor only came over once to make sure we were doing it right, which we were; other than that, he was fixing the other pairs. So I hope that means that I'm actually doing things correctly and teaching them right so the instructors are comfortable leaving me to it. (And there was a more experienced guy there, too.)

I'm an instructor at TKD, so I'm already used to teaching, and I'd really like to be an instructor at BJJ eventually. I especially think it would be cool to teach kids, like the little girl who watches our class some days. I know I know nothing yet, but I'm working on it. (And I want to be the one who gets sicced on know-it-all newbies. )

[stingo]

Originally Posted by ledove

(And I want to be the one who gets sicced on know-it-all newbies. )

Having read your journal I think I can understand where you're coming from - just be careful that the hubris isn't in your gi, as opposed to theirs.

[ledove]

Originally Posted by stingo

Having read your journal I think I can understand where you're coming from - just be careful that the hubris isn't in your gi, as opposed to theirs.

+1. Having read my journal, you can probably also see I'm prone to that. Point taken, and thanks.

[ledove]

Apparently, I am addicted to checking this site. The last 2 days have been tortuous.

Monday
No lifting because I had a project at work. At TKD, the head instructor pulled me aside. She's a 4th-year vet student, and she starts her rotations next week. She's seen her schedule, and she won't be around much. So... basically I'm going to be the head instructor now. Kind of co-head instructor until she graduates next May, and then for real head instructor. Begin panic mode.

Tuesday
BJJ. Again only a few of us, four plus 2 instructors. And then 2 of us and the 2 instructors for gi class. One of them said, especially for the gi class, that it was like getting a private lesson. Coolness.

After class, I sat around and stretched and talked to the instructors. They were talking about the boys-with-attitude; the instructors will try to work with them and correct them, but when the guys don't listen, at some point the instructors will just walk away. The instructors said my technique is really good and that I'm picking stuff up fast, and that they can't wait until I can start tapping those guys for them. Hehe.

Today
No lifting again. Same project at work, and they said they'd need me up until 5, so I didn't plan on lifting. And then everyone on the project either finished early, didn't need me, or left for the day. So I left and went for a long walk. Got to TKD early and practiced/reviewed.

I've decided that I'm tired of doing Stage 3 for the second time, and I've missed another week now. So when I do finally get to start lifting again--hopefully Monday--I'll move on Stage 4.

[Bytsi]

Originally Posted by ledove

Apparently, I am addicted to checking this site. The last 2 days have been tortuous.

... I'm going to be the head instructor now. Kind of co-head instructor until she graduates next May, and then for real head instructor. Begin panic mode.

... I've decided that I'm tired of doing Stage 3 for the second time, and I've missed another week now. So when I do finally get to start lifting again--hopefully Monday--I'll move on Stage 4.

I was in pretty bad withdrawal the past two days
Congrats on the head-instructor promotion. You seem to really enjoy teaching, so that will be great!

I hated stage 3... I'm taking a rest week and then going to stage 5, but I won't promise to finish it if I hate it as much as I did 3 (especially the B workout)... There are quite a few of us who didn't like that one

[ledove]

Originally Posted by Bytsi

I hated stage 3... I'm taking a rest week and then going to stage 5, but I won't promise to finish it if I hate it as much as I did 3 (especially the B workout)... There are quite a few of us who didn't like that one

It's not that I don't like it, so much, as I've already been most of the way through it once and I keep getting interrupted trying to finish it. So hopefully next week I can get back to the gym, and I want a fresh start.

The head instructor thing: I'm pretty much the only black belt who will be around for the next 2 years. So that makes me the only option. We did have a plan to ease me in to the position over the next year, but with our head instructor's rotation schedule, I start Monday. I'm giving a belt test on Monday.

MMA
Last night was MMA class. Some of the guys seem afraid to work with me, and when they do, they don't hit very hard. I get hit harder at TKD in light-contact sparring (and black-belt level sparring is much heavier). I know they don't want to hurt me, and I very much appreciate that. But it's still a bit annoying. And I know we're not trying to hurt each other, but last night, Tim set the contact level at about 50%; if that was 50% for some of these guys, then they're in trouble...

Hey, I know, I'll do like the crazy black belt who was in the TKD club a few years ago: I'll grin whenever someone lands anything in my contact level. (The grin was usually followed by a huge combination of punches and kicks. He was always happy when people stepped up to the level he wanted to fight at.)

I end up working with one of the instructors a lot because he's the closest in size to me. Everyone else has quite a few inches on me (and pounds and reach). He's really good about hitting me, checking to make sure that wasn't too much contact, and then slowly pushing the contact level up. And he's very patient with me and teaches me as we go. Most of what we do is boxing-derived, and I don't know nuthin' about it. And then we mix in takedowns. Hehe, he did one takedown last night, and I went airborne! He checked on me after that, and I was laughing. It was actually kind of fun.

After class, my shoulders were toast.

[ledove]

All this posting weirdness--I'm never quite sure if I've read or posted something before

Friday
TKD open floor. I mostly sit around and supervise (the responsibility--and privilege--of being a black belt), but last night got strangely motivated to start working on my free form, which is the next step toward testing for my 2nd degree. So far, it's really neat.

Today, BJJ
Class today was... me. And the 2 instructors. No one else. The gym was hot, and we were all tired, so we just played around a little bit. Didn't even roll. I probably should have asked to roll, since it would seriously have been a private lesson and I need to learn a lot more, but I was tired.

The guys did tell me today that I'll probably be one of the next ones promoted to blue belt. (In our BJJ, the ranks are white, blue, purple, brown, black. The colors of bruises, my dad says. ) I think there's one guy who's been there a month or two longer who might be promoted ahead of me, but I'll be right behind him. There's actually no belt testing; anyone ranked above you can decide when you get your belt. And usually, they give you their old belt, which was probably someone else's before. With fewer ranks and no testing, though, you might be at a certain belt for a year or more. But since I already earned the black belt in TKD, the color of my belt in BJJ isn't something that I'm focused on; I just want to get better.

They also told me I'll be the first female blue belt under our coach. Coolness.

The guys left after a little while, and since there wasn't a class on that mat for another hour, I started working on my free form again. (I think I only have about 1/3 left to finish...)

The Krav Maga/Kickboxing/TKD/everything else instructor, Perry, came over and started showing me some knife & gun defense. Sweet stuff. But I stepped funny or something, and I think I broke my pinky toe. Much hurt, much bruising, painful to walk on, although I can wiggle it without screaming. Right now, it's taped up to the next toe.

So I started talking Perry, and he wants me to join the Kickboxing team--as in "competition team." I tried to point out that I have no experience with that at all. He said he'd watched me at MMA on Thursday and that I was doing really good and that all they'd have to work on is my target areas (more than TKD, less than MMA) and maybe blocking. (And speed. But I mentally added that one.) Classes start next Saturday, he said; be there... What have I gotten myself into?

And while I was there, I signed up for Karate College in two weeks. It's four days of Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Renzo Gracie, and lots more. My coach, Tim Mannon, got his BJJ black belt under Renzo; Perry's worked with a bunch of them.

My school. The picture on the main page looks a little weird, but it was taken on Thursday. I'm on the very right of the picture, half cut off, and I have no clue what I'm doing; looks like a very bad punch (very wide). The guy in the foreground is Tim, my coach.

[Bytsi]

In our BJJ, the ranks are white, blue, purple, brown, black. The colors of bruises, my dad says.

ROTFL!!!

Enjoy the college - sounds awesome! I love Bill Wallace!

And good luck with the belt... I wish I didn't have to test - although if it was up to our Sensei, we might never get a new belt cuz he ALWAYS has an opinion on how much we need to improve...

[ledove]

Right pinky toe is definitely broken. Today it's all black-and-blue, and part of my foot (from the toe diagonal across the foot to about midway) is also bruised. It hurts when I move it side to side, but not in any other direction. Weirdness. WebMD says it can take 2-4 weeks to heal. Bleh. That means I'll probably still have it misbehaving during Karate College. (Oh well, probably for the best: it'll keep my ego in check.)

Also, after reading everyone else's experiences and the thread in the Training Discussion forum, I bought FLTS et al. I was reading it Friday and thinking that I didn't know how I could do some it around all my martial arts classes. But now with the rebellious toe, my workouts will probably be lighter for the next few weeks anyway. So I'll spend most of today trying to sort everything out...

[mel]

OH, I hope your toe heals quickly. I love to read about all the different classes you are taking and your progress. I have never done any martial arts, but I really, really, really want to some day. It sounds like you are super talented!

mel

[ledove]

Originally Posted by mel

OH, I hope your toe heals quickly. I love to read about all the different classes you are taking and your progress. I have never done any martial arts, but I really, really, really want to some day. It sounds like you are super talented!

mel

Nah, just super stubborn. I have to work hard, and usually I feel so slow and uncoordinated. (Kung-fu Turtle!) I guess I usually only post the fun stuff that happens at class, but there are definitely times when I just can't seem to do it right. I've always been interested in doing martial arts, but never really could when I was a kid (too expensive). So now, I have the time and the money and a great school, and I'm determined that I'm going to do it all. I know if I work at it, I'll get better, and I like that, so I keep working.

[Bytsi]

Hey Leslie,

My biggest "issue" with FLTS is just like yours - I don't want to skip karate... I broke a toe in September (was being swept in a new move that neither of us had tried, and when my foot was kicked up, it slammed into the back of the guy's heel. Instant broken 4th toe on left foot). I never got it fixed, but it hurt! Couldn't even wear anything but flip flops for 2-3 weeks. Now, 8 months (?) later, it's still big and crooked and nasty looking... it hurts every once in a while, but... bleh. Maybe Superfoot can help you do stuff one-footed. I saw him once, and he said he always does things with one (left, I think) foot - otherwise he'd be called "SuperfEEt" instead of "SuperfOOt" LOL.

Sorry 'bout your toe!

[ledove]

So I gave my first belt test tonight. Thankfully, one of the 2nd degrees hung around to help me because I kept forgetting things (like bowing! oops). And tying a belt on someone else is not so easy.

And then, because we're short on instructors, I had to teach the kid his next form even though I couldn't really use my right foot in stances. A couple of times, I had to demonstrate something in the air slowly with my right foot and say, "But do that with your left." Or try to explain the next move with words; usually ended with me moving his limbs into position... Poor kid. I hope I didn't confuse him too much...

Originally Posted by Bytsi

Hey Leslie,

My biggest "issue" with FLTS is just like yours - I don't want to skip karate...

Well, my toe hurts right now, a lot, so I don't know about doing anything besides watching for the rest of the week anyway. Maybe pushups, pullups, and/or dips while I watch. Meh. I've got to read over FLTS/Repair again tomorrow, recalculate my cals (because I can't move), and get started on it.

And I was thinking today that the main reason I want to increase strength, at the moment, is to help me against the guys at BJJ. However, they're already all much stronger than me, so I have a long way to go. And it's really technique that I need to be working on, especially if I ever compete against girls my own size, which I do plan to do. So, whether I train for strength now or wait a month or two to start again isn't really going to make a difference against the guys.

All that to say, I'm gonna with FLTS/Repair for now, do Leigh's get-in/get-it-off/get-out, and then move on. The toe helps with that since it's forcing me off of working out right now. But once I'm back to full speed, if I'm still on FLTS, I'll probably either go with a higher initial cal calculation or use BJJ as one of the workouts.

Originally Posted by Bytsi

I broke a toe in September (was being swept in a new move that neither of us had tried, and when my foot was kicked up, it slammed into the back of the guy's heel. Instant broken 4th toe on left foot). I never got it fixed, but it hurt! Couldn't even wear anything but flip flops for 2-3 weeks. Now, 8 months (?) later, it's still big and crooked and nasty looking... it hurts every once in a while, but... bleh.

I had to buy new shoes today. I have one pair of sandals (in 4 different colors), and the straps are up at the front and actually put most of the weight on the same part of my foot that hurts. Once I wrap my foot up, I can't get it in those sandals. So I had to get new ones with more room in the front. I walked in the shoe store, dragging my bandaged foot on top of the non-fitting sandal, and the clerks looked at me all wide-eyed. I said, "I broke my toe. My shoes don't fit. I need help." One of them helped me find the style that worked.

Originally Posted by Bytsi

Maybe Superfoot can help you do stuff one-footed. I saw him once, and he said he always does things with one (left, I think) foot - otherwise he'd be called "SuperfEEt" instead of "SuperfOOt" LOL.

I think I'm limited to the Karate Kid's "Sweep the leg, Johnny!" move. I can't stand on my right, and I can't take any impact on it, either.