Tonfa/Tuifa

An introduction to the Tonfa, and how to choose your Tonfa:



Where to order your Tonfa (it's where I ordered mine -- I went with the tapered square style):

Martial Arts Supplies

I've ordered bag gloves from Karate Depot in the past, and their product and service is top drawer.

teh r34l krotty

I’m sore all over due to the supreme beating I got in karate class last night.

At the beginning of class, all the black belts were removed from the regular class and taken into “the back room.”

There I was shown some things I never saw before, and was hit, kicked, bent, twisted, and mangled. The simple self-defense moves we’ve been taught thus far were now supplemented with wicked and vicious finishing techniques.

I was kicked in the groin, swept clear to the floor, chopped on the neck causing a brief but scary flash of “nothingness,” had a thumb shoved up under my zygomatic process (a friendly though painful substitution for sticking the thumb in the eye socket), and was placed in several arm locks that I’m still not sure what they were as it’s hard to see with my face planted on the floor.

I felt like a white belt again – getting beat up by smaller dudes with greater skill, knowing there is something cool here to be learned, but feeling embarrassed at my inability to keep up with what was being taught.

Driving home I noticed my neck was slightly swollen on the right side, and when I touched my neck near where my jaw is connected, it shot pain through my jaw similar to that caused by super sour candy. Today might right arm feels bruised on the tricep (???from what exactly???), a bruise on the back of my right hand (there are a couple things that may have caused that, and my jaw and neck are sore.

I pay good money to get beatings like this, and it was fun.

Black

Well, I did it.

It took me around twenty years to reach this goal (I took about 17 years off!), but I finally reached Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Karate. Getting my black belt means something to me. Part of what it means is very personal, and I don't expect everyone to understand it all, so I will not share that here. What I will share is that to me it means that I kept at something and didn't quit. And that feels GOOD.

The 2nd part of the test was harder than the 1st part. The 1st part was just an ordeal that I had to get through. But the 2nd part involved having to stay sharp, focussed, strong, alert, etc., even when I was exhausted and under much scrutiny.

And as I was presented with the symbol of my rank and accomplishment... I was reminded by those conferring it upon me the black belt meant that I have a box of tools, and that I really don't know how to use them yet. That is the aspect of training that lies ahead.

Still, I was feeling pretty good about it all until I got home and checked my email to find in my inbox something that made my stomach hurt. I don't care to go into any detail. But I will say that one thing that seems to me to be prevalent in Reformed circles, and perhaps especially in Reformed Presbyterian circles, is the tendency to shoot (the wounded) first and ask questions... alot of questions... grilling, relentless questions... later.

Why is it so hard for some people to just be friendly? Kind? Nice? Why do some have to be so jaggedly formal, cold, unfriendly?

Black... on my belt, makes me smile.

Black... on our hearts, makes me sad.

In other news: I had a migraine earlier today, and after it passed (as usual) I felt like I was dreaming for the rest of the day... in a fog. I feel much better now, thanks for asking.

Please pray that my friends don't move to Texas.

Part one, tomorrow

Part one of my Shodan (1st degree black belt) test that I've been spending so much time preparing for is tomorrow. At 8am tomorrow morning I expect I shall be doing the following (the Good Lord willing):

100 pushups


100 situps

75 tricep dips

5:00 minutes sitting at the wall like I'm on a chair, but I'm not on a chair, with my knees together.

5:00 minutes at the wall with the legs apart.

2 mile run.

That might seem easy to some of you, and that might seem impossible to some of you. For me, it is neither easy, nor impossible. It'll be very difficult, and I'll be in pain. But I aim on getting it all done. I've done too much work end up failing this test.

Part two (actually demonstrating my stuff) is next Saturday.

I'm having some serious test anxiety today, and feel a bit funny in the stomach. I'm also very excited.

Thank you for your support.

Sometimes people use it

Poor blind man attacked for his cigarettes.

Chainsaw intruder.

Kusanku

Kusanku/Kushanku Kata in some of its various forms --

Wado Ryu:


Shorin Ryu:


Matsubayashi Ryu:


Shito Ryu:


Isshin Ryu:

Kids Done Us Proud

There was a locally hosted Karate Tournament this past Saturday, and the kids had some good results in their first taste of a big tournament (there were folks from New York, Delaware, Maryland, and different parts of Pennsylvania). Daniel won first place for sparring (thanks to his sidekick), and third place for demonstrating his basic techniques. Conner and Calle took first and second place respectively in sparring, facing each other in the final match (Calle was the only one of Conner's opponents to score even one point on him, the final score was 3-2). And Cole took fourth place for his Wansu Kata, in one of the biggest divisions in the whole tournament!

Good job, kids!

30 second Judo Lesson

Now pay attention...

Non-binding poll

Should Jerry enter the big karate tournament coming up on April 14th?
	No, you are too old, fat, and slow to win anything. Even girls and old people can whoop you.
	No, you have far better things to do with your time.
	Yeah, give it a shot. Maybe you'll suprise yourself and do OK.
	Definately, it is very important for you to challenge yourself.
	Huh? Look, I don't know. I'm not even sure what you're talking about, so why are you asking me?
pollcode.com free polls

Tournament Update, etc.

Ok, quick recap of this weekend's Karate Tournament --

Daniel sparring (he's on the right with the red headgear):



Daniel (far left) won a gold and a bronze medal:


Conner (on the right) sparring:


Two golds and a silver for Conner:


Calle (on the right) sparring:


Calle took home 3, that's THREE gold medals, sweeping every event she was in:


And Cole took home two silver and a bronze:



In other news:
Gideon fell asleep on Jesse's Thomas the Tank Engine futon:


And today was the first significant snowfall of 2007 in these parts (the latest ever recorded, I understand):


(Yes, those are my bare feet. Yes, there's something wrong with me. No, I don't know what exactly it is that is wrong with me).

Tournament Day

Today the four karate kids are competing in a friendly inter-school tournament. The three C's are competing in three events each, and little Daniel is competing in two. All four will be sparring. Unlike the last tournament we did, no division has more than one Waybright in it, so kids with other last names have a shot, and none of my kids will be forced to beat their sibling. I plan on posting some pics after the tournament (I'm predicting that between the four of them... we'll be bringing home about 8 medals. But we'll see).

Had some fun tonight...

Making whiskey sours, eating some steak, and running barefoot in the snow.

In other news:

DON'T watch this video if guys getting punched make you faint or anything. I train in Karate because I HATE violence, and so I'm not posting this in order to glory in violence. I post this as a lesson for those of us who are conscious about keeping ourselves safe from violence.

The video below shows two thugs standing in a path in some sort of park. An apparent third thug is supposed to capture the thuggery on video for the amusement of idiots and creeps. What he instead captures is an impressive display of skill, and some amazing restraint near the end. One of the thugs swings his arm and smacks a woman right in the face. Her male partner responds by quickly dispatching both of the punks quicker than you can say, "Wow, that guy really knows how to throw down when he needs to!"

I notice three things from this video:

1. The man who defends himself and his neighbor acts so quickly, and so decisively, that he surely was aware of his surroundings, and was prepared to act should trouble arise. So, our first lesson, is to be aware of your surroundings -- especially when guys are just lingering around with seemingly nothing to do.

2. The man defending himself and his neighbor is clearly trained in what I would guess to be boxing. He fights like he's done this 1000 times before. Our second lesson then, is be prepared to defend yourself. You may have to use it someday.

3. At the very end, the man shows great restraint once it appears the threat is over. He does not "ground and pound" anyone, no kicks to a downed opponent, nothing like that. He just stops them, drops them, and walks away. It seems to me that the vigor in which he goes to town on them can be explained by the fact that he is out numbered, and must overwhelm two opponents in order to be safe -- fending off one guy is hard enough without having to keep your head on a swivel so that other guy doesn't get you from behind. Our third lesson is, in a self defense situation, do enough to stop the immediate threat and no more. "If your temper rises, withdraw your hand. If your hand rises, withdraw your temper."

With this long preface, I offer this for those who choose to watch it:

Kata Guruma x2

Kata Guruma is a throw used in Judo. It is also contained in the karate system we study, as found in Wansu and Sunsu kata (kata being something different in karate than it is in judo -- in judo kata is a move, and in karate it is a set series of moves contained in a solo exercise).

I like kata guruma, it's fun. Here's a good example of one, countered with the same move:



I know, maybe you don't like stuff like this, but I do and it's my blog.

Some Karate Pics from Last Month

I've obviously not been posting as often as I have been accustomed to, and in the void, I forgot to post these --

Cole and Daniel graduated to their next respective belts (for Daniel, this was his first promotion -- no longer a white belt!).

AikiJutsu bullshizu

Something tells me that you have to be in this guy's martial arts cult in order for these moves to be effective on you. I mean, a shrug of the shoulder sends someone flying? Give me a break!



Let's see a shoulder-shrug take out one of these guys, huh?