Kick'n Knit
Browse: Home / karate training

Screw the Draft, Man

No seriously.. I have about 6 draft posts started and by the time I get back to them I forget what my point was.

Crazy man.. crazy.

So here is a summary of what’s up lately, because evidently I can’t finish a thought.

  • I’m not training enough. AGAIN. What the heck is up with me? Went to class on Tuesday.  Rusty.. big time. I need to figure out why I go on these “I don’t wanna” jags of non-training.
  • Last year, almost to the day, I posted about starting the South Beach Diet and I’m happy to report that after a year, I’ve lost about 25 lbs.  It was 30 at one point but the holidays got the best of me.
  • I posted more kick ass recipes than blog posts in that time.
  • I made my very first sweater.. ya, for real
  • I also managed to knit one sock substantially larger than the other .. and I’m not talking just in length.. you would think I used an entirely different needle size (and I didn’t. I checked)
  • I found some really fun local blogs that I’ve been reading pretty consistantly.. mostly. .. you know, while I’ve been ignoring my own.
  • I fell off the diet wagon around November and just kicked myself back into gear
  • 2010 didn’t suck too bad.  One of my dogs was sick with some mysterious illness from April until November and it totally stressed us all out.  Oh, yah and the credit card is screaming from the vet bills. Our plumbing backed up twice (ew) and I got in a car accident that totalled my car, but the beast is well again, the plumbing damn well better be  is fixed and although I hate the car payment, I have a car I’d never have been able to afford if not for that settlement from the insurance company
  • oh.. so re: above.  Silver lining and all that.
  • I discovered Roller Derby.  It looks like fun.  If I had time or any ability to stick with anything, I’d consider becoming a roller girl (never mind I’ve not been on roller skates in 20 years and I was never that good in the first place)
  • Also, kettlebells rock. I love them. I need to use them more.

I think that’s it for now.

KicknKnit January 13, 2011 Fiber Arts, Food, Fun, Karate , , , 3 Comments

Push

I meant to write this on Tuesday but it just didn’t happen. Oh well.

I’ve been really pushing myself to eat right and get to class. As of this morning I am down 10 pounds and 1.5 inches around my waist.

This brings me joy.

Getting to class can be tough.. when I’m busy at work, I can’t get there, and when it’s slow, I’m such a zombie that I have to force myself to go instead of sitting like a lump on the couch. So stupid.

So I push. I push myself to go. Once I get there I always have an amazing time. I really do love it. But it still requires a push to get there.

I’m also trying to remember to do my one hundred push-ups challenge. I did the first day and then promptly forgot about it. Man was I SORE after that first day. I’m not even doing real pushups.. just against the wall. Sad, but true.. Hey you gotta start somewhere right?

I also had to push myself to finish these.

CIMG0075.jpg

It was for a Knit A Long for my Old School Sock Knitters group on Ravelry.

I didn’t make it.

But I was close! and not for lack of trying. I just ran out of time.
I finished them two days late.. oh well.

CIMG0096.jpg

KicknKnit February 5, 2010 Eating Well, Fitness , , , 1 Comment

In which I am the Dog

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.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
KicknKnit January 31, 2008 Dreck , , No Comments
Steve's Original