No conflict allowed

Helen and I are about to come into conflict.

She needs the car every workday, and on Friday night. She would like to have it Tuesday evening, too, but I get it then. I drop her off at ukulele, and she bums a ride home off a friend. I get it after supper Wednesday and Thursday as well.

I am about to start needing wheels on Saturday morning. This is trouble, as Helen has gigs then more often than not.

Somebody it going to lose out.

Won't be a problem soon, as yesterday we ordered a new second car. It is such a new model that dealers didn't even have demos until after Xmas. We took one for a spin, let the idea sit for a couple of days and yesterday called the dealership.

Sounds like ours will be off the boat at the end of January.

I'll still be mister bike-to-work. The car will be a backup for really lousy weather, and also a conflict avoidance device. It means we can always do our separate activities with ease.

Likely I'll be driving the new one, as it is incredibly tiny. Helen hauls around violins, guitars, bags of sheet music, stools, ukuleles and accordions. She often also has friends to haul around and their gear as well.

My gear consists of a gym bag with a white suit in it, and I have no friends. None I need to drive around much anyway.

So the deposit is in, the salesman is excited, and our car is in the pipeline.

Vroom....vroom...

He's back....

I'm home.

I ran over the holiday...almost as much as I wanted to. The goal for was 6km per day with Friday's off, until I was back at work or back training.

That works out to 11 running days. That many days at 6km each was a total goal of 66km.

I actually did 51.42km. Not bad.

Didn't even bike one inch.

We got home yesterday. As it was Thursday, and a Jiu-Jitsu night I resumed my training. Only a few folks showed up. Besides the instructor there were 4 White Belts and 4 Blues. If we'd done the next class in the cycle it would have screwed most of the other ten White Belts. Instead, the instructor took us into slightly-more-advanced land. It was really fun, and good training, and much better for the Blue Belts than an ordinary night would have been.

Now it's morning, and a beautiful day. My weight is up 5.5 pounds from before the holiday started, but I'm content with that. Whenever I return to normal after gourging for a while, the first few pounds drop off really fast. I'll plug away on the rest later. Today is a big puffy chair day. My only exercise will be watching TV and playing video games.

I hope I don't sprain a thumb.

Aftermath

Christmas has happened.

I was the first one up, which is my norm. Did NOT run, just so I'd be here for the big unwrapping. I'd have felt bad if they'd all have had to wait for my return. Bad Christmas form.

After all that, it was over to mom's care home to be with her, and my sister and Al. Helen played a bit on her newest weird instrument. It was all lovely, and just a little sad.

Back to Oliver and Jen's for turkey cooked on the BBQ. Eight of us chowed well and fully.

Now the kids are quietly playing with loot. Helen is gently making music. Jen is resting in a corner. I am blogging.

My kilometer goal is only 9 down. Pretty sure I'll attack it early tomorrow, even though my belly is in no condition for activity.

I wouldn't even mind if it started to snow.

So who locks a university?

Today, so far, is not what I expected or wanted.

Off on my run in the morning dark. Hit the University grounds just as something internal hit me. No warning, then suddenly a desparate desire to have a little sit down on a porcelain chair, if you know what I mean. The kind where one dare not take a step, then it subsides a bit, a quick waddle, then have to freeze again....repeat many times.

All the usual always-open University doors were locked, it being both Saturday and Dec. 24th. After a bit I gave up on that. Luckily nature lightened her gut grip somewhat, and I ran on to the nearest Starbucks.

I must say that it felt very relaxing for me there, and there had been no poo-tastrophie.

From the Starbucks I felt like walking, and it was pleasant to do so. I felt like saying to the people I passed, "Look at me, walking like a normal person."

Hard at it

I am having a fab Christmastime so far. I know that for most folks it doesn't start until this weekend, but that just makes it better for me.

Helen and I have been in a ton of stores. Anything we like the other buys and adds to the gift pile.

Been eating like Santa himself. Meat on sticks, Neopolitan Pizza, and we discovered Taco Tuesday. Can one overdose on sushi?

My last bike ride was Friday. Today is Wednesday, and the only sweat I've broken was a single, solitary early morning run two days ago.

Today we go out with Oliver and Jen and their three young'uns. That will be workout free, and include another big pile of yummies.

My official pre-season weight was 178, and I have no reason to fear that will drop any.

Shopping

Christmas has gotten easier for me over the years. This is a good thing, as I am the world's worst gift shopper.

On my side of the family, the only gifts we get are for my sister and her husband. The rule there is we get each other thrift store gifts , with a maximum $5 value, and gags are fine. My lovely and talented shopper wife, Helen, has handled this to perfection.

On her side of the family, we get something for her brother and his wife, and we chip in for the three kids' gifts. That takes care of the kids, and the two adults are always quite happy getting gift certificate kind of things. Again, my wife organizes all this.

There is only one person I need to get gifts for, and that is Helen. She is one of those near-Christmas-birthday people, so I need two for her.

One is taken care of already, thank goodness. That leaves one gift to find in the coming week. Sounds easy to you? Not to me.

I can wander an entire mega-mall and come away empty handed. My wife can walk into any tiny shop of any kind and find the perfect thing for anyone. I am jealous of her gift at gifts.

Anyhow, I am optimistic. Surely there is something somewhere.

The danger is I'll walk right by with a stunned look in my eyes.

20110-2012

2011 is definitely winding down.

ISKF Karate ended for me three weeks ago. JKA Karate wound up last Saturday. My last Jiu-Jitsu class of the year was last night, and today is my last bike ride to work.

I haven't been running, and that will start soon to keep me active in lieu of all my usual stuff.

What can I look forward to in 2012, activity-wise?

Back on my bike, of course. In a few months I can start my final work year. That will be cool. As each day passes, I will not be working that date ever again.

In Jiu-Jitsu, I'll be progressing to the more advanced class soon. I am also look ahead at my Blue Belt exam. Passing that will gain me access to 3 more classes per week. Around here, the Blue Belts are the big shots.

I'll continue to train in Karate. The National Championship is being held at BCIT in the middle of March, and I'm going to go watch. Sakurai Sensei will be back once or twice, and there's a chance of a huge big shot instructor coming around April. I'd rather have another Sakurai Seminar, but what can you do?

I'll run when it fits in. Likely this will turn into once per weeks through the school year. In the summer it will be more.

When we visit Victoria in the summer, I'm off to train at the Victoria Judo Club. It's convenient, and I've wanted to try it for a long time. There is also a swell Karate club on alternating nights at UVic that I'm welcome at.

Should be a good year.

Conflicts

It sounds as if the more advanced Saturday Jiu-Jitsu class might be moving to Fridays. This would mean a double conflict for me.

Point one; Helen needs the car on Fridays. As we are getting a new car soon this likely won’t be an issue. If it is, it would only be temporary.

The other conflict will be with the Sunshine Coast Shotokan Karate Club, which trains twice a week. I’ve already given up the Tuesday class to attend Jiu-Jitsu. The remaining session that I attend is on Fridays. That one will go, too.

This is unfortunate, as I enjoy the Karate classes. However, I am not progressing there in any way, so losing them altogether will not be a real hardship.

It will also act as a kick in the butt to get me working on a project/idea I’ve been thinking about.

We have a truly excellent 5th Dan in our community. He works evenings and so cannot attend any night sessions. He also has no interest in joining the ISKF that our club is part of.

If I start a class on the weekend, I might be able to get Ogawa Sensei to come.

I would have to keep it outside of the ISKF, which means not linked to our club. There is a danger here of stepping on toes with the club’s instructor. I hope she’ll understand. She may forbid her students from attending.

I would want it to be a non-formal atmosphere. Well, as non-formal as Karate gets. It would be open to any who wish to attend. I would like to invite the Karate Club’s people, and also the nearby Shitu-Ryu club. I’d try and get my long-ago students to come, and even beginners would be welcome. Not really a class, but a training-together.

I currently pay $45 a month to be part of our Karate Club. If I can’t attend at all, that money could cover almost half what a small location’s rental would be. Would have to charge a small fee to people attending.

If it becomes necessary to run it as a real, separate club real fees will be necessary. To help low belts progress if they are not already part of another club we’d have to have at least one evening class a week. I could teach that. We’d also have to face the hurdle of membership in an association Ogawa Sensei would accept.

Luckily, the Karate Club meets north of town, and Ogawa Sensei lives south of town. If I could get space near his home we’d be physically located 10km from them. For something like this, a little distance might be good.

Bushed

At Jiu-Jitsu tonight, I'll have completed 28 classes. I will have done 5 of the classes twice, and all the rest once.

This should have taken 14 weeks. As I missed 3 classes due to illness, I could have reached this point exactly if I'd started on September 1st. I actually started three weeks later than that.

The difference has been the seven private lessons I've taken. If I hadn't taken advantage of this, I would only have completed 21 classes instead of 28. I would also have some holes in my list where some classes would have been done twice, most once, and some not at all.

One is also permitted to attend the more advanced Saturday class after one has completed any 40 classes. Without private lessons I'd be at 21 in this total as well. The private sessions count double towards this total, so I have accumulated 35. Almost there.

Tonight's class might be the toughest in a long time. I am not referring to what we will be covering, but to my current physical condition. I am bushed. I've been dancing all day, and would love to just sit in my chair and practice being a lump. I'll be fine once I get going.

I will get going, as I don't miss classes without a darn good reason.

Being bushed doesn't count.

Dancing, a meal, and a show

How does one celebrate the holidays around here?

There is a tradition at my school that goes back to before I started teaching there two decades ago. All the PE classes dance throughout the month of December.

The last couple of days before Christmas, the PE teachers invite other classes to join them in the gym.

I am taking all my classes down to dance for the next two days. I force them to dance? No way. They have been begging to go.

I will have danced my legs down to the stumps by the time the last bell rings on Friday.

There will be times when there will be a hundred kids bopping away with remarkable skill.

Before school on Friday the staff sets up early and cooks a massive pancake breakfast for the students. This is a very popular event.

There is also a massive student talent show that occupies all of Friday afternoon. Some of the kids who voluntarily stand up before their peers are really amazing. They are jaw droppingly good.

Then I hop on my bike, and ride home to start the non-school part of Christmas.

Dying to travel

I love the website called Nationmaster.com.

It takes tons of statistics, and makes them accessible.

They have the murder rates for 124 countries.

The safest is the United Arab Emirates at 0.7 murders per 100,000 citizens.

Austria is second best at 0.8 per 100,000

Germany and Greece are tied at 1

Picking interesting ones much farther up the ratings we find Canada at 2 murders per 100,000.

Compare that to the worst of the first world nations, the USA at 5.9

Thailand is a popular holiday vacation, even with a murder rate of 9

Care for a sunny vacation closer to home? How about Mexico's 11.3 rate?

Many think of the Seychelles as being heaven on earth, with their 11.8 murder rate.

Puerto Rico is part of the USA, but somehow manages a rate of 20.3

Many in Florida like to visit the Bahamas, braving a 22.5 murder rate.

Understandably, a poor place like Haiti has a lot of murders, 33.9 in fact.

I felt uneasy when we visited Jamaica. Its murder rate is 55.2. I'd guess that the safest place in Jamaica is worse than the toughest neighbourhood in the USA.

For many years Colombia was the worst country on earth. It is now at 61.1, which leaves it only second worst these days.

South Africa's rate is the worst on earth at 69 murders per 100,000.

We often plan our next Summer vacation this time of year.

How about you?

Finish

This week is going unusually well. The last week before a major holiday always almost kills me, but not this time.

It seems like a race, and I normally struggle to reach the finish line. I make it, and then collapse totally spent.

So far I feel fine. I just might make it with juice to spare. That will make a nice change.

And Monday is already over. I have 4 days left, but not really.

Friday afternoon will be my school's annual student talent show. For some reason unknown to me, we still have four classes all smushed into the morning. This makes them all too short to do anything with. Therefore, let's call Friday a non-day, kinda.

So 3 days left.

On both Tuesday and Thursday, I only have three teaching blocks instead of a full day of four. Those days always feel wonderfully brief. They don't feel like work days at all, or at least I tell myself that. That leaves just Wednesday to be a full, grinding work day. Or it would, except I'm losing one class to our career preparation teacher. It will also be a three-block, wonderfully brief day.

So there are four days left, except for Friday, Tuesday, Thursday or Wednesday.

No wonder I'm not dragging myself to the finish line.

Year in Review

My Karate year of 2011 has come to an end, and I am very satisfied.

My return to training was late the year before, so 2011 can honestly be called my first year back.

In that time, our club has continued to thrive. We continue as part of the ISKF organization, and the benefits we get from that.

As a solo Karateka, I have also reconnected with the JKA, and with my old friends and Sensei. I have been welcomed back in a fashion beyond my expectations.

I have trained with my home club, and in Vancouver, and Port Moody, and Chilliwack, and Victoria. I have attended two major tournaments. I have helped friends successfully prepare for their rank exams.

I shall happily continue in 2012.

My Jiu-Jitsu year was much shorter, only starting in the fall, and ending this coming Thursday.

Again, I am pleased with my progress. At every class I learn an incredible amount.

This I shall also continue in 2012.

Title dominance

Jon Jones has had quite a year. He's an MMA fighter in the 205 pound division.

His career record coming into 2011 was 11 wins and one loss. His only loss came when he was disqualified for use of an illegal technique in a fight he was easily winning.

His first win last year came on February 5th, and put him into title contention.

He easily defeated the reigning champion, Mauricio Rua in the third round.

His third fight of the year was against former champion, Rampage Jackson. Jones choked him out in round four.

Finally, December. Jones faces another former champion in Lyoto Machida. Machida has a style almost perfectly designed to defeat Jon Jones. He is hard hitting yet is also highly elusive on his feet, and on the ground he's an expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In the first round, Machida pulls ahead with a combination of his defence and his striking.

Round two; Jones chokes Machida into unconsciousness.

Not only has Jones defeated three champions in a row, he has effectively cleaned out the division.

Who is left?

Maybe Dan Henderson. He's a decent fighter with a 29-8 record and is currently rated as the top contender. Does this 40 year old stand much of a chance? I doubt it.

How about Rashad Evans? He is 16-1-1, but really brings nothing that Jon Jones hasn't already faced and crushed.

Phil Davis is an up-and-comer who is undefeated in 9 fights. However, on his resume there is only one big name, and that big name was well passed his prime when Davis beat him. I'd call Davis an extreme long shot.

The 205 pounders seem to have settled into the same situation as the next two lighter divisions. They also have incredibly dominant champions who have no serious challenges on the horizon. The only interesting event is in the 170 pound grouping.

The unbeatable champion, Georges St. Pierre has an injury that will have him out for at least six months. Other fighters will squabble over an interim title, and when St. Pierre comes back they'll face him. Barring unforeseens, he will obliterate the pretender.

Honour your elders...

It happened again.

There were about 20 Black Belts in my section of the line. I tried to get to my correct position by rank, near the left of the line. Aimed for a few from the low end, but they started stepping aside for me again, and bowing, and indicating I should move to the right of them. OK. Can't make a scene or waste time so I accepted, several times, and ended up in the middle again. Higher belts than me were standing junior to me.

After class it was worse. I started myself even closer to the lower/left end of the line, and after all the bowing and stepping aside I was only a couple of spots from the extreme right. I think it could become an association thing if I don't watch it.

I give up. I'll start closer to where they make me end up.

It's awful sweet of them.

In Japan, seniority/rank is a very tricky thing. Not for the Japanese, but it is for westerners.

The Japanese line up correctly by rank, but individual relationships also matter, as does age. In a way, I am afraid of claiming more status than I am entitled to by rank, but the others are honouring my age, and length of time in Karate.

Or I could confound them all by wearing a coloured belt.

That would fix them.

I can count to five

I am a disorganized guy. Often, I end up at work without an essential item. I don't mean school materials. Those I am able to take care of. It is me I can't get on top of.

There is now a five count checklist before I head out the door. I use the same list whenever I go out. Sometimes I leave an item behind, but doing so is always deliberate.

Item one is my keys. For work, this is my school key. For non-work it is usually a car key. If I don't need either, it's no key. Our house doors have combination locks.

Item two is glasses. No glasses equals can't read nothing. I have a pair of cheap reading specs at school, but my real ones are much better. Anywhere I go I want my good glasses.

Item three is hearing aids. Age sucks, but one mustn't deny its effects. If I won't be needing them, they can stay home, but not for work or social activities, except martial arts. Wouldn't want them getting smashed in deep by an accidental whack.

Number four is money. I like to carry enough money to do whatever I might decide to. Eat out, have a soda, buy some pants. I make sure I have enough to follow a whim. With no cash one feels very limited.

Lastly on the list is my iPod. When I have it I am not only carrying all my music, but also my audio books, podcasts, several movies, a couple of games, a memo pad, and my Kindle books. It's also a camera. Lately, my iPod has become item 5.1, while 5.2 is my phone. Must keep contact with my lovely wife.

That's it. That's me in organized mode. Think of the horrifying alternative. He arrives at work, unable to read or hear polite student's voices. He can't get into his classroom, or afford to buy a cup of coffee on the way to work. On top of all that he doesn't have his personal electronics.

I hate it when that happens.

Ice and Dark

Not a bad day for car people, but icy for two-wheeled folks.

This morning it was a handful of degrees below freezing. Frost all over, and wet looking pavement that couldn't possibly be wet. All sorts of ice.

Didn't do any slippin' and slidin', but worried about it.

On the after-school ride home, there were still patches of frost that had survived from the morning. That is cold.

Pretty dark in the morning, too. I have one more week of increasing dark ahead. After that, I don't ride until we are as far from the winter solstice as we are now, except passed and not before. That means when I ride in 2012, I'll be back to as much light as we had today. I'm glad it won't be darker. Only next week will be.

Every day after that, I gain some morning glow back.

The cold won't turn around quite that soon. Maybe a month later I can see the degrees sneaking upwards.

Maybe we won't get any serious cold. Sometimes we don't. The West Coast of Canada gets jokingly referred to as the Banana Belt for just this reason. Last year we had no snow at all. I didn't lose a single ride day to weather. Managing that again would be swell.

Firefly

Five bike lights. It might be an addiction.

There is a built-in rear light that I never liked. It stopped working a while back anyway. There is a small red light snapped on that is darn bright.

The main forward LED light uses a couple of penlight batteries and throws a surprising glow. Next to that is an almost-as-bright one that is rechargeable. The last of my forward white lights is strapped on my helmet. In morning's dark, I can see pretty well.

Some bikes have incredible set-ups that rival the headlight on a motorbike. They can cost as much as an entire bike. I'm too cheap for that.

I would like a few more of the tiny rechargeable LED dealies. They weight nothing and take no space. I'd look like the Disneyland Light Parade.

They are for safely, as they let me see and make me visible to cars. If I get enough, drivers will have to pull over and shield their eyes.

That will work, too.

Crisis

I wonder why I'm so full-speed-ahead in my training at age 55.

Maybe it's a very late mid-life crisis. It is the kind of thing a mid-lifer might do. What are some of the symptoms?

According to wikipedia they are;

-abuse of alcohol (not me. Not even close)

-acquisition of unusual or expensive items such as motorbikes, boats, clothing, sports cars, jewelry, gadgets, tattoos, piercings, etc. (I bought my bike a couple of years ago and it's sort of a motorbike, if you close one eye and squint. No boat or expensive clothes. Am interested in a new car, but it's as un-sports car like as is possible. Helen makes me beaded jewelry, and I've always bought gadgets. I find tattoos and piercings hilarious and frightening)

-depression (I'm actually pretty giggly)

-blaming themselves for their failures (I'm a massive success)

-paying special attention to physical appearance such as covering baldness, wearing youthful designer clothes, etc. (I am bald and wear my remaining hair short to emphasize the gleam, and I dress like a hobo)

-entering relationships with younger people, either/or sexual, professional, parental, etc. (creepy or what? I have started training Jiu-Jitsu with a young crowd, but I like the adults best, and wish everybody were my age so I wouldn't be the most decrepit)

-placing over importance, and possibly a psychologically damaging amount, on their children (really can't be me, as I have no kids)

So not a late mid-life crisis. Maybe I'm just a keener. Maybe I'm just mental. Those both seem much closer to the mark.

Self congratulations

I love that I'm actually able to pull this off.

Tonight it was Jiu-Jitsu, and so is tomorrow. The day after? Jiu-Jitsu class again. Friday holds my regular Karate class. Saturday, a special 2 hour class in Vancouver. That's 5 days of a row of pretty intensive training.

After a couple of non-training days, it's back into the routine and 4 more days in a row of intensity.

Over Christmas, I won't be training at all. In Victoria, I switch back to running and will crank out kilometre distances every day in the double digits.

The effort doesn't slow me down. A few injuries have. A cracked rib in June, and an ankle strain this week are the worst. Neither has been a problem. There have been numerous toe injuries, including some breaks. I've barely noticed those.

I'm 55 years old, for Pete's sake. I'm supposed to be doing nothing, or perhaps the odd jaunty walk. People my age are considered active if they golf once a week, with an electric cart.

I've even toyed with the idea of organizing a weekend session to get in more Karate.

Maybe I'll explode.

Faux pas

I have committed a major faux pas.

When I have trained this year at the main Chilliwack dojo of the JKA BC, it has been necessary to figure out where to stand in the line.

People are supposed to line up by rank. Sounds simple enough. All I need to is line up with the Black Belts, sort of.

I don't know what ranks of Black Belt people hold. It's easy with the 4th Dans and above. They stand in a separate group to the far right, and a few steps ahead of the rest of the line.

I only have to stand far enough to the left to avoid mixing in with 3rd or 2nd Dans, and to be in with the other 1st Dans.

You might think I should just try and be the guy on the very left of the Black Belt section of the line, and I would. If I try that, people act shocked and insist on trying to move downrank to my left. I am too old, they think. They are trying to show respect, thinking I'm in the wrong spot.

It is necessary for me to stand sort of far left, but far enough to the right that I don't cause a left-shifting movement. I've been standing in the middle of the 1st to 3rd Dan area, thinking most Black Belts are 1st Dans. Should be fine there, right?

Just saw a list of Black Belts from the Chilliwack dojo. They have no 3rd Dans at all, but do have nine 2nd Dans. Nine! Add in the higher belts from the other clubs, and I've clearly been too far to the right, mixed in with ranks higher than mine.

Looking at their pictures, I see several that I've definitely stood to the right of. Error.

This has to be addressed. Next time I'm there, I'll be way down near the Brown Belts.

This will cause confusion in another way. There is no distinction in address for belt rank. The only title is one given to denote extreme respect. The highest belts, and the school leaders, and a very few others are addressed as Sensei. When I was re-introduced to the association, the head guy called me "Sensei Gordon." As a result, just about everybody has been calling me Sensei.

Very nice, but should a 2nd or 3rd Dan be calling a lower dude, Sensei? Not a chance.

So a guy addressed as Sensei is down there lining up almost with the Brown Belts.

To be correct, I have no choice. Left I shall stand.

Rate em

So I missed the big Yaguchi Sensei seminar in Vancouver on Saturday. Blame my ankle.

Not really bummed about it. I've attended a couple of classes with him before. He is certainly a fine instructor, but he hasn't clicked with me. Our club's instructor seems to have clicked. She speaks of him as if he were one of the finest teachers ever.

It's funny how some students match certain teachers.

I have trained with the following instructors who hold rank of 7th Dan or higher. Yaguchi, Yamaguchi, Sakurai, Enoeda, Nishiyama, Nakayama, Kim, and Swain. Several have already passed away.

One led his class, but taught nothing and mostly just seemed angry. One asked for questions, and proceeded to yell at the person who asked one. One got hung up on how many hand forms there are, and wasted 15 minutes of valuable seminar class time trying to come up with the correct number.

That's right. Out of 8 world-class masters, three taught crappy classes. If you ask, I'll tell you which ones.

Of the rest, three more taught good classes. Good, but not astounding or fabulous. I'd happily train with any of them again. To me, Yaguchi Sensei is in this category.

That leaves two who were fabulous. Nakayama Sensei failed me on my first Black Belt exam, but if he'd taught a class the very next day I'd have been there in a shot. He was a wonderful and inspiring teacher. Sakurai Sensei is the only on my list of 8 who is both alive and also a wonderful teacher.

So who am I to rate the greats' teaching ability? I am a full-time professional educator. I know good teaching when I see it, and I know lousy when I see it, too. In every case I was the customer, or student, in the line paying the bills. Of course I have a right to evaluate.

When I teach, I expect my students to decide if they like my style. I always hope I click for them. Evaluation is part of learning.

Ankle

Thursday I got a couple of nuttin' injuries. The first was purely cosmetic. It was a horizontal line across my face that faded in a couple of days. Maybe my head folded funny.

The other was the slightest twisting of my ankle. Barely noticed it.

Friday I joined one of the PE classes in the gym for over an hour of line dancing. That evening I trained at Karate. Right after class, put on my fancy clothes and we went out dancing.

Saturday morning, my ankle greeted me with a jaunty, "Good morning, and I'm a little cranky."

It felt twisted for real, or sprained, or something. I could walk with barely a limp, but anything more vigorous could cause real damage. The scheduled trip into the city didn't happen.

I was supposed to go train with Yaguchi Sensei, a ninth Dan and true master of Karate. Likely I could have made it through, but the damage would likely be an issue for a fair chunk of healing time.

There are still two training weeks before my two weeks off at Christmas.

A bit of a rest then will be my present to me.

Everything is dangerous

I like to analyze things with numbers. Recently I've run into a few such facts about Mixed Martial Arts.

MMA is often reviled as bloodthirsty and dangerous. Can't really argue with the bloodthirsty part, but dangerous?

Surely yes, but how dangerous?

Since the rules were formalized and matches became sanctioned in 2001, there have been two deaths in sanctioned matches. One was in 2010 and the other in 2007.

Let's compare this with boxing. Actually, that's harder than you'd think. The boxing statistics are not as conveniently recorded. According to the Manuel Valazquez Boxing Fatality Collection there were 56 deaths between 2001 and 2007 (the last year I could get data for).

Of course, MMA fights only happen in a small part of the world, while boxing is worldwide. However, we can infer somewhat from the 56 deaths listed. Overall, slightly over half of all boxing deaths occurred within the USA. If we apply that ratio to the 56 deaths, we can estimate that about 28 deaths happened in the USA over 7 years. That is about 4 deaths per year within the USA.

Matching this rate to the 11 year period related to the 2 MMA deaths a surprising fact emerges.

In the USA alone, boxing killed about 44 fighters. In the entire world, MMA killed 2 fighters.

So should we ban both boxing and MMA?

In the last 150 years, 850 people died either watching baseball, or participating. That is an average of almost 6 per year, the majority of those dying being under 14 years of age.

Football since 1991 has averaged 4.3 direct deaths per year, and about four times that many due to related causes like respiratory failure, or heat stroke that occurred while participating. It also has a very high number of catastrophic injuries, like spinal paralysis, at 16 per year. Interestingly, Football is the only sport reporting that separates direct and indirect deaths. All the others figure that if you die from any cause during an activity it counts. I agree.

In 2006 (the only year I have a number for) 42 people died skateboarding.

Please note, for all these sports the numbers are generated by only one country.

So, in the 11 year period that saw two MMA deaths in the entire world, we can also see the following estimations of death within the USA.

Boxing 44

Baseball 66

Football 220

Skateboarding 462

Why the moves to ban MMA events? I suggest we ban Football and Skateboards instead.

And don’t even get me started on cars.

Good Old Days

One of the things I liked about Karate in the old days was the slightly foreign formality.

For example, when fighting in a tournament you extended courtesy to your opponent with a bow before and after the match. The bow was exchanged when the competitors were at their start locations, 3 meters apart.

Things have changed a lot. Now, after the bow, competitors often step forward to shake hands, or to do the shake-hands-shoulder-hug. In the old days, any move forward before the referee's command to commence was considered a potential premature attack and would garner a warning, or even a loss of points for a foul. It could also be cause for disqualification. No more, although the rules haven't changed.

Sometimes, after the match starts the fighters do the one-handed touch gloves common in MMA. In a way they are ignoring the referee's command to start fighting.

Before, during and after competition it used to be considered bad form to leave one's poker face.

There is now a lot of hooting, self-cheering, and even taunting. It used to be that such behaviour would annoy the referee, and he would tell competitor to stop. Failure to obey would earn the miscreant disqualification.

This doesn't even begin to take into account the amount of away-from-the-ring hugging that happens. Students hug instructors, and competitors hug each other. This did happen in the old days, but it was extremely rare, and therefore extremely special when it happened. In several decades of Karate, I was never hugged at a tournament. I saw my own instructor hugged exactly one time. That hug was a big deal, and the result of his student winning a Silver Medal at the Provincial level.

Competition in Karate did not have the feel of other sports. It was special. It was formal. It was always on the edge of violence, but controlled.

It was Karate.

Student

For the last couple of months I've only been able to attend my Karate club's Friday classes. Out of those 8 Fridays, the school needed their own gym twice.

That left 6 Fridays, I could attend. For the most recent two, the instructor was away, and I was elected. Tonight is Friday again, and I'm the teacher again.

I haven't been just a guy in the line for about a month.

No problem with that. I like teaching when it isn't all the time.

To help boost up my Karate student stature, it is off tomorrow to Vancouver for two-hour seminar with 9th Dan Yaguchi Sensei. Next week it's a seminar in Chilliwack. Have to keep being a learner. I like learning.

Last year I went to a session with Yaguchi Sensei on exactly the same day in December. I was newly back at training, and a tad unsure. It was also my first workout with the ISKF organization. As a result, I made sure I was nowhere near the front of the class. That made it a little hard to see or hear in such a crowded gym.

This time I'm headed for front-and-center.

Facebook

Today Facebook let me have a message it's been hiding in a weird spot for two weeks. It was from one of my Karate students from back in the 1990s. He was a kid back then.

He wants to establish contact, so I immediately shot him a friend request.

In his message he said the nicest things, including, "You were a huge part of my life growing up and partly the reason I am so successful today." How complimentary is that?

Martial Arts instructors play an unusual roll. More than any other activity, they become role models and mentors to their students. Think of Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi from the original Karate Kid movies. It's a pretty accurate depiction.

I have felt that way towards my own Senseis, and I was an adult. The influence is greater on kids.

This can be good, or bad. I have always tried to be a positive, enthusiastic and encouraging presence at the head of the Dojo.

Today's communication made me feel both humble, and honoured.

Maybe I succeeded, at least sometimes.