Jaws

One of the best scenes in the movie "Jaws" comes when everything is quiet. Roberts Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss are relaxing in the boat, comparing scars. Most were gained from sharks, and at least one from a moray eel. Very cool.

All my recent injuries have been lame. You'd think earning them in the brutal world of martial arts would be cool, too. Nope.

In the last year there have been plenty of bruises, bumps and bangs. Those don't count.

Nothing has been serious, but some were annoying.

They've all involved toes, and they were all caused by nothing more interesting than having moved a bit funny on the mat.

I assume they have been a mix of breaks, sprains, and nasty stubbings. I've never bothered to get an x-ray over them, as the toe bones have all remained properly lined up. I baby the injuries when possible, and when I can't they get splinted to the toe next door. Luckily, it's never kept me from training.

So sometimes I show up at class, with some toe or other duct taped to its neighbour. Sometimes I'm asked what happened. My answer always has to be, "nothing".

No story about shark attacks, or moray eels, or how I was pinned by some big guy but wouldn't tap. Nothing.

Somehow that makes it worse.

Burn it

Today is Friday, and it's the end of my first week back at training.

I taught a Karate class on Saturday.

There were two hours of Jiu-Jitsu on Tuesday, Wednesday and on Thursday.

Tonight it was "open mat" at Jiu-Jitsu. This means that anybody that comes can use the facility to do whatever they want. I spent it mostly rolling with people.

Tomorrow is Satuday again and it starts again.

It is all fun, great exercise, and burns tons of calories.

This week I started my effort to get my weight down from holiday level and back to normal. My goal was to lose 2 pounds due to exercise and diet, but would have been happy with 1.

In actuality, I've lost five. My only problem is that I've been training so much that I've been having a hard time getting enough calories.

I record it all with an ap on my iPad. Several times it's warned me to eat more to prevent my body from going into starvation mode.

If it weren't for the workouts this wouldn't be an issue. I would be finding myself with the opposite problem of needing to eat less than I want.

Once I've reached my long-term weight goal it will be back to free-eating. I'll get plenty of food. I shall continue monitoring the scales and maintaining my chosen weight.

My advice to anyone wanting to shed pounds would be to find a highly physical activity you enjoy and to go nuts with it. You'll probably be able to eat lots of yummy food, within reason.

Today was the first real day back at school. It was the first day when the classes were an hour and a quarter long.

I like my job, and I've been at it a long time.

However, work does get in the way.

Classes end a little after three in the afternoon. Jiu-Jitsu starts at 5:30pm.

"No problem," thinks you.

"Problem!" says I.

 

If I plan carefully, and there are no meetings, and no kid needs to talk to me I can just get myself home by 3:45. To be on time for training, and allowing  a few minutes to suit up, I have to leave the house again by 4:45.

In that hour I have to find my supper.

Keep in mind, one hour is the most I'll ever get. Often it will be significantly less.

In the big scheme of things this is incredibly minor.

Maybe I'll get all organized and have meals all set up in the fridge ready to microwave. Maybe I'll start taking the car to work all packed with my Jiu-Jitsu gear and go straight from there. Maybe I'll grab fast food.

Probably I'll just muddle along doing the best I can.

I'm retiring soon, and then the time crunch will magically vanish.

Apes

It was the first night back at Jiu-jitsu. It was also the first time training in the new location.

The place is great, and there is 50% more mat space.

The White Belt class was well-attended. A few of the old faces were missing, but there were a few new ones.

The Blue Belt class was the biggest I've ever seen. There were nine of us rolling around.

When I was young I was part of a large pack of kids. One of our common activities was to roll around like a bunch of wrestling bonobos. That has never really left my system. I enjoyed the training tonight.

Didn't even get hurt. I don't think anybody did.

I did get bone tired.

I get to go again for the next four days in a row.

Whine

What with all the schedule changes, I'm going to be a busy fellow.

Work five days a week, just like a normal person.

On all of them I head off to train or teach at between 4 and 5 o'clock.

The most common return time is after 8:30.

Saturday has me out the door for a couple of hours at 9:30am, and then again in the early afternoon.

A lot of it is travel time. Still, it's 10.5 hours of training.

I like doing it. It's fun.

There are downsides. The only day left for me to run in is Sunday. That's OK, as I run because it's good for me. I don't enjoy it.

I like going to restaurants, and my work/play severely interferes with opportunities. In my small town most of the eateries are closed on Sunday. This eliminates my only unbooked lunch opening, and leaves only Saturday evening for a restaurant supper.

I'll have to grab as many of those as possible, as Helen gets her weekends heavily booked up with her music groups. I prefer going out to eat with her.

Other downsides? I only use a uniform for one session before laundering. They get considerably soaked with sweat. That means two Karate and six Jiu-Jitsu suits to wash each week. Two totally fill the washer, so that's four loads of laundry. Also, they don't just go into the dryer; oh, no. They have to hang to dry or they get wrecked. They dry slow.

More downsides? Well, there's the occasional injury. More are due to being an old, active dude rather than from the violence inherent in martial arts, but there are both kinds. Usually something hurts.

That's it. My big, whiny list of complaints.

I can't wait to get started.

09 01

Today was the first of September, and also the first day of the Martial Arts season.

The first class was Karate. The next of that style will be next Saturday. After that it will go twice a week and soon include a kids class.

Jiu-Jitsu begins Tuesday and jumps right into its five-day-a-week timetable.

I am looking forward to it all.

Today's Karate class was small; just three of us. It's nice that my returning students have some experience and don't need constand correction. For half the class I lined up with them, called techniques, and the three of us performed them. I got to sweat, too.

The other half of the time was spent on Kata, refreshing those they know, and then adding one more.

This week I'll firm up the schedule for the classes, and then make up a bunch  of posters.

This is the side of Karate I hate. 

It's one of the reasons I like going to Jiu-Jitsu. The organizing there is aomebody else's concern.

Restart

As Summer vacation has been closing down, I've been feeling less and less profound.

Not as bad as usual. This will be my last school-year startup.

I'm also looking forward to the new season of Jiu-Jitsu. It is moving to a larger, shiny new location and an expanded schedule. I can go five days a week if I want to, and I just might.

Karate starts as well but in a far less ambitious manner. Saturday and Monday will have adult classes, with Monday and Wednesday the time for Kids. I will teach the Adult classes and the Monday Kids one. Sara is responsible for the other Kids session. She's a  Green Belt now. I started teaching at Green.

Cody is another one of my Karate friends, and wants to try Jiu-Jitsu.

That should be fun.