I'm Taking Up T'ai Chi...

...due to distance, schedule fluctuations, time and space restrictions, T'ai Chi is accessible to me, where Isshin Ryu Okinawa Te is just not feasible at this time.

I greatly miss my Karate class, but it's too much and too far.

I was able to take a few classes locally of Cheng Man Ching-derived short-form T'ai Chi Chuan, and it is accessible to me through books, videos, and meet-ups. It also requires a minimum of time and space to practice, and is sustainable as I age.

So, for now, the way forward is through a different way.

Still, I will always remember the nearly three years I spent on both Tae Kwon Do and Isshin Ryu Okinawa Te, and hold them in the highest regard. Perhaps someday, I will be able to pick up my Karate again, and add it to my T'ai Chi. In the mean time, I must continue learning, and this seems to be the way forward that the Universe has left open for me.

Sayonara,

Dan

Empty Hand: Taking Tai Chi Chuan...

Temporarily at least, I am taking Tai Chi Chuan at the Theosophical Society ( http://www.theosophical.org ) in Wheaton, IL. It's only the energy work and exercise portion of the form, but it's GREAT exercise. It looks slow and graceful, and it is, but it also breaks you into a sweat after 15 minutes.

I'm really loving the class, but I also greatly miss my Isshin Shorinji Ryu Okinawa Te.

The issue is, there's 45 minutes travel to the karate class, and no space for practice in the small condo I now call home.

I still need to think of a way to make it happen, though. Hopefully, I'll come up with a solution soon.

Meanwhile, I think the Tai Chi will help me be in better shape when I find my way back to karate.

Sayonara,

Dan

I Put A Call In To Sensei Yesterday...

...to see if he's still teaching the class at the YMCA, and find out when would be a good time to start back, etc. I'm leaning toward early January so that my Y membership renewals come up at that time. We'll see. I haven't heard back yet, but Sensei is a good guy, and I'm sure he'll call when he can.

I'll probably go visit the Y soon to see, too.

Sayonara,

Dan

Path Of Jubilation...

Path Of Jubilation...



It was a year-and-a-half ago I was broken,
Wounded bird unable to fly,
Passing the seasons in injury's chains,
Wondering what the sight of recovery would mean.

The Tinker Man fixed me with bolts and braces,
As if I were a thing of tin and oil,
Yet it worked in its fashion,
In its sweet time.

I wondered then if I would walk again,
Then I wondered if I would dance,
Would I ever know the grace of the Katas,
Let alone run forward in life?

I walked and walked and walked,
Doing everything the healers bade me,
Bent and pulled and pushed,
Eventually gently danced - muted with caution.

Today the Tinker Man declared me free,
To kick and jump and run,
Race to the Moon if I dare it,
Stand in for Bruce Lee if I feel silly.

Kato I'm not,
But I'll be back in class soon,
And I'll keep walking,
Even run a little.

I am healed, and I feel fine.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)

Back story:
Many of you know I suffered a severely broken ankle in February of 2009. It was put back together surgically, the bolts and braces are still in it. I slowly went through healing, physical therapy, walked further and further a little at a time. I even got to dancing again a little. Still, there's always a little twinge now and then, a slight reminder that it happened. I've used care and caution and stayed out of karate, never ran one single stride since, not jumped an inch. I went to the surgeon's office yesterday afternoon to see if they were going to have to take the hardware out. The surgeon was amazed at how well I've healed, and the strength and flexibility I've gotten back. I'm within a degree or two of my original range of motion in two directions, and the other two directions are as good as before the fall. Not only did he tell me that I don't have to get any hardware removed, but I'm fully cleared for any physical activity I wish to pursue within normal human limits. I plan on being back in karate by January at the latest, and to try running a bit very soon. Needless to say, this is a huge relief, and I celebrate it.

Dan

Practicing...

I started practicing again finally, it went pretty well.

I was able to recall the 8-point soft blocks, Empi Kata, Take ko ichei, nee, & son, and most of the 14-point hard blocks.

I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and get re-upped for the YMCA, then pay for the next class session. I need to get back to class.

The problem is, at some point, my surgeon is going to want to remove the two larger screws from my ankle, so I'll be back out for several weeks - including two weeks in a boot and off work. I'll get definitive answers on time-frame from the surgeon when I schedule the surgery to remove the screws.

I'm holding off on the ankle surgery, because I have to get some dental surgery dealt with first. Yikes!

On top of that, I'm having a lot of trouble with my right sghoulder, and it's been going on for three months. I haven't even had that looked at yet.

Having just turned 48 this past Monday, I uppose I have to expect some of this stuff, but it is still frustrating.

On the positive side again, I have been adjusting my diet, walking briskly for an hour twice a week, and swimming an hour on Saturdays - so my weight has dropped about 10 lbs in the past two weeks.

Now, I need to get a little aerobic exercise (disco dancing & kata practice) added back in to take it to the next level.

I'm going to gradually ramp it up, and when the legs are out, I'm going to find ways to work the upper body and legs above the knee.

Hopefully, I'll be in MUCH better shape by the end of 2010.

Sayonara,

Dan

Last Day of Physical Therapy...

I had my last day of PT today. A week from tomorrow, I'll go to the Y and sign up for the current Karate session.

I'm not 100% yet, maybe 80. I'll still have to be careful of the ankle. No sparring just yet.

The wierd thing is, my foot FEELS like it's pointed straight forward when it's really pointed 5-10 degrees left now. I don't know if or to what degree that will go back.

Also, in th January/February time frame, I'll have to get two of the screws removed. That will have me out a few weeks while the bone fills back in.

We have a great workout room in our condo complex. Checked it out and got keys today. I'm starting up tomorrow.

Sayonara,

Dan

With a little luck...

I'll be back at class next month.

Sayonara,

Dan

Out of the Boot and beginning PT

I've been out of the boot for two weeks now, and walking without a cane since yesterday. I'm still combating severe swelling of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. My 1st day of Physical Therapy was Monday, 06/08/09 - I'll be going twice a week for six weeks.

Required regimen: flexibility exercises, elevation of the leg as much as possible, and ice packs 15 minutes at a time twice per day.

Starting this Friday, 06/12/09, I'll be doing a stationary bicycle at PT sessions to improve flexibility in the ankle.

My surgeon is also considering the possibility of removing the two largest screws in my ankle at this point, which are on the inside of the leg.

I have a long, narrow metal plate and seven short screws on the outside of the leg, and a six-inch partially healed incision to go with it. On the inside of the leg, there are two large screws and a two-inch incision.

All the hardware is stainless steel per my surgeon, and NOT the titanium I had originally believed was installed. (It feels weird speaking of something as being "installed" when discussing your own body.)

At any rate, I'm making steady progress. There is still pain most of the time, but I am starting to experience some pain-free moments. Pain levels range from a two to a six on a scale of ten. I'm not taking anything for it, I prefer to know what's going on so that I don't do any additional damage.

Additionally, I do NOT at this point have full range of motion in the ankle. I've lost about a third of range in the up/down direction, and about half in the movement to either side. Much of it is the swelling I'm fighting.

(Tip: ace bandages help keep the swelling down a bit, start with them as soon as possible if your doctor allows)

Sayonara,

Dan

Getting The Cast Off & The Boot...

Monday's a big day. The doctor will be removing my cast, & I go into an immobilization boot for 2-4 weeks. I'll still be non-weight-bearing for that time, and using a walker.

However, the good news is that the boot is removable for showers. I'll also be required to remove it several times a day & do range-of-motion exercises to get the ankle ready for when I can start trying to walk on it again. At that point, it'll take me about a month to six weeks to get back to walking normally. Whew!

It's amazing how much you learn about the hassles that go with a condition like this. Some people are pretty considerate, a few are totally rude and obnoxious. It's also a major workout using either crutches or a walker. I think I've lost 30lbs doing this.

Sayonara,

Dan

The Good, The Bad, & The Broken...

I'm still recovering from my broken ankle.

The break happened when I was shoveling snow in our driveway. One foot hit a patch of black ice, the other stayed planted on the pavement. The one that stayed planted is the one that broke. It rotated as I was falling and that put the stress level past the breaking point.

The ankle was broken in three places, and required surgery. I have a plate with seven screws on the outside of the ankle and two screws on the inside of it. There is a two-inch incision on the inside and a six-inch incision on the outside.

I'll be in a cast yet for two more weeks from Monday, & then a boot for two-four weeks after that. After the boot, I'll be allowed to gradually start putting weight on it and relearning to walk. Part of the difficulty after I become weight-bearing is the muscle atrophy, which is pretty rapid and very significant. The other part is the stiffness in the joint after it's been immobilized for so long.

The good news is, when the surgeon took me out of the temporary splint and put me in the cast a couple of weeks ago, he tested me for range of motion, and I have full range of motion without pain. That's with him moving my foot, not me.

I had an interesting issue the night before last. I work in downtown Chicago, & have to walk two blocks from my parking ramp to the building where I work, with a walker. (I'm on desk-only duty doing computer & paperwork until the end of May) When I left the other evening, it was raining out. You're not supposed to get these casts wet at all. I had it bagged with a trash bag. Well, even though I'm just setting the foot on the ground as a balance point, (which is what the surgeon told me to do for stability on the walker) it still wore the bottom of the bag through and soaked the cast.

Unhealed incisions on both sides of the ankle and a cast sock soaked with rainwater off the streets of downtown Chicago. Not exactly a recipe for good health. I had to go to the emergency room, get the cast cut off, get the leg cleaned up, and get put in a temporary splint for the night. Then I had to go to the surgeon's office the next day and get a fresh cast of the correct type and angle put on. Another day off work after I was just out for four weeks. That's not really what I want happening in this economic environment.

Well, after I explained what happened to the surgeon, he pulls out this rubber-soled, canvas-sided velcro-strap sandal that I can put on over the garbage bag to keep it off the concrete. Where was this sandal a week ago?

These medical offices do great injury repair and such, but when it comes to practical advice on how to handle the day-to-day mechanics of living with a cast, they are very short on foresight and advice. There should be a cheat-sheet that tells you what to watch out for and ways to overcome obstacles, instead of having to learn every little thing the hard way! I think they just don't "get it" unless they've actually lived it themselves. There are other examples, but I won't go on.

The bottom line, however, is that I'll get to go back to Karate in early August. Believe me, I am greatly looking forward to it.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

Sayonara,

Dan

Recovering from ankle repair surgery

My ankle surgery was this past Tuesday. From what they told me it was badly broken, but the repair went well. I'll have 8 weeks in a cast & months of PT.

Sayonara,

Dan

Broken...

Broken...

In three places,
My ankle that is,
Beat up by a skinny little snow shovel,
In collusion with cold-hearted driveway ice.

The x-rays are in,
The surgery's planned,
And I'm not moving much,
I'm laying on the lam.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 02/23/2009

Yep, broke my ankle but good slipping on ice yesterday while snow shoveling. It'll be a week before surgery, then 6-8 weeks before I can put weight on it at all. After that, likely eight months before I can go back to Karate.

Drillin' To The Left, Drillin' To The Right...

...this was a fun class, lots and lots of practice on katas, kicking drills, bag techniques.

One of the Black Belts did a weapons demonstration. I kind of thought the weapons used looked like they'd been adapted from agricultural hand tools, which would make sense.

We started out with katas, and Sensei had various of the higher-ranked belts doing the instructor work - teaching them to teach. One of our Green Belts got most of the load.

We also had a guy I've been helping who was just promoted to Yellow Belt last week - he's the same rank as me now.

There were also a couple of exercises where we had to mirror the moves we're used to from the other side of the body - specifically the fourteen-point hard blocks. It was wierd, but a good teaching tool. I'll have to practice that more often.

Another new thing was doing the eight-point soft blocks while walking in seison stance. Tricky, but a good idea.

All-in-all, a great class, and I got to learn a bit more of Takeoko Kai Go tonight in the last five minutes of class.

Sayonara,

Dan

Teaching, Learning, Sparring, & Shins...

Tonight was a fun class. I got to learn a bit more of Takeoko Kai Go.

Then I helped a guy who is getting his yellow belt Thursday with Takeoko Kai Shii. For at least 15 minutes.

After that, 25 minutes of sparring. Very good, but I really, really need shin guards. Ouch!

Sayonara,

Dan

I'm A Bit Stiff And Sore...

...from all the sparring Thursday evening, no doubt. Not bad or bruised sore, really good workout sore. Mostly in my shoulders & rib cage from all the upper-body work on jabs and blocks.

There are times when you get more of a workout than you thought, I think this is one of them.

Now I need to get physical today a little to get things loosened up and blood flowing to begin the strength building.

The little aches and pains are signs that you're making progress - it's the big ones you have to be careful of.

Right now, I'm just grateful I get to continue after all that business with the YMCA membership last year.

Sayonara,

Dan

Sparring 'Til We Drop...

...this was a great class. I was in for a makeup session at Sensei's invitation because I missed Tuesday last week. We started off for 20 minutes in a side room with stretching and then kick, punch, and self-defense techniques.

After that, we went to our usual Dojo and geared up for sparring, and we spent the next hour sparring.

One of the guys my age and about a foot shorter was really jazzed up and wound tight because he has a tournament a week from Sunday, Feb 8th. He was very fast & aggressive, but I managed to make him work for most of his points.

I sparred most everyone in class except a couple of the kids, and wound out the session sparring our Purple Belt.

All said and done, it was great exercise.

Sayonara,

Dan

For those Inquiring Where The Patches Go On Your Gi...

...see this post from last year:

Promoted...

Sayonara,

Dan

A Little Learning, A Little Teaching...

...This class was mostly about kata - I got to learn the first half of Takeoko Kai Go - which is the second kata required for my next promotion. We also went through all the white belt katas, from Empi to Takeoko Kai Ichei, Ni, & Son. I go to practice Shii as well.

Later in the class, Sensei had to work with our Purple Belt - so he had me instruct the two white belts there on the most basic Takeoko Kai - Ichei. I think they both made good progress.

At the end of class, since there was no sparring, Sensei asked us what we wanted to do. I requested kicking drills, because I need the aerobic exercise as well as the form training. We did roundhouse kicks, front kicks, jumping front kicks, side kicks, crescent kicks, etc.

All in all a good class.

Sensei also warned us that with the economy, he might be forced to work a second shift instead of first shift. If that's so, another black belt will be taking over the class. I'm hoping not, but I completely understand. My employer just announced that we will take a 5% pay cut through June, and that they are suspending 401k matching funds. The economy is bad for people's health this way. I've read of people who were losing weight and getting high blood pressure under control, only to be forced into eating cheap fast foods and having all their health gains go out the window.

Hopefully things will get better soon.

Sayonara,

Dan

I completely missed class this week...

...I was off yesterday for Martin Luther King Day, and it threw me off my usual routine. I was up early in the morning, and couldn't sleep. This is not good, because I work 3rd shift. I tried to take a nap for a couple of hours before class so that I wouldn't be so dead to the world at work tonight, and I blew it setting the alarm. I woke up when class was already half over.

I'll be back in next week, but watch those holidays against your routine, it's easy for the unusual to goof schedules up.

Sayonara, and thank you for reading,

Dan

A bit of confusion, a bit of teaching...

...class was good tonight, but started off a little weird. The Y only really has one room big enough for larger exercise classes, and there's an aerobics class ahead of us. It appears that the aerobics instructor on Thursdays before our karate class asked the Y for an extra 15 minutes in the classroom so they could cool down. The Y went along with it, because there are more students in aerobics class than in karate class.

I guess it doesn't matter that between the two nights there are probably 25 of us, and our schedules, which we all thought were set, well, they just don't mean a thing.

At least Sensei is being fair. If the aerobics class gets an hour and fifteen minutes when they paid for an hour, our class is getting an hour and fifteen minutes. We're starting the first 15 minutes in a smaller classroom in the new wing, and then moving to the big classroom at 8:15 instead of starting in there at 8:00. Class now runs until 9:15 pm.

At any rate, we started warm up with kata, all doing Takeoko kai ichei thru son, then our highest kata once.

After kata warm up, we did 45 minutes of sparring. At first it was one-on-one, and I was doing pretty well I thought, holding my own. Then we did two-on-one, and I got to be the man in the middle for 2/3rds the time. Wow, that was a workout!

After sparring, we worked on kata for another 1/2 hour. Some of us got to help others perfect their forms. I worked with one of the white belts on the first three Takeoko's especially ichei. If you get that one down, the next two only differ in which block and punch you're using. I thought the guy I was working with made some solid improvements.

We finished up with a couple of repetitions of the Empi kata, which is all elbow strikes for the most part.

There was a lot of good discussion after the class too. I really enjoyed it.

Until next week - (I'm only doing Tuesday nights right now)

Sayonara,

Dan