Blue Tiger Tactical Defense

December 2nd it is

2006-11-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Nick was the only one to reply to the email and Justin told me in person so we'll go with it. Decmeber 2nd we'll be travelling to the Utah class for the test. We are going to be there around 9am and I'll have to be done with the test by 1pm so that I can come back to work.

Focusing on Black Belts

2006-11-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

In addition to focusing more on the black belt techniques, I want to focus on the Utah school. I think the new year is going to allow me to do that. I may have to have someone else drive because my wife will have our car but I'm hoping to get both schools of black belts moving forward. Having someone else drive will allow me to sleep since I don't get off of work until 3am on Saturday. My aim is to get up there once a month.

No more new students

2006-11-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

I won't be taking any more new students for a while. I'm going to be teaching in my house so there is limited room but aside from that, I'm going to be focusing my time on black belt techniques. I don't have time to each white belts and keep my black belts moving forward so I have to pick one over the other. I have to go with the students that have been loyal.

The Website has been updated

2006-10-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Most of the broken links on the Blue Tiger website have been fixed thanks to Nick. There are still some changes that will need to be made but this is a big step forward. I am going to get back into the habit of posting to this blog regularly again. I am also looking into a new discussion board for the website.

A Major Test Coming Up

2006-06-16T08:11:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I have updated this blog. I'm going to try and be better about it. I have a lot of things going on in my life and so this blog has gotten put on the backburner for a bit.

There is a major test coming up a week from tomorrow. I have several students that will be testing for their black belt. It's going to be something to see. I have invited all my students to come watch the test. It will be a good learning moment for the younger students to see what I expect from them and where they can get to.

Outdoor karate

2006-04-10T11:24:00.000-06:00

We started practicing karate outside last week. Both days have been fun even though the weather hasn't really cooperated with us. We're going to try again today. The weather report says that it's going to rain but so far it's sunny. It's a little windy but we can deal with that. Spring is just going to be like that, never knowing what the weather holds for us. Training outside has been great for everyone. Everyone has been in just a little bit brighter spirit.

Last week we covered the new testing format

2006-03-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we are going to be doing the workout which should be done each class. I am still trying to figure out how I can attend class on Tuesdays as well because I have some goals for the class for this year. I'm not sure what I can do about it right now. I'll have to give it some thought.

The new class went very well

2006-03-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was able to cover so much more and I think that as everyone gets more familiar with the class, it will go even better. The kids did get a little restless but it's actually very good training for them. We will probably have to have them do some lunge jumps in the future to help them keep their concentration on the class. The ability to stay focused for that length of time will server them better in life than the karate.

Today I start the new teaching format

2006-03-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's not really a new teaching format. It's the old format from my other school that I will now be incorporating into this school. It fits my style of teaching better. I teach everyone at the same time. I am able to teach everyone much better in this way. The emphasis is on gaining knowledge, learning how to fight, instead of getting the next belt.

I am going to be running a high school soccer team through my classes exercise routine today as a little change-up to their routine. I'm sure we can get them sweating.

Part of the change for my class will be a new emphasis on physical fitness. Fitness levels can change the outcome of a fight.

Teaching at the Honeyville school was great

2006-03-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to head up there to teach. We covered stick fighting for most of the class and tried to cover information for the upcoming test. It should be an interesting test. We are going to be using a new format for the test and this will be the first time that it will be implemented.

Traveling to the other school on Saturday

2006-03-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be spending the morning at the Honeyville school this Saturday. It will be the last chance I get to teach them before they test for their black belts at the end of the month. That is going to be a fun test. I'm really looking forward to it. With the dropout rate in karate, I would have never thought that I would have this many people testing for their black belt.

Changing the format and intent of my teaching

2006-03-01T09:06:00.001-07:00

I have decided to give up on running a karate business and go back to concentrating on teaching karate and letting the business take care of itself. I feel like I compromised some aspects of my training in an effort to keep the business running. Now, I just want to train with students that are serious about the training and not worry about trying to continually attract new students.

We have spent so much time on the technical

2006-02-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

that we have given up time on the physical in the Wendover class. Last night, we went through our workout for the first time in months and it showed. Everyone was winded and tired and most of us couldn't finish everything. It used to be a breeze and yesterday was a struggle.

We're going to fix that and get everyone back into better shape. Fitness level can play a major part in a physical confrontation in so many ways. The first one is just staying in the fight. If a fight goes to the ground, and most likely it will, it takes a lot of energy to stay in the fight. If you want a good workout, wrestle for a few minutes.

Working on a new testing structure

2006-02-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I are working on a testing structure for belt rank tests. It's going to list very specific requirements and how well they need to be done. There is no way to completely take the subjectiveness out of the procedure because it is humans watching humans to see if something is being done "good enough". It will change the amount of subjectiveness and tell testers exactly what they are looking for in order for a student to pass each section of the test.

We are going to implement the new format at the next test.

Tomorrow is another test

2006-01-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to it as always. We are also going to do as much review as we can for the next test which will be the Black Belt test for many of them. Right now, I have one black belt student and I was very surprised when he completed everything for black belt. I think I was more proud of his accomplishment than he was. In a couple of months, there could be five more joining him at that rank. Truly amazing.

Why I started teaching martial arts

2006-01-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

I started teaching the martial arts because, at the time, I was a police officer and saw that many of my coworkers could really use some sort of defensive tactics training. I started teaching them for free just so they would be able to protect themselves. Over time all of them quit.

My instructor also quit because of some system wide changes that were taking place because of political martial arts turmoil. I went to another instructor who quit a few months later because he was going to move to where he thought he could make more money.

I started teaching anybody who would show up just so I could keep practicing and I have been doing that ever since. Martial arts is a "use it or lose it" skill so I figure I'll be teaching for the rest of my life.

More Testing

2006-01-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

It seems like the tests come around in a hurry. We did a test for the kids last Saturday and will be testing the adults this Saturday. I want to do another test in a couple of months. I am trying to get quite a few things done in the next four years.

I still need to work on my website but that is taking a back seat to college which I started this week.

Honeyville Class

2005-12-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday with the Honeyville class. It's always fun to do that. They really are fun to watch. We spent the morning working on empty hand techniques for the first three belts and the first three black belts. I am going to return the first part of January for the next three belts. That will give them 3 or 4 weeks to prepare for the test.

First After School Class

2005-12-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

It went well. There were only five students instead of ten but I think that's to be expected. People *say* they will do things but that's not the same thing as doing them.

I have talked to hundreds of people over the years that would *like* to take martial arts and who promise to show up but never do make it to class. It is so common that when people tell me that they will be there, I don't even blink when they don't show up. I don't even think about it. Who ever shows up, shows up.

I don't teach the class next week because they have some other activity going on at the school. I go back in two weeks. I will probably be going over the same things as I did yesterday because after two weeks, the kids probably won't remember much of what I taught. That's okay. As long as they have fun, it will be a success.

After School Program

2005-12-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Today I start teaching martial arts in an after school program at the elementary school on this side of the state line. I will be teaching there about once a week for the rest of the year.

The school started up programs for children after school and has had very little participation from instructors so there isn't much to offer for the children.

I'm not sure what interest there will be for martial arts but it's worth a try. If it doesn't work out, I'm not out much. I'm taking my white belt curriculum as the course of study so it's just a matter of my time.

It's good to see them add a physical skill for kids. No matter how many times I see it, I still find it shocking to see how many obese kids there are. When I was a kid, we didn't need an after school program to encourage us to move. We never stopped moving. We had to be called in for dinner. Now parents have to turn off the video game to get kids to dinner or rather, to get them to eat while sitting in front of the TV.

I better stop not before I really get going. =)

Certificates

2005-11-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

I talked with the artist that is making up the new certificates over the Thanksgiving holiday. My people met with his people over lunch. My people being my wife, son and I and his people being him.

He said he has been tied up on work projects and some Christmas presents that he was making for his daughters. Can you believe he is putting his paying job and family ahead of our certificates? Me too. Karate takes a back seat quite often because at this point, it's a hobby for most of us.

He does our artwork for nearly free so I really can't complain. What's nearly? I buy him lunch once in a while and I have promised to take him to the Trans Siberian Orchestra next year. For what he does, that means I am pretty much paying him nothing. One more person for me to be thankful for.

Over this last weekend, my wife and I made up a list of things that we were thankful for. Our son topped the list but right after him came our friends. We have been blessed with having some very wonderful people in our life and have vowed to do more to let them know how much we appreciate them.

I'm hoping to get some work in on the website today

2005-11-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to sneak in some sleep but I'm going to work on the website when I wake up. I wish it were going faster but things just seem to keep coming up. I guess that's how it is around the holidays.

I am hoping to be on straight swing shift within 6 months. I may have to start looking for a new job. I don't really want to do that but I'm tired of being tired. Working two grave shifts a week throws off more than just those two days. Switching back and forth and trying to do everything else that I try to do is just wearing me out.

It would be nice to be on a stable sleep schedule. A dream. =)

The low down

2005-11-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

We worked a couple of techniques in the Black Belt Workshop today where we did strikes from our knees and take-downs from our knees. It was fun and I think we'll explore it further next week.

I spent the first half of the class working on the windows. We are in a WWII barracks and the windows blew up in a windstorm the other night so when we got there today, it was cold. One of the windows doesn't fit properly so I did some rigging to try and keep it shut.

There are windstorms out here often so it is something that needs to be dealt with. We are going to put plastic over all the windows for the winter and start putting insulation up in the larger room. It may take some time but it's going to be a very nice karate school.

Team Effort

2005-11-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

I'm going back to college to finish my degree that I started oh-so-long-ago. I'm also going to be taking an active role in teaching at my other school. I am also going to be teaching another day a week in an after-school program at the local elementary. I am also going to start fixing up my karate building.

All these "also's" mean that I am going to be depending on my top students to help out. I thought that I was busy before but these next few months are going to make it look like I was on break.

Oddly enough, I am looking forward to it all.

All the king's men and all the king's horses and me

2005-11-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have moved created all my subdirectories and moved all my files around for my website. I guess I should post the link since I'm spending all this time talking about it.

Blue Tiger Tactical Defense

I have started reconnecting all the links. It may not take as much time to do as I had originally thought. If I can get through 25 pages a day, I should be done in a week. I was hoping to have more than that done yesterday and today but things didn't turn out that way.

Maybe I'll get up early before class tomorrow to get some work in on it. I really want to have it all put together as fast as possible. I want to move ahead on working on the actual content of the site. There is so much to do on that aspect of it.

I'm also going to have a group of people critique my site and give me some tips for making it better.

Starting into the website overhaul

2005-11-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have started working on the website directories which means there are going to be a lot of dead links for a little while. I'm going to try and get as many of them up and running today as I can. Today is when I have the most time to work on it for the week.

Today is also the day that I have to take my son to the doctor to check on a mystery rash that has appeared on his face so I won't have as much time as I planned.

I am going to be changing the format of some of the pages and there are still some of the higher belt techniques that were never changed to the new layout. So much to do...

This week's goal

2005-11-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

My goal for the website this week was to write two more articles. I'm halfway through the second one and it should be finished today. I'm going to have to try and get a little bit of sleep in somewhere in the day so that I have enough energy to teach class tonight. Wednesday's are long days for me. I work graveyard shift Tuesday night and try to stay up through Wednesday, sometimes taking a couple hours of sleep.

Today, I'm already tired and the day is barely beginning.

Next week's website goal is to overhaul the directory. That's going to take some work but I'm hoping to get it accomplished in one week so I can go back to building on it.

I'm going to try to get out another article today

2005-11-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have plenty that I want to get out. It's one of the reasons why I have this blog, the website, the forums, and the discussion group. I don't have enough time in class to get all my ideas out.

We have slowed down the pace of the class so that I can teach more of the principles and concepts behind the techniques but there is still more to be taught. It's the principles and concepts that are important, not the techniques. They are a tool to be used to teach the principles, not the end product in themselves. We use them to teach motion, weapons and targets, and other basics for combat.

It is unlikely that a student will end up using a technique as it was taught. It's not impossible. I have had one student use a stock technique to defend himself against someone trying to stab him with scissors. So it does happen but it's just not likely to go down that way. Most of the action is going to be improv instead of scripted. It will work if I have done my job as an instructor and the student has studied and practiced.

New Article

2005-11-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have added a new article to my website where I discuss the difference between hurting someone and harming someone. An important distinction in our school.

Hurt vs. Harm (part 1)

I had to cancel the black belt workshop today

2005-11-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

My son was really sick last night. Today, he seems to be a little bit better but he's still running a fever. I take him with me to the class. He's 18 months old and I usually even put him into a karate uniform. He's dang cute. My other classes, my wife watches him but on Monday's she's at work. It usually works out okay. He plays with all the karate stuff while I practice.

My website needs an overhaul

2005-11-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

When I first had the idea of creating a website for my students, it sounded so straightforward. I just began not thinking much about planning ahead. I knew what I was going to do and it was going to be easy. A little time consuming but easy.

It has become a lot time consuming and the project seems to continue to grow. I am going to have to go back through the pages I have (over 150 of them) and create subdirectories to keep track of everything. It's going to be the only way to keep everything straight. Doing that is going to require going through all the pages and updating the links. It's going to be quite the daunting task.

I feel like I'm doing it just for me, for the pride of creating this website, because I don't think my students look at it often. I could be wrong but I have added a picture sequence and a video to the page and haven't received any feedback on it, positive or negative. I'm not going to let that discourage me because I do think that it will eventually become a valuable tool.

Picture sequence

2005-11-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

I was able to get the picture sequence up yesterday. I really think that's going to be helpful for the students, especially in the other school. When I get them all done (HA!), it will be great for everyone. It should be especially helpful for the lower belts. If they forget a move, they can just look it up on the web.

I haven't been able to move the video from my camera to my computer yet. There is some sort of glitch in it and I haven't been able to figure it out. If I have time today, I'm going to work on it some more because I think that will be helpful as well.

Class last night

2005-11-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

My dentist appointment ended up taking 3 hours. Supposedly, everything is fixed and the problem is solved. I was lucky I was able to go to any class at all.

We took the pictures that I want to include on the website and also took the video. I have downloaded the pictures but for some reason, I can't download the movie to my computer. I'm going to have to work on it. I was going through the instuctions last night and I can't see where I'm going wrong with it.

We worked on a new variation of Gripping Talon. That was fun. I wish I had more time to spend on practicing. I'm going to have to work on becoming a full time instructor. =)

I'm looking forward to class tonight

2005-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not looking forward to going through a root canal to get there. Scheduling can be difficult for me between my full-time job, karate, and taking care of my son. There is a slight gap between taking care of my son today and karate. That's where I have put my dental appointment but I think it's going to overlap into karate time some. Hopefully not much and hopefully I still feel like doing karate after going through this.

Sleep takes a back seat to all of the above activities as well. I try to nap with my son on the days that I have worked graves and always hope that he'll sleep for at least 2 hours so I get some rest. Without those 2 hours of sleep, I would be up for 24 hours.

That happens at least once a week. This will be the second time this week. It should be the last time for the week.

I was given a good tutorial for movies

2005-11-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

I will probably try to put a movie onto my website this week to see how hard it is to do. I'm going to take my camera with me on Wednesday to try some still sequences and a movie of a technique. I think both will be beneficial.

I'm going to be late getting there on Wednesday because I have to go to the dentist. I had a root canal done years ago and it seems it didn't actually get all the way done. There is a little bit of a gap at the bottom that gets infected and causes me problems like pain and swelling.

We are going to have three new students on Wednesday night too. Siblings, which can be fun. Watching the Dunn's, five siblings that are now green belts has been a joy to see. I have never asked but I'm sure that the shared hobby helps bring them together.

I always encourage parents to join with their children because it is an excellent experience they can enjoy together. I do have a couple that follow through with the invitation.

Added pictures to website

2005-10-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

I added a bunch of pictures from the last test onto the website. I need to change them so they are thumbnail links to their own pages but for now it will work.

There is so much to do on the site that it's amazing and there is so much more that I want to do. I am going to be working on a new project this week for the page to see what the students think about it.

I'm going to take a self defense technique and take pictures of the steps and put them on the web page. I think it will be really helpful.

I have also asked a support group that I'm in for directions to put video on the site. That would be really neat to do. Have demonstrations of the techniques on the site for the students.

If my site ever gets anywhere near to completion, it will be quite the resource for my students. I am still going to be working on the nonstudent side of it as well so it will end up being a resource for anyone interested in martial arts, fitness or general health.

Work

2005-10-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I am trying to create a website ( www.bttd.net ) unlike any that I have seen before for martial arts. A place where students can get the information that they need to succeed in Blue Tiger and, additionally, a place where nonstudents can come for helpful information and resources.

On top of that, we are going to start fixing up the karate school this month. Each project alone would be an accomplishment.

I started with the idea of just ("just" HA!) jotting down some easy notes on the web so that students would be able to access it from home. They could print out the pages and put them in a notebook and jot down their own notes next to mine. This would help them to remember the motion involved in each technique and form.

I still haven't finished that and it will likely take me years to actually finish this little "just" project.

Class today

2005-10-29T15:17:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed class today, the karate part of it.

Once a month, we do tests for things like push ups and sit ups and today was the day for this month. I haven't done much for physical exercise this month and it showed. That part of the class can be discouraging but the only person that I can blame is me. I'm going to be working out harder in class and spending more of my home time doing some kind of exercise. Next month's test is going to be a different story.

I have slowed down the pace of my teaching. Not really slowed it down but I'm going more in depth. I'm teaching more of the "why" now instead of the how. For my students to really grow, they need to know this. For those that are interested in going on to be instructors, it's vital.

In today's class, we really only worked on three self defense techniques and there is still a lot of work to do on them. We'll continue to pull them apart and put them together, fine tuning as we go. It's a lot of work and sometimes frustrating but in the end, it is well worth it.

I'm considering expanding out

2005-10-27T21:54:00.000-06:00

Many kenpo schools have the words "Kenpo Karate" in them. For example, I studied at Inner Strength Kenpo Karate. I decided not to do that because I felt that a student should use any school that they can pick up for their defense and not be limited to Kenpo Karate. I know that a name does not make it so but I do believe that words have power and that you should try to say what you mean. For that reason, I picked Blue Tiger Tactical Defense instead of Blue Tiger Kenpo Karate.

Along those lines, I am thinking of becoming a concealed weapons instructor and offering the class to my students. I wouldn't make it mandatory or a requirement for a test but just as an extra service for those people that would like to add that extra level of Tactical Defense to their toolbox.

Belt Rank Test last Saturday

2005-10-11T09:26:00.000-06:00

The test last Saturday went well. For the most part, I was very pleased with how the students did.

It's always fun to see the students from the other school. I am going to plan a more social gathering so all the students can spend some not-karate time together. Maybe a Christmas party if people can fit it into their schedules.

The green belts gave me plenty to thick about. I've been running their ideas through my head ever since the test. Some good motion and good ideas that will be incorporated into the system.

The next test is coming up

2005-09-30T08:23:00.000-06:00

One week from tomorrow.

I always enjoy watching the tests. Seeing how much the students has improved is fun. They put so much effort into the test and so much energy that it is contagious.

When I was a student, the testing board would sit at the front of the class to watch the test. I haven't been able to do that myself. I have to be standing up. I have to be moving around. There is so much energy in the room that it's impossible to sit still. I find myself exhaling for their techniques and tightening my muscles.

I also like to move around to where I will have the best view and I usually pick out one or two techniques to fine tune as well.

System Wide Change

2005-07-30T18:20:00.000-06:00

I have put this off for way, way too long. Had I done it earlier it would have been easier. I figured that I better get it done now because the longer I waited, the harder it would be.

We are changing the way punching attacks are done. In the past, we have punched with the same hand as the leg we had forward. The attacker would step in with their right foot and punch with their right hand. It's a traditional type of attack.

It's just not how most people in this area are going to attack. Most people here are going to lunge in with the left foot and punch with the right hand, like a boxer.

I feel dumb looking back but sometimes you buy into the tradition. You see, when new students would come in and throw a punch, it would be like a boxer. We would have to take the time to teach them how to throw a punch the traditional way. When they started getting proficient with the techniques, we would remind them that most people are going to punch like boxers and they should practice for that. Crazy!

In addition to that, many of my students have been or are currently in law enforcement and security. Many have used what they have learned and I'm sure many more will in the future. I owe it to them to make the system as realistic as possible, for their safety. I'm going to feel bad enough when one of my students gets hurt but I would feel worse if it was because I intentionaly taught them something that goes against common sense.

15 minutes a day

2005-07-29T19:53:00.000-06:00

That's all I ask my students to practice each day outside of class. I know it doesn't seem like much but for many people, it still doesn't get done.

15 minutes should be enough to keep most things fresh in their minds and give them a chance to run through the exercise circuit once.

I think that many times if they will just do those 15 minutes, they will find something that they want to work on and they may devote even more time to practice. Most of the time though, if they are like me, time is tight and 15 minutes is all martial arts gets out of the day. Between family, jobs and other commitments, there may not be much more than that.

One thing I used to do is practice 5 minutes at a time, 3 times a day. I liked that approach. That didn't give me time for the exercises but it did keep the techniques fresh in my head all day. I don't do it that way anymore, opting for doing it once a day and including the exercises now. It is an option though and one that I may go back to in the future.

You can run through your techniques when you get up, during your lunch break and before you go to bed.

Once nice thing about the 15 minute guideline is there really aren't any excuses for not doing it. Everyone can fit 5 minutes in here and there.

Yellow Belt format change complete

2005-07-28T19:17:00.000-06:00

I am trying to overhaul my entire website which consists of about 150 pages so far, with the same amount waiting in the wings if I can ever complete stage 1.

One thing that I do each time I make big changes is add small changes as well. I don't tell my students about all these changes. Partially because sometimes there are so many that it isn't practical. The other reason is that I want to reward the ones that go back through the site.

I think that my site is underutilized right now. For those that take the time, they will actually learn more than those that just show up to the physical classes. The reason that I have a website, mailing list, blog, and message forum is because there just isn't enough time in the classroom to teach everything. I use all these other mediums to try and fill in the blanks left at class.

I post to the forums after almost every class with things that we covered (for the benefit of the other school) and with subjects that occurred to me that I didn't have to go over.

I suppose that a great deal depends on what the student wants to get out of the art. If you continue to show up and practice the physical moves, you can move through the different belt levels. For me thought, there is so much more involved in the martial arts.

Tonight's workout went much better

2005-07-26T23:29:00.000-06:00

Now I have to find some mystical ninja trick to create more time. =)

There is always so much that I want to cover and never enough time. Part of the problem is the fact that we teach all belt levels at Blue Tiger as part of one class. I do break up the time a little bit, dedicating a half hour to the white belts because they usually need the extra attention.

The upper belt class is a mix of belt levels and since I allow white belts to stay for that, it runs the full rainbow. I don't usually give too many tips to the white belts at this time because they have their own time. It's more of a practice session for them than anything. I try to use the time for instruction for the upper belts.

I also tend to cycle through the belt levels, teaching people that I think should be ready for the next test or are at least trying hard to get to the next level. Right now, that means my blue belts. They are pushing the hardest.

Planning my work and working my plan

2005-07-25T15:20:00.000-06:00

I went back to work on my website a couple of days ago. I have planned out my time for the week so that I make sure that I'm working on it consistantly. There is so much to do but if I do a little bit each day, and I have a day planned where I get a lot done, I should see good progress within the month.

My goal is to have the bulk of the work done in that time frame. I have ideas of what I want to add after that and there are lots of things that need to be refined and better defined. The website will never actually be done. As long as I'm teaching martial arts, I'll add information to the website from the classes.

If I were to ever quit adding to the page, it would mean that I have nothing left to learn. I seriously doubt that day will ever come.

I can tell it has been a while since I have worked out

2005-07-24T16:22:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling it today. I can feel it all over. It's a good feeling, a reminder that I am back on track. I didn't even make it all the way through the workout so I suspect that my progress will be fairly good when I do the whole thing.

The first two weeks of any program are the hardest as your mind and body resist the change. Two weeks really isn't that long and will be gone before I know it. Maybe I'll adapt quicker than that too.

I need to learn to quit stopping. It's easier to keep going on a program than to start and stop, over and over. Not to mention, consistancy is a far better way to make progress. Doing something every day is better than trying to cram to make up for lost time.

Looking for a balance

2005-07-23T16:38:00.000-06:00

I usually go without any food before going to class. I get off of work at 8am and have to be to class by 9am. That doesn't give much time for eating. I am there until 1pm so as class goes on, I tend to get a little hungry.

Today, I decided to blend up a protein shake before I went. The adult class doesn't start until 11am so I figured that would give me plenty of time to digest it before I got into working out.

I figured wrong. I wasn't able to finish working out with the class for fear of spewing. I went for as long as I could but then I ended up sitting for quite a while after. It wasn't good at all.

I think that next week, I may go with the shake at half potency and see if that does the trick. I need to find something that will give me energy through the class without making me sick.

Ever thought of being a martial arts instructor?

2005-07-05T12:06:00.000-06:00

I have written an article on the subject. Being an instructor has been very rewarding but it has also been a lot of work.

Martial Arts Instructor - Plan For Challenges

I may be opening a new school too. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

I didn't make it back the next day because...

2005-06-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

I have been putting in so much time on my website. I have been putting in several hours a day trying to overhaul it. The goal is to make it more useable for the students and make it look better at the same time.

Take a look at the progress I have made so far:

Blue Tiger Tactical Defense

I still have a long way to go before I'm anywhere close to done. Most of the pages are unfinished and some of them are blank. There are still others that need to be made. It's going to be a long process. My immediate goal is to change the format of the existing pages first, then work on content, and then work on adding the missing pages.

I'm probably looking at many months worth of work, especially since I will likely slow down once I have step one done. I have other things that I need to do after that, like sleep. =)

The belt test is quickly approaching

2005-06-17T20:51:00.000-06:00

The test is one week from tomorrow. I always look forward to the tests because it is so fun to watch the students go all out. The intensity level rises on test day and the students really fly through the moves with speed, power and intense enthusiasm.

I love awarding the belts to them too. It is such a great feeling to see what they have accomplished and to watch them put their brand new belts on.

I am hoping to stay and visit with the students after the test. For the past few tests, I have been so busy that I have to leave immediately. This time, I will actually have a little time to stay around.

Our students are such great people that they are a joy to spend time with. There isn't time to visit during the test because there is always so much to cover. We move from one thing to the next.

Tomorrow, I'll talk more about the energy in the test.

Do you ever have a great idea that gets you in deep

2005-06-14T09:24:00.000-06:00

When I started seriously studying martial arts, I was instructed to keep a notebook where I could write down the lessons from the class. Since then, I have filled three good sized 3-ring binders with information. Much of the information from one binder to the next were changes in information.

Additionally, students always wanted to know how I kept my information. What did I write down? How did I write it down?

To help with both of these things, I came up with the "great" idea to put all the information on a website, www.bttd.net.

I could update changes easily and students would be able to see what my notebook looks like, at least my online notebook. I changed how and what I keep track of, in an effort to be more organized.

In my mind, this was going to be such an excellent tool. I still believe that it is. You know when you see such an excellent end-result, it's very easy to overlook the millions of hours of work it's going to take to accomplish that result. =)

Millions might be an exageration but not by much. This could end up being a lifetime of work. It has already served much of the purpose that it was generated for and now I have added a new dimension where I am posting articles for anyone, not just my students, interested in the martial arts.

I have also put out an open invitation for others to write articles as well so that there is a more rounded view of the arts instead of just what I have seen.

I hope that one day, my website matches the greatness that I originally pictured in my mind.

Working in the background

2005-06-12T09:47:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned, there is plenty of work to do outside the martial arts classroom.

This week I redesigned my belt rank certificates. They look much nicer now and I think the students will appreciate it. They have our tiger head logo on them which will attract attention to them if posted on a wall. People will probably naturally walk over to see what the certificate is. If you're going to post your certificate on the wall, you probably want it looked at. =)

I also wrote another article.

Self Defense - Martial Arts an Answer?

You would think it's a no brainer but in today's kinder and gentler world, studying a martial art doesn't necessarily prepare you for combat.

Getting ready for a belt test

2005-06-08T09:50:00.000-06:00

Blue Tiger has two schools currently operating and we always combine the classes for belt tests. This has worked well for keeping the expectations for both schools the same. In fact, students try harder this way because they will be performing in front of another school.

This month, the other school will be hosting the test. I have two students that will be testing and a third that thinks she might be ready. She has about three weeks to figure out if she will be ready or not.

The other school will have one or two ready for their first test.

The test in August, hosted at my school, should be a large one. There will probably be close to 20 people testing for a higher rank. That's going to be quite the test.

Another article written moslty for my students

2005-06-07T15:39:00.000-06:00

but which others may find beneficial.

The Three Stages of Learning a Self-Defense Technique

I have been promising to write this article for them for quite some time now.

People ask me how much time I spend teaching karate. If you only count the time spent in the classroom, then the answer currently is 12 hours a week. Good hours for a part time job. I use the term job loosely since it's really a hobby. =)

When you consider the time outside the classroom, working on articles and newsletters, keeping the roster up to date, ordering supplies, and my own practice time, it really adds up. Martial arts and writing are both passions of mine and the time spent on either is well worth it. It is my hope that someday, they are my full time "job".

A word about my computer

2005-06-06T22:31:00.000-06:00

Which did not want to cooperate with my blogging attempts. I'm not sure if it was the blogging that caused my computer to go on strike or if it was some other process that it did not want to undertake. The one thing that I am certain of is that it truly did not want to work anymore.

It has taken me nearly two weeks to get it convinced to once again work.

Now that it is up, I will be back to regularly updating my blog.

Class last night was hot and sweaty but fun

2005-05-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

The temperature has changed for the warmer finally and we were sweating our guts out last night. It's going to get worse because the temperature is only in the 80's right now and it's going to go up as the summer wears on. I'm going to have to get some big fans for the building so that students don't melt into a puddle of sweat.

I just started this school out here this year so all my students are new. It's fun to see them making progress and see the joy that martial arts brings to them.

I look forward to them becoming proficient with the basics so that we can work the higher level stuff. That's the fun part for me. I continually try to improve my lower belt moves but after teaching for a decade, it's fun to get into the higher belt moves.

Tonight is class and I'm looking forward to it

2005-05-24T15:38:00.000-06:00

That really isn't saying much though since it's very rare when I'm not looking forward to going to class. It's fun to watch everyone get better and every once in a while jump into "class" with them when they are practicing defensive techniques.

I am renting an old WWII barracks for my class and it's fairly beat up. I did hire someone to come in and try to clean up the floor. It was pretty dirty when I moved into the building earlier this month. He has done an amazing job and says that he's not done yet.

There is a lot of other work to do on the building as well. I'm going to have a little done at a time until I get it done. I have so much that I want to do but I don't have that much time right now. My goal is to have martial arts instruction and writing be my "day job". Until that day comes, I'll have to keep putting in my 40 else where.

I did write up another article titled, "Why aren't there more black belts?" for my website. Have a look and tell me if you know of other reasons.

Welcome to the Blue Tiger Tactical Defense Blog

2005-05-20T14:44:00.000-06:00

Hello,

The martial arts has become a part of my life in so many ways. I plan on keeping a journal here about what is happening in my life as far as martial arts goes. I also write articles for my students that you are welcome to take a look at. The Value of Martial Arts gives a general overview of the benefits I have found from the study of martial arts.

I look forward to our journey together.