Category: Martial Arts

Martial Arts

Recovery after intense exercise workouts

Morning,

As you know if you’ve been reading my blog, I’m currently challenging myself with P90x, an extreme home-fitness routine. It’s great! It’s exciting! And it cajoles your muscles to failure, which is why taking care of yourself afterwards is of such high priority.

After every workout I do, I now will take a looooong hot bath (I have the time for this, you see, because I push ‘play’ at 4am before anyone else is awake) into which I’ll have added several drops of essential oils. My favorites are pine, sandalwood and damask rose. When that’s done, I’ll slather on the Tiger Balm (muscle rub) onto whatever part of me aches…and then simply rest for half an hour.

So far, this routine has helped in my recovery. It’s something you should consider as well! Every extreme effort always deserves a wonderful reward…and hot baths/muscle rubs certainly fall into that category.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Here’s discounted Tiger Balm!

P90x Review – Week 1, Day 2, Plyometrics

Morning!

Well, at 4am, I got up to try the second day of P90x, Plyometrics. For me, was that ever an eyeopener!

Couple of things you should know about. One, I’ve never done any physical activity that requires an intense amount of jumping. And two, there are some things my legs simply aren’t yet strong enough to do (what with surgery recovery etc.), such as the one-legged hop in the shape of a cross.

But barring that, wow, what a super workout!! During the exercises I couldn’t do, I simply substituted front karate kicks (which I need to practice anywhos). And during the exercises that were too difficult, I just backed off on the intensity and kept on going.

Quite frankly, I was astounded at how one’s body can move. True, true, I know, newsflash Barbara! But seriously, I never realized that I could rotate my body 180 degrees while in the air…I never figured I could leap from side to side, etc. What an eyeopener that was!

My favorite part of Plyo was the kick-over-the-chair exercise. I need to improve my crescent kicks anywhos in karate….and these were perfect! First one leg, then the other, over the back of a chair…and I was even able to maintain a good chamber during it. Wheeee! I think I’m really looking forward to the Karate Kempo part of P90x later on in the week.

And thus closes Day 2. I think I’m going to take a nice hot bath now – see ‘ya!

Barbara

ps – Why not try P90x yourself?

Oscillating massagers, aching thighs and acupressure, oh my!

Morning,

Well, it’s almost 1am and I cannot sleep. There is a slight (oh so slight!) possibility that I might have overdone my physical therapy a weeeeee bit (about as “weeeee” as a redwood tree) early today.

Today, all I did (really!) was unassisted chinups thru the day (I can do 3 at a shot, wheeee!), walked a mile very slowly, and did some slow glute stretches for my right leg. That’s it! But let me tell you now, all sides of my right thigh feel like they’re made of concrete with perhaps a bit of fossilized sand thrown in for good measure. I even took 2 hot baths (generally the ultimate of curealls!) to no avail.

So…I figured it was time to be gentle to myself. Back about a decade or so, my husband and I bought this rather nifty oscillating acupressure massager called a Tamiko – it features an acupressure point that you can use to really dig into your muscles. I just spent 10 minutes loosening up my legs and slathering on the tiger balm…finally the aches are starting to dissipate.

This massager is a godsend for anyone who needs to direct pressure to specific muscular areas! Alas, the company went out of business, and I haven’t been able to find one again. Wah. But wow, acupressure can really be a benefit when your exercising gets you down.

Time to build websites,

Barbara

ps – want some massagers? Consider:

Went back to karate yesterday and…

Morning!

Yes, I have proven it to myself – I am capable of returning to karate and actually NOT doing any of it but simply sitting it out, observing my kids, and enjoying it greatly. My gosh, I didn’t realize quite how much I have missed participating in it these past 8 days!

I watched 2 advanced classes and then my beloved kendo/swords class. It was truly a pleasure simply seeing the other students and senseis go thru the moves and trying to secure them in my mind for when my recovery is complete.

This showed me that even when you are incapable of doing a favored sport or activity, you can still simply witness the class and feel part of it again. It’s a great feeling.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – more karate goodies!

The ultimate of Star Wars humor!

Now, as anyone who knows me will testify, I adore Star Wars – I find the whole series to be a marvelous melding of self-knowledge, inner strength and the ultimate fight between good and evil. I even built a sales site for Star Wars long long ago, and came up with a rather nifty color-coded plot description as well, the Evolution of a Jedi.

That being said, I’m a sucker for truly superb Star Wars humor. I managed to inhale my soup a few moments ago when my daughter showed me:

OMIGOSH, it’s hysterical!! I couldn’t believe how hilarious they were. Definitely check them out!

And of course, one cannot forget

Star Wars mythology is an extremely fascinating area to explore. Some of my favorite sites are:

For me, I’ll always remember the time when I was 14 years old and played Luke’s theme virtually perfect in concert band (I, who was shy beyond belief), and then later in college, when I entered a different time-space continuum during our Star Wars marching band performance. I’ve always equated Star Wars with one’s own personal hero’s journey….and the way that brings peace to one’s life.

It’s truly a masterpiece.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – want great Star Wars stuff? Consider:

Standing at a crossroads in life

I’ve been learning so much about myself during this past week of recovery that my head is spinning. Some of the knowledge includes:

  • No matter what got thrown at me, I could handle it
  • I’m in better health now than I was in my 20s – my standing heartrate is 65 or so
  • My recovery rate is extraordinary
  • Even when faced with fear, I refused to cower and tackled everything I had to to the best of my abilities

What does this mean for me?

Well, personally, Barbara Ling wise, it means that I can still master physical activities that I had never given myself the permission to succeed in before.

So I’m wondering…on what should I focus?

  • Earning a black belt in karate?
  • Getting skilled in aikido?
  • Mastering kendo?
  • Learning Brazilian Jui-jitsu?

I now know without a shadow of a doubt that I can excel and overcome any physical challenges in any of the above.

Side note here – I’m debating about getting the p90X package. Everyone raves about how difficult it is, and how you need to take their “test” first to see if it’s for you.

I found a copy of that test and while I can’t go thru it now, I asked myself how I would have done before surgery. I can do:

  • 3 pullups (minimum is 1)
  • Vertical leap is 5″ (minimum is 3)
  • Toe touch is 0″ (minimun is -6)
  • Wall squat is 1.5 minutes (minimum is 1 minute)
  • Bicep curls is at least 18 with 25 pounds (min for women is 10 curls with 8 pounds)
  • Abs Ins and outs are 35 (minimum is 25)
  • And I easily did the jumping jacks thingee in karate class awhile back.

So…methinks I could probably handle this program. And that got me thinking about the whole, what art do I want to master?

It’s kinda sorta great to have the confidence to think this way.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – p90x can be found like so:

Graduated to a cane, healing going well

Morning!

Well, yesterday saw me graduate to using a cane for my hobbling about. I’m pleased to say it appears that I’m healing relatively well, but of course, I’m making darned sure I don’t push it!!

Yesterday was spent being actually quiet (ha ha! Yes! It did happen! I was quiet!) and resting and designing graphical banners for The Safe and Smart Internet Weight Loss Edge and …well, you know, that sorta stuff. Today I have to write a few ezine issues and then start promoting it to the waiting world. The fun never stops!

Speaking of canes, did you know you can use a cane for self-defense? It’s really quite an extraordinary weapon (especially in the hands of a master). Here are some neat sites about that:

I had the pleasure of taking a cane class from my karate dojo awhile back, and wow, it was great! I hope to attend it again.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – More canes!

Self-defense and being knocked flat on your rear

Morning,

Yesterday I had my last class in women’s self-defense, and let me tell you, it was utterly eye-opening to the extreme.

I’d like to urge everyone reading (men and women alike!) to take a self-defense class (mine was given by our local police); the common-sense taught on how NOT to become a victim in the first place is worth its weight in gold. And the striking techniques are also extremely useful as well, in that they show you you ARE capable of hitting strongly and with focus. ‘course, in a real life situation, things will be starkly different…but at least you’ll have a glimpse of what options are out there.

My last class had our two instructors take us one by one in a darkened room and attack us for what seemed like 5 minutes. I did decently until the last minute; when one of the guys grabbed me to trip me up, I hung on…and then was neatly flung to the ground and pinned. Talk about astonishment – this guy weighed 200 pounds and I simply could not move whatsoever. I was neutralized in the blink of an eye.

In hindsight, it happened so quickly I didn’t have the chance to react. But that can’t be right either – I had the chance alright, but I didn’t recognize that fact and make use of it! Afterwards, I thanked the instructor – it was really an eyeopening experience. I need to get better with my techniques.

Thus, I’ve been researching lots of self-defense sites online, and have come across the following great resources:

Do yourself a favor and check them out – what you learn today could be the difference between survival and not tomorrow.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – here are some more self-defense goodies:

Taking back control and refusing to yield

You know, I really adore my martial arts and self defense classes – the information and knowledge I’m learning there is just plain gold.

I had a very interesting discussion with a sensei yesterday about fighting and how not to panic when the stress levels are high. When you’re in the heat of the moment, it’s natural to let emotions overcome you…but that’s the path to utter conquest and failure to boot.

A knife or a stick by itself is of no threat to you. It’s the opponent’s skill level/commitment that makes them dangerous…but it’s also much more than that as well.

Disagreements, fights, etc., take place between two people…and it’s often the mental outlook that will tip the scales over in one direction or another. You need to refuse to give over control of yourself to another person…you need to proactively CHOOSE NOT to be passive victim.

This means…when you’re in a stressful situation, you have to mentally distance yourself and say, okay, here’s what’s happening, I will remain calm and in control and I will deal with it to the best of my abilities. Verbalize! This helps you breathe and keeps panic down – tell the other person they will NOT do whatever and this problem ends NOW. True, that might not halt the escalation, but you’re already gaining an edge by showing you’re not a passive victim, you’re not going down without a fight.

I want to urge all readers to look up self-defense online…and contact your police department and see if any self-defense/womens self defense classes are offered. Getting stressed out and experiencing danger in a controlled situation is extremely useful in helping you internalize how you can retain control during altercations and confrontations…and it might give you the skills you’ll need to survive and escape.

Here are some great resources:

Women’s Self Defense

Safety for Women

Kids Self Defense

No Nonsense Self Defense

The truth is, we do live in a scary world sometimes…and it’s up to each person to learn techniques for dealing with scary situations. When you’re in a life/death situation, the only person upon whom you can count…is yourself. So make it worth counting.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Some great self-defense resources are:

Lightning-fast reflexes in the morning!

Here’s a funny parenting thing.

I had to awaken my daughter early this morning. After she left her room, she hid right by my room with the nefarious plan of jumping out and scaring me.

Well! I walked out, didn’t see her, did see something move towards my face, and executed a perfect(I mean utterly perfect) karate block without thinking.

My gosh, was she startled and surprised (I had enough control to pull my block back before I made contact with her face)! “Mom, you were supposed to be scared, not prepared!”

Mommy rules! :)

Barbara

ps – I personally hate scary movies. These are much better: