Category: Fitness & Well Being

Kids Do The Damndest Things…

It’s no secret that having children significantly changes a person’s life. For the most part, having children involves sacrificing a significant portion of one’s previous existence in favour of one that accommodates the needs of the child. While many people boast that having kids shouldn’t change your life, the reality is radically different. The ability to come and go as you please without worrying about babysitting, attending locations that allow children and saving significant time and money are just a few things that change drastically. But even some of the more simple things, that don’t involve any of the aspects named above, can be painfully changed.

One significant example for me, is the ability to train, meditate and sleep at my leisure. In my case, my boys are old enough now that we’re no longer woken at the absolute buttcrack of dawn to a squalling infant who needs direct and immediate attention. But they hinder in other ways. Cue an incident from last week, when I needed to catch up on some kata work I was contemplating. Setting aside for a moment the fact that I’m roughly 3,500 kilometres from my Sensei and get very little correction, I focus my time polishing my forms and kata using Uechi Sensei’s original instructional textbook and the few video clips from Sensei that I have. But the challenge of staying polished is significant, in the absence of an actual dojo to attend.

On this particular date, I had made a point of letting my wife know that I had some kata work to be done and that I would skip supper in favour of getting a workout in before I sat down and the cement dried on my evening. My oldest was camped out on the basement floor where he usually spends his downtime, albeit a ways away from my training area. So, THAT was fine. The problem is usually the 5-year old. Now, I get it… Daddy’s home, he’s been gone all day, a kid wants to see his father. I not only get it but I understand it. But as I’ve often written before, in order for me to take care of others, I need to start by taking care of myself. And taking care of myself means karate.

I had just changed into my karate gi, when my youngest came barrelling downstairs demanding hugs. Okay, hugs delivered. After all, what kind of father would deny his small child a hug? But then, I got down to brass tacks and clearly outlined that he needed to allow me to train or head back upstairs. He wanted to stay downstairs, so I listed three very clear and simple rules for the 30 minutes that would follow:

  1. No talking or loud noises.
  2. No wrestling or fighting with your older brother.
  3. Absolutely NO walking into my training area until I was done.

The premise was simple; I needed quiet to focus and concentrate on my kata. Otherwise, distraction leads to mistakes, mistakes lead tot imperfect form, imperfect form leads to incorrect technique in the event I ever need to defends myself. I stretched and started some simple warm-up exercises, which were going fine. The boys were huddled in my oldest’s corner, mumbling quietly to each other. Fan-fuckin’tastic. Then, right as I was in the middle of the first kata, they both bolted upstairs. Within seconds, there was yelling, crying and fighting on the stairs landing. My concentration broke and my temper flared. I crossed the floor to the bottom of the steps to determine what the hell was going on.

Setting aside that such things can distract me, and I don’t anyone commenting on that fact, they were fighting over who would go outside to move our recycling bin to the road for the following day. Of all things, these little weasels were arguing over who would GET to perform a chore their mother had given. It didn’t take me long to get them in line but the damage had been done. I gave the younger one his things that he had brought downstairs and instructed him to stay out of the basement. I fumed for several minutes and tried to perform some cleaning breathing exercises before throwing in the towel and runnning out to the garage and by ringing off 30 minutes on the punching bag, instead.

When my workout was done and I was sweaty, tired and breathing hard, I sat down on one of the comfy chairs I keep out there, lit a stick of incense and took some time to reflect on what had just happened. Should I have given up so easily? having somewhat remedied the situation, could I not have simply continued my kata workout in the house? A big part of the problem, is I allowed my temper to get the best of me. A positive is that I took it out on the punching bag, which is a darn good way of directing that negative energy. But weighing out the difference between the time I would lose trying to bring myself back to a calm focused point, or simply channeling that energy into a different type of workout became the key point that made the bag more worthwhile.

Children have a direct and significant impact on everything we do, and this includes training. When it comes to something you do as a lifestyle, like martial arts, this can pose some interesting challenges. I’ve introduced my children to martial arts on more than one occasion. The oldest wants nothing to do with it and my youngest usually doesn’t want to focus on technique only wants to spar. Which can be fine in small doses. My point is, as important as it is to make the necessary sacrifices for one’s children, taking proper care of oneself is equally as important. In some cases, even more so. This is because, as I’ve mentioned frequently in the past, one cannot help care for others if they haven’t taken care of themselves first.

So, taking time for yourself to train and practice is important, whether it means setting clear boundaries or training away from home. An important detail is to have a plan “B” in the event your intended workout goes belly up and you have to use an alternative. It’s not always ideal but it’s better than skipping the training. And once you’ve managed to have that “you” time and take care of your training, you can certainly roll around on the floor and play with the kids to your heart’s content. After all, kids won’t understand that you need that time to yourself once in a while. And it’ll be a few years yet before my boys start to realize the importance and have some level of understanding and acceptance. In the meantime, I just need to keep training in whatever way I can. ☯️

No Water Or Food In The Dojo… Important Lesson Or Unnecessarily Harsh?

When I used to train in my home dojo, there was a hard and fast rule that carried all the way until the day Sensei closed the doors; no food or drink in the dojo. For the most part, this seems pretty reasonable. His rationale was that those two hours were his to teach, and taking the time to eat or drink detracted from that time. Further, the eating of food during a karate lesson shows disrespect for those who were sweating and putting in the effort while you sat at the back, wolfing down whatever you may have brought.

There were some exceptions to this rule, of course. My black belt test was an all-day affair, lasting nearly eight hours. It would be categorically inhumane to expect a person, especially someone with Type-1 Diabetes, to go an entire day without food. But for the majority and all regular classes, Sensei would limit the allowance of food or drink past the boundary of the dojo door. This included parents or spectators, who would often bring their coffees in. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to go ask parents to step out and finish their coffee elsewhere or get rid of it.

I never questioned the reasoning behind this rule until I got older and started teaching myself. After all, I had a bit of a carte blanche to step out and treat lows, if I had to. So I had more leeway than some of the other students. I never saw it as a benefit or an advantage; just another part of my condition that needed to be addressed. But in essence, Sensei held the belief that one needed to be able to control their needs for the short, two-hour period that we were in class. One could have a sip of water in anticipation of the class, even consume as much as they wanted after. But the discipline required for those two hours included abstaining from food or drink. It would be loosely comparable to being in the middle of a real fight, where you ask your opponent to pause for a moment so you can grab some water. Wouldn’t make much sense.

The other aspect is the sheer distraction it can cause students. And for this, I have a perfect example. Just a few short years ago, I was training in a dojo as a guest. I won’t disrespect this dojo by naming it; suffice it to say I haven’t trained there in a few years. We were having a weekend class with plenty of students present. We were in the second half of class when my nose detected something familiar. Off to the side, not ten feet from me, one of the students was standing there eating a fast-food burger from a paper bag. Having arrived late for class, he opted to finish up his meal in the dojo instead of skipping class. While I can admire the dedication, one does not gain much by standing there eating instead of training.

But the more important detail is the overall effect it had on the class. Within minutes, most students could smell the tempting aroma of fried meat and condiments. Almost as soon as I detected the smell, my stomach responded with a series of audible grumbles, indicating that if I valued my life, I would get us some of that! The effect was distracting and made it challenging to focus on the lesson while most of us now had to contend with an unexpected hunger pang. In my old dojo, Sensei would have definitely told this student to leave the dojo until he had finished his meal. Of course, Sensei also didn’t allow for late arrivals. If you couldn’t be on time, better not to show up. Come to the next class instead.

This raises the question that is the whole point I do this post: Should food or drink be permitted in the dojo? Certainly, and strictly from a discipline and traditional standpoint, the answer would be no. But in all reality, we live in a world of Starbucks soccer moms and people addicted to their coffees and snacks. The thought that a parent will sit for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning watching their child practice without their hot cup of java is practically ludicrous. But then, it also raises the question about the parent showing the same level of discipline and restraint as they hope to instil in their child through this training.

So what do you think? As personal health and wellbeing is pretty important these days, staying hydrated is quite important. This raises the same question about food or drink, once again. I would still be inclined to believe that one should be able to go a couple of hours without a sip. Plus, having water or food during a karate lesson can have detrimental effects. Burping, indigestion, water and/or food sloshing around your gut while you’re trying to train… It can cause quite a bit of discomfort and nausea, leading to inherent distractions all their own. My personal take would be to leave the food and drink for after the class. Especially since most classes these days only seem to be for an hour or so. Some traditions are best kept. Food, but not in the dojo, for thought… ☯️

That White Gi Needs Some Colour…

I saw a pretty interesting post recently that got me thinking. And I really wish I had saved the post so that I could have shared it here but the way things go for me is, I’ll read or see something of interest and move on. Over the course of a few days, I’ll dwell and think about what I read, which will elicit the drafting of a post. By then, I’ve forgotten where i saw the source information, which shouldn’t be surprising given the number of martial arts pages I’m subscribed to. but, on to the meat and potatoes…

The post I read spoke about how karate isn’t;t pretty. It isn’t about flashy kicks and fancy techniques, looking good or breaking boards. Karate is brutal, effective and to the point. Karate is intended to defend oneself and inherently stop the threat in the most efficient, quickest and brutal manner possible to prevent a continuation of the threat. People pictured their favourite action star and assume that a real fight with a karateka will involve some fancy footwork and graceful dispatch of their opponent.

In reality, someone genuinely seeking to defend themselves or others will take the shortest path between two points. They’ll strike the groin. They’ll gouge eyes. They’ll break bones and render their opponent unconscious. Because at the end of the day, I, or any other traditional practitioner, don’t want the fight to linger or last one second longer than it has to. I can guarantee that none of us wanted to be in the fight to begin with, and likely didn’t instigate it. I can’t speak for everyone else, of course. But in my experience, traditional karate practitioners will carry a “walk away rather than fight” mentality.

In reality, this doesn’t take away from the level and intensity of training required in order to have those skill sets. And this brings my colourful title (pun intended) into play. Sensei used to say that a practitioner whose gi was always Snow White and never had a blemish was probably in the back painting their nails instead of practicing karate. The point was that learning karate in its true form invovles a lot of things that people don’t realize. Injuries, cuts, abrasions and wounds are common. never intentional, mind you, but it’s hard to train to your full capability without the occasional injury or slip up.

A landed hook punch while sparring will cause a nose to gush blood with the best of them. A grappling match will tear and rend fabric, causing holes, wear marks and damaged uniforms. An old adage of traditional karate is that a black belt will eventually turn white. This comes from prolonged and frequent wear and tear, which exposes the while fabric core under the black. The same happens to your gi. And your flesh.

That’s kind of the point. I’ve lost count of how many times one of my fellow students punched me in the face or stomped my toes. Hell, back in ‘23, a black belt managed to fracture three of my ribs during a scored sparring match. The jury’s out, but I’ve maintained that it’s both our faults. I should have blocked and he should have had better control. But shit happens in the heat of the moment during training and accidents WILL happen.

You can’t train in tradition martial arts without getting literal blood, sweat and tears on your uniforms. And you’ll never get anywhere without breaking nails, bleeding and going home with the occasional shiner that will have your mother have a stroke and ask “WHO DID THIS TO YOU???” Ahem,… jus’ sayin’… Totally not recounting previous childhood experiences. But this is an important aspect to keep in mind if you’re on the hunt for a place to train. If you walk in and the instructors all have a pristine gi with no stitching, tears or yellow blood anywhere, if they’re black belts are pristine and black as coal, there’s a good chance the workouts are shit.

This isn’t a universal rule, of course. But it’s a good standard to bear in mind. As I started out by saying, karate isn’t meant to be a sport. It isn’t meant to be pretty, graceful or fancy. It’s meant to be brutal, effective and destructive. And one does not forge a perfect sword without first passing the steel through the fire. Much the same is true of karateka. We aren’t for the faint of heart. Food for thought as you all keep training. Stay healthy, my friends… ☯️

Slow And Steady Wins My Race…

I may have written about this before. Who knows? At this point in my life, I can’t keep half my fuckin’ shit straight with planners and calendars, so I can’t say much. But I wanted to touch on a significant change in lifestyle that I’ve had over recent years that has played a pretty major role in my overall health and wellbeing. It’s something most people don’t recognize or acknowledge within themselves but I’ve been fortunate enough to grab onto it. I’m talking about slowing down…

To be clear, I don’t mean slow down while driving. I still exist in a perpetual state of heavy-footed goodness and I don’t envision that changing anytime soon. And light help you if you slow down in front of me WHILE I’m driving behind you. But I digress… No, I mean slowing down in the sense of approaching the daily grind on a much slower scale. For decades, I spent every morning where I would it the ground running and keep up the pressure and speed until my head hit the pillow at the end of the day.

Certainly as one begins to get older, one recognizes that there’s an inherent value in seeing the importance of slowing down. As a child, I used to become incensed whenever I would walk with my mother, because she would shuffle along at a slow gait that took twice and often three times the amount of time that normal walking should. She had no health issues or problems that caused this, she simply chose to go that slow. I would often try to coax her along, to which she would usually reply, “There’s no hurry and this is a fast as I’m going. So you can deal with or you can slow down with me.”

For decades, it drove me nuts because I always felt like I had to get the task done so I could move on to the next one as quickly as possible. I often lacked the vision that my mother had, where there was nowhere we NEEDED to be and we could take our time; something people very rarely see. By virtue of this, she would often be of the opinion that there was nowhere need to hurry, since the task would get done regardless. I never recognized the importance of this until the past few years.

As a law enforcement officer, I always had somewhere to be and someone’s wellbeing often depended on how quickly I would respond. Stands to reason. Even in the more administrative side of things, I was always rushing, in a harassed state, and striking the panic button when my tasks became many. No matter what job I held or what position it entailed, I would often be at work nearly an hour before my scheduled time, putting in extra work, rushing to get things done early and stressing myself beyond reason.

In recent years, I’ve changed gears. Now, when I wake up in the morning, I spend the first ten minutes sitting at my desk instead of rushing to shower, shave and dress. I start the morning with those first few sips of caffeine, take my meds (Diabetic bullshit) and check my news feeds. I usually touch on a few daily tasks in some of the games I play on my devices, since I can’t do this at work. Then, in the comfort of my jammies, I prepare my work bag and my lunch and start to move towards a hot shower and slowly get dressed, often while sharing “good mornings” with one and/or both of my sons, who usually don’t sleep in even if they’re perfectly positioned to do so.

Once ready, I make my way to my vehicle where I casually make my way towards the office. Music playing and sun shining, I focus on the songs and not on what work tasks may be waiting for me once I arrive. I think and look forward to the more pleasant aspects that I’ll experience towards the end of my day, including having dinner with my wife, playing with my children or just flat out relaxing at home. The difference is I walk into work with a sense of purpose but without being pent up with stress that hasn’t yet been justified or needed.

The results I’ve seen include less tress, more calm, less irritability towards my colleagues and staff and it contributes to lower overall blood pressure. Too many people spend their lives dealing with a state of hypertension due to job-related stress. While it’s important to have coping mechanism outside the job to deal with that stress, and I’m not talking drinking or smoking but things like meditation, relaxation exercises or even things like gardening or sitting out on a deck and watching nature, how you approach you day and address it go was a long way, as well. One should never have to “get through” or “face” their day. It’s far more important to experience the day, or live it. This will contribute to better overall health and much better outlook on life. Food for thought… ☯️

Don’t Stress About It…

Ahh, stress… Like a constant, unwanted passenger on an otherwise uncomfortable ride. Everybody experiences stress in some given way, shape or form over the course of their lives. In many ways, without even realizing it, but there are no exceptions. While not inherently a good thing, most folks don’t realize that stress is a normal function of the body and is usually the response to a significant change or challenge that pops up on you.

According to WebMD, which I love to peruse. “When you feel stressed, your body releases certain hormones. […] The hormones your body releases when you’re stressed get you ready to meet the challenge or demand in your environment. During the stress response, your body gets ready to flee or fight by increasing your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure.” Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Something that preps you for the challenge you’re about to face?

The point, and the article touches on this, is that stress, in controlled amounts, helps us to get things done and accomplish tasks. Without stress, we’d be left with a “fuck it” mentality where most of us would accomplish very little. The problems arise from being in a stressed state constantly or semi-permanently. The problems arise is that prolonged periods of stress can affect the entire body and mind. It’s taken a lot of decades for people to wake up and realize that emotion and mental health plays a huge part in physical health.

On the emotional side, prolonged periods of stress may cause unusual bouts of emotion, good or bad, sadness, depression, restlessness, short term memory issues and issues focusing long enough to meet your goals or get things done. A lot of this actually sounds like symptoms of poorly controlled Diabetes. Imagine that? And I know for a fact THAT shit is stressful! But an important thing to keep in mind is that every person deals with stress differently. While something may be a big deal to one person, it may come off as nothing at all to another.

On the physical side, there’s a lovely grocery list of potential symptoms that may arise from prolonged stress. These symptoms apply to so many things that one may be experiencing stress while simultaneously thinking they’re just unwell. I’m talking about headaches, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, muscle and joint pain, increased heart rate and blood pressure, fitfully breathing, upset stomach and/or diarrhea and loss of sexual desire. Sounds fun, eh? Pair that with the fact that prolonged stress affects your overall immune system, making it easier to get sick. Also sounds like Type-1 Diabetes.

Ultimately, there a varying forms of stress, not just the emotional or physical, and there can be long-term, permanent effects to prolonged or “chronic” stress. The challenge is in recognizing it and taking steps to address it and manage it in a healthy way. Personally, I’m likely the worst in taking steps to address stress. I’m more of a “jump towards the threat head-on” kind of guy. The result is that I’ll often fight my way through stress instead of recognizing and addressing it. The problem with this is that stress releases a bunch of hormones into the body that can significantly increase blood sugars; cortisol being among them. As I’ve often mentioned before, EVERYTHING affects a Type-1 Diabetic’s blood sugars.

At the end of the day and as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, stress is normal. There’s no getting away from it. But staying healthy depends on how you address it and deal with it. When speaking with others, I’ve often compared getting through a period of increased stress to falling into a river with strong current. If you try to swim against the current or get directly out of the water, you’ll likely exhaust yourself and drown. But if you swim with the flow and slowly make your way to the outer edge, you’ll likely exhaust can manage your way to safety. Stress is very much the same. Food for thought… ☯️

Clothes Can Make The Man…

Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon and fills my comments section with hate, this post is intended for everyone, not just men. The title is just what the saying is. Aw, who am I kidding??? No one comments on my posts! But enough about me. A few years back, I posted a video on my YouTube channel (yes, I have one of those, it’s called “The Blogging Buddhist. Imagine that!) about the difference between executing techniques in the dojo versus on the street. If anyone is curious, you can watch the video here.

The jist of the video demonstrates how we train consistently in the dojo, usually wearing fitness gear or a gi, which allows for free movement, flexibility and proper execution of techniques. So what happens when you’re on the street wearing clothing that may hinder or prevent certain movements? It’s been a few years since the video and I don’t get in front of the camera a great deal these days, so I thought I’d summarize my thoughts here.

First and foremost, I got to experience this firsthand, likely more times than I can count, during my time as a police officer. Karate has saved my life in the field often enough that I became a seasoned user of the lessons I’ve learned. That’s not necessarily a good thing but here we are. And there’s nothing that hinders your free movement quite like 50 pounds of gun belt and body armour. So when I say that doing techniques in the dojo are different than doing techniques in the street, take it as gospel truth.

Let’s look at some examples. Starting from the bottom and working your way up, footwear can be both a benefit or a hindrance, depending on the technique. In the majority of dojos, the practitioner trains barefooted. I say “majority,” because I’ve seen some dojos where the students wear sneakers or Kung fu shoes. But if you’re used to executing your kicks barefooted, suddenly trying to carry out muscle memory when your tender tootsies are wrapped in a sneaker or boot can feel different and cause a difference in how you carry out the kick. This can lead to ineffective delivery or potential injury.

Pants! Gi pants are usually loose-fitting and have some give them, allowing for flexibility and fluidity of movement. Ever try to do a solid front kick wearing a pair of skinny jeans? Granted, if you’re wearing skinny jeans, you have a whole other problem. But I digress… My point is, your pants can hinder your movement and limit the height and effectiveness of your kick. This is why it may be ideal to consider either a difference in clothing or allow yourself to train with your street clothes so that you can adapt and adjust to the potential hindrance they may cause.

Tops, shirts and jackets will cause the same issue. A regular, run of the mill shirt isn’t a big deal and should cause much issue but a snug-fitting top or a thick jacket can inhibit your movements and prevent you from effectively carrying out some techniques. In our style, we have a circular middle block that is most difficult to execute while wearing a coat, since the sleeve tends to twist and hold back the arm. If your life depends on blocking an incoming attack, the last thing you want is for your movement to be hindered and potentially cause injury.

There are plenty of little details to consider, as well. Things like whether you’re carrying a purse or a backpack. Most people’s instinct is to hold on to their possessions but this can limit your free movement. Whether you’re wearing a hat or ball cap that can potentially limit your peripherals or get pulled down over your eyes, etc. While one can’t possibly think of every scenario and prepare for every contingency, these are all just things to bear in mind and that, in a self-defense scenario, you may need to decide and adjust on pretty damn quick. It’s just one way to remember that the romanticized version of karate portrayed in shows and movies are very rarely accurate and fighting in the street in the exact same way as you train in the dojo is unlikely. Food for thought…☯️

From Form To Fighting…

Over the decades, I’ve come to discover that many people, especially those who don’t study martial arts, lack appreciation for the importance of katas, or forms (whatever they may be named in one’s respective style). The problem is that to the naked eye, it will often seem as though there is no way that certain techniques learned through form would be applicable in an actual fight. As someone with almost four decades in a traditional art, I can tell you that nothing can be further from the truth.

One good example of this is Tai Chi. Most of us are familiar with Tai Chi; the Chinese martial art where you normally see the practitioner moving in slow, concentric movements that almost appear like more of a slow dance than a martial art. However, Tai Chi is a form of Kung Fu and was originally developed use as a combat style and self-defense. Over time, some styles of Tai Chi have evolved into more of a means of increasing circulation and flexibility, often focusing on more aged practitioners. But traditional Tai Chi techniques learned in this manner can be extremely effective and devastating when used in a combat scenario.

In Okinawan karate, kata is considered one’s foundation. And the entire structure of one’s ability to properly practice karate stems from that foundation. Kata focuses not only on stance and balance, but helps to develop muscle memory and techniques. Without kata, one would be essentially be flying blind and the learning process to effectively execute one’s techniques would take a significant amount of time more than simply working through form.

My experience has shown that most students aren’t fans of form. Mostly because it’s slow, formal, and doesn’t involve much of anything dynamic. Especially inn younger students who would prefer sparring or bag work, the value and concept of kata or forms can be lost on them. At least until such a time when the light clicks on and they finally get their “aha” moment. For some students, this moment never comes and what a terrible loss it is for a student ton never understand the value that form brings to their skills.

Recently, I did my first punching bag workout of the season. Since my punching bag is housed in my garage, getting out to use it depends on the weather. But I was recently able to get out there and clean out the garage and get the bag ready. It felt good to strike something with some impact. As big a fan of kata as I am, eventually, you need to develop your strength and knuckles by making an impact on an actual surface. My workout usually involves a thirty-minute timer with 1-minute intervals of striking paired with a thirty-second interval of rest in between.

As I was halfway through my circuit, I started toying with the concept of performing certain techniques on the bag in the same fashion as I would execute them in kata. This truly opened my eyes to the concept that form is not enough. As important as the foundation may be, eventually you need to build up your walls and put on a roof. Maybe it’s becoming a weak analogy but the true point here is that form is important to show you the way. Practice is what’s needed to show its effectiveness.

For the newer and younger practitioners who may be reading this, don’t sell kata short. The hour you spend doing kata may help your progress in ways you may never realize. But in the traditional martial arts, every form, every technique and every step is for a reason and serves an overall purpose in filling your self-defense toolbox. So be sure to pay attention, train hard and don’t ignore any aspect of what your style has to teach. Food for thought… ☯️

Not Just For The Movies…

I don’t generally tend to comment on things, even when it relates to something specific that I have some knowledge about. There’s never been any real value in doing so, since it usually just results in an online argument with someone far less knowledgeable who’s always willing to actively pick a fight with another person from behind the relative safety of their laptop screen. Plus, when someone believes something, it’s usually very difficult to convince them otherwise.

I don’t often get negative comments on my blog posts but everything before now and again I’ll get someone on their soap box who seems intent on picking a fight. A notable example was a few years ago when I wrote a post about proteins and the consumption of meat, only to have some die-hard vegetarian basically denigrate the entire post, accuse me of following pseudo-science and claiming I was spreading false information. In case any one of you were wondering, this is one of the driving reasons why I always include a disclaimer that I’m not a doctor in any of my health or quasi-medical posts. Bu8t I digress…

The point behind bringing this up is because I follow a number of pages online dedicated to martial arts and more specifically, karate. And it absolutely kills me when I read the number of inaccuracy’s comments made by individuals who have likely never even studied martial arts. By virtue of this and through this lens, I’d like to provide my list of most common misconceptions surrounding karate that I’ve noted over the decades.

  1. That’s a waste of time because you’d never do that in a real fight.
    I have a real problem with this kind of statement. While I can’t speak for every style, as I haven’t studied every style, nothing is wasted in karate. Every stance, every move, every strike and every technique is one piece of a significantly larger, overall puzzle that creates the muscle memory required to effectively defend yourself, should the need arise. When you see someone perform a kick straight up above their heads, the intention shouldn’t be to think “when would you ever kick someone like that?” Instead, you should consider that if the practitioner stretches and trains to kick perfectly at that height and level, it will be scores easier and more effective to perform the kick at a normal level. As I mentioned, nothing is wasted. Even if it only looks pretty and you may not use that specific technique in actual combat, it still serves a training and development purpose.
  2. Fights can go on indefinitely.
    Hmm, that a big fuckin’ no… Look, I’m a big fan of martial arts movies (normally) and I enjoy watching them as much as the next guy but real talk, here. That big fight climax at the end of the movie where the two fighters go head to head for 30 minutes or more without stopping is categorically impossible. Anyone who has ever been in a real fight will tell you that the average run time for a real fight is about two or three minutes. And karate is no exception. The amount of energy and effort it takes not only to deliver effective strikes but to block incoming attacks will have your lungs seize and your muscles go lactic after a number of minutes. Setting aside for a moment that these fight portrayals include either of the fighters taking several strikes to the head and body and yet they seem to keep fighting without interruption.
  3. Karate Doesn’t Work In Real Life/That Only Works in the Movies.
    I saved what is argumentatively not the best but the most important, for last. I’ve been fortunate to have never been severely injured during the course of my life but I have to admit that I’ve used karate A LOT! Either in the context of defending myself personally, defending others or in the course of my quasi-lengthy policing career, karate has saved my bacon (please hold all “pig” jokes) on more occasions than I can count. I’ve most often heard the argument that karate can’t stack up against other forms of “sport” combat like MMA. While I’ve never been a big fan of MMA, I’ve held a respect for it, as I would never see myself willingly sacrificing my body in that way. However, the concept of two willing participants rolling around and sweating on each other in biker shorts doesn’t quite appeal to me and doesn’t quite apply in the same self-defence context as karate would. But I digress… The bottom line is simply this: While form, karate and typically repetitive techniques may seem soft and ineffective and while one may not understand the dynamics of muscle memory and why it would help and certainly apply in a real-world context, I can confirm without any shadow of a doubt, that karate does in fact work as a martial art and a self-defence tool. I have my continued existence as proof.

That’s it for now, folks. A bit lengthy and a bit of a soap box post, but such is the way of it sometimes. The important thing to remember is not to believe everything you see in the movies but also don’t assume that martial arts doesn’t work. If anyone needs any further proof, I’m always looking for someone to train with. I’d be more than happy to share my knowledge. ☯️

Resolutions Aren’t Meant For Once A Year…

Well, here it is, folks! The last day 0f 2024. As my day dwindles on, I’m found thinking back on the past year and the things I’ve experienced, the things I’ve accomplished and the things I’ve wished for. I’ve had some happy times, some less than happy times and times when I wondered what it was actually all about. For most people, the New Year holiday represents a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to make resolutions for a better year. For me, it’s just another Wednesday. And here’s why…

When New Year’s Day hits, it’s usually the time when most people decide on resolutions to change the overall tone of their lives. These resolutions come in many forms. While some of the most common ones include things like more exercise, dieting or cutting out vices like alcohol or gambling, some can be on the more wholesome side, like reading more books, spending more time outdoors or doing at least one new thing every week. While all of this is totally well and good, the statistical majority of people who enter into a New Year’s resolution will typically give up and/or falter in their resolution within a few months. If they last that long.

This begs the question: why bother? This failure is a known fact to most people and yet, most people will still start the New Year off with, “This year, I will…” While it may sound strange coming from me, being the guy who usually promotes having goals and achieving them, I can’t help but think that perhaps a single day of the year set out as a holiday is NOT the best time to be making commitments to something else. And one shouldn’t wait UNTIL New Year’s to make said commitment. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve heard say things like “oh, I’ll cut down on sweets in the New Year,” or “I’ll start getting fit in January as my New Year’s resolution.”

There are a lot of reasons why people give up or quit their resolutions within a few months. One reason is that the holidays are probably the worst time for the year for people over-eating, drinking and lounging around watching Christmas movies and doing fuck all. It’s kind of hard to jump from that and go into a new diet or try to get yourself moving in any efficient way. Another reason, especially if your resolutions is fitness-oriented, is that it’s hard to hit the ground running in January, considering it’s usually followed by the coldest months of the year (at least here in Canada). The human body is at its lowest energy point and focusing solely on staying dry and warm. Sometimes, the drive to keep pushing physically just isn’t there.

Lastly, many people will drop their resolutions because they simply aren’t seeing results. The inherent problem with this is that fitness and health is an ongoing journey, not a destination. If your goal is to increase muscle or lose weight, it can take months or even years to achieve what you’re seeking. We live in a world of immediate gratification and most people don’t like to wait for things. So by March or April, people can become disillusioned with their goals and simply give up. Viewed through that lens, those folks should be grateful they don’t have Type-1 Diabetes; that shit never ends.

My point is, don’t wait until New Year’s to start improving upon yourself. Start today. The New Year is nothing. It’s not a “fresh” start. It isn’t the beginning of something new. It’s just another day. Simply another date on the calendar. Your life starts every day. THAT’s where your resolution begins. Not on a holiday, not as a special occasion but as a conscious decision to make the change. After all, life is like a book. We all know how the story begins and how it ends. It’s up to you how the chapters in between get written. Food for thought… Happy New Year. ☯️

What Pain Gives Gain?

I don’t think I have to explain how absolutely EVERYTHING affects a Type-1 Diabetic’s health. Blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels and other health factors are often affected by things like stress, physical activity, diet and alcohol consumption and even one’s state of mind. It can sometimes become a challenge for someone to maintain proper controls when something completely out of one’s control can affect everything. Like weather. If I do thirty minutes of heavy exercise in the comfort of my basement, no problem. If I do thirty minutes of work outside in cold, winter weather, my blood drops like fuckin’ stone in a clear lake. So given that everything affects blood sugar levels, what about pain? Could pain affect one’s blood sugars?

We should start the conversation by defining exactly what I mean by pain. Simply put, pain in today’s context is defined as the signal your body sends to your brain when trauma is caused to the body. And by trauma, I don’t mean the typical, modern definition that means having experienced something bad, although that could be included. trauma refers to the damage and/or blunt force exercised against tissue, causing damage. This can include cuts, abrasions, bruising, blunt force, burns and exposure to extreme cold. All of these things will trigger a signal from nerves to the brain, telling it that something bad is happening and that one should remove themselves from the situation. This is why people will automatically pull away from open flame or grip their arm if they suffer a cut, etc. Most of it is reflex and even those who train themselves to “fight through the pain” will have some difficulty in ignoring or overcoming the sensation.

So, how does pain play into blood sugars? I should start by clarifying that the idea started from a conversation I had with my ophthalmologist. During a recent appointment to get eye injections, (my eyes are doing great by the way. Thanks for asking!) I asked my doctor what the level would be, on a scale from 1 to 10, for me to receive the needles in my eyes without the numbing drops. He confirmed that it would likely be an 8 or 9. While he made it clear that he had never tried it or had it done on any of his patients, he working off his knowledge of pain and how it’s received by the body. He explained it would certainly be painful enough for a person to be unable to do it without the numbing drops. I was fascinated.

When I returned to my room, I realized that my blood sugar levels and increased. Not to a significant, uncontrollable level but enough to be noticeable. And it got me to ponder the question on how pain affects the blood sugars. In essence, pain is a stressor. And stressors DO affect blood sugars. While people don’t define stress quite in this way but pain causes stress and stress increases blood sugar levels. According to an article posted by the Mayo Clinic, “Physical or emotional stress triggers the release of hormones that can cause high blood sugar levels.” While the article is short and doesn’t specifically address physical pain, if we acknowledge that pain is a stressor and stressors will cause the release of hormones that will elevate blood sugars, the math does itself.

So this is mostly information and not so much a specific thing, but if you notice your blood sugar levels are running rampant and you can’t quite explain why, you may want to look at the stressors in your life, including pain. The pain that results from my eye injections is certainly something that will has an effect. Any other pain you may be suffering will also have an effect. While it may be difficult to gauge and treat your blood sugar levels based on this, it’s an important factor when considering your overall blood sugar management. Food for thought… ☯️