Shuri-Ryu
« Previous EntriesI Love My New Camera
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008Sai Master
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
I’ve not played with it a lot yet, but I’m already in love with my new Canon EOS Rebel XSi. It’s pictures are light years ahead of what my old PowerShot G2 could accomplish (not unexpected), and it amazes me how much faster it is in everything from starting up to [...]
Rockin’ the Green Belt
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008I made green belt tonight! The official title is gokyu, which roughly translates to fifth-level student. Purple and three levels of brown belts are still ahead.
I’m eager to learn my next kata, Naihanchi sho:
It looks like a fun kata to learn and perform, but it also lets me geek out about karate history and my [...]
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Friday, April 4th, 2008Ten years ago, if you told me to get up at 6am to go for a run, I would have laughed in your face.
Ten years ago, if I had told my friends or family I was going to get up at 6am to go for a run, they would have laughed in my face.
Yesterday, I [...]
Done Already?
Sunday, March 30th, 2008Spring Break is officially over. I work in education so I got the week off, but it went by so fast it felt like just another weekend. It was one of those weeks I was constantly on the move, out running around for one reason or another or working on things at home. Today we [...]
Run for Your Life
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008Tomorrow, Troy and I officially start the Cool Running Couch-to-5k Running Program. The late cold weather delayed us several times this month, but now it looks like weather for both of us will be more cooperative this week and we’re going to get started. Anyone else feel like joining us?
I spent some time the last [...]
Shuri-ryu: Year One
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008Karate Moleskine
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of my Shuri-ryu karate training at the Academy of Okinawan Karate.
It amazes me how far I’ve come in just one year. In addition to losing a lot of weight, my stances have become longer and lower, my kicks have gotten higher, and my techniques have [...]
Smoke Blog: Sancho Panza
Monday, March 3rd, 2008I bought a six-pack sampler of lonsdales from Famous Smoke last week, thinking they would be the ideal size for late winter and early spring smoking. Last night that proved a sound theory when I lit up the box-pressed Sancho Panza included in the sampler.
The weekend weather teased us, hitting about sixty degrees yesterday afternoon [...]
Ode to the Cup
Friday, February 29th, 2008The man who invented the athletic cup is my hero.
I did get my second green stripe last night, but then I spent a good ten minutes as an attacker while one of our purple belts demonstrated his self defenses. Several of these involve snap kicks, hammer fists, or rear thrust kicks to the groin.
If I [...]
Plateaus
Thursday, February 28th, 2008I hit a definite plateau in my weight loss recently, holding the same weight from late December through the middle of February. I thought I was going to have to start the running program before I saw any change, but then I got sick. That fever and infection knocked seven pounds off me in a [...]
A Year in Pictures
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008What a difference a year makes.
Despite falling behind on my 52 Weeks Flickr group contributions, I now have an entire year’s worth of self portraits in my 52 Weeks set. Sure, I’ve got 8 more to post, but time-wise there’s a year in there and it’s neat looking back and seeing if things have changed [...]