If someone were to ask me how this year went, my first reaction would be to call it a write-off. Then I got to thinking about it, and it actually hasn’t been so bad after all. Let’s look back, shall we?
I started the year by selling the German rights to Deadliest of the Species to [...]
Posts under ‘Shuri-Ryu’
2007: Year in Review
Wheezy No More
Feeling much better now. Karate class went well yesterday, and at the moment I’m taking a break from a last-ditch workout in hopes of hitting this month’s weight goal tomorrow morning. The burn and wheeze is gone from my chest, and while I’m feeling a bit winded after the first half hour tonight, I’m not [...]
They Call Me Wheezy
The worst of my pneumonia passed in time for the holidays, but I’m still feeling its effects in my lungs.
I’m going to have to ask the doc why. The megadose of antibiotics made short work of the fever, and I’m on a ten-day course of the stuff (last pill tomorrow). The bacteria should be good [...]
Blue Belt Karateka, White Belt Seamstress
Karate Tailor
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
I may have learned a lot of cool karate moves, but my sewing skills really need some work.
Between my own impatience and my wife having more important things to do, I decided I best start learning to sew patches on my karate uniforms myself. I did a little bit of sewing [...]
Blue Belt, Blue Kata
We just finished review week at my karate school, and I’ve officially been promoted to rokyu, or blue belt, in Shuri-ryu. With it comes a new kata called Anaku, which I learned in class yesterday and which I’ll be practicing intensely for the next few months.
You can get a look at Anaku (aka Ananku) on [...]
Big Loser
The Biggest Loser contest at work is going much better this time around. I’ve cut 3.5% of my body weight since we started, and we’ve got two more weeks to go. A lot of people haven’t been weighing in so I don’t know how my team is doing, but there are a lot of people [...]
Never Too Old
When I first started thinking about joining karate with my son, I wondered if I was too old.
I am not.
After I joined, a couple of people asked if I was too old to start learning karate.
I am not.
Today I read a 50-year-old man named Walter Miyanari just earned his black belt. The writer believes Mr. [...]
In for the Long Haul
Future Black Belt
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
Tonight I joined my dojo’s Black Belt Club. This means I’m making a commitment to earn my black belt, and I’ll get to attend some extra workouts to get help toward that goal.
It’s a longer contract, but after thinking about it for a few weeks I’ve decided that just means [...]
Heeding My Own Advice
My Yoda
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
The wife read yesterday’s blog post and says I’m full of crap. She then challenged me to try it myself.
So I did. At lunchtime, I tossed the Squirt up on my shoulders and did some karate. The Wife snapped this pic.
Two moves later, Squirt started screaming “I’m falling!” and decided my [...]
Fits and Starts
It seems like that’s the way everything’s coming these days.
In the fitness routine, my weight’s been stable for a month or so. Suddenly I’m seeing a drop again, and I finally lost another five pounds to meet last month’s goal (missed it by a day). It’s gone the same way since May: I’d shed a [...]



