Posts Tagged ‘karate’

I finished my sparring requirements this evening and I am officially a Nikyu, or second-degree brown belt, in Shuri-ryu Karate.
Next week I’ll start learning a new kata called Bassai Dai, and I’ll be going through several more requirements for my next few stripes as I work toward Ikkyu, or first-degree brown belt. My goal is [...]

Karate has been quite eventful this summer. Every time I tie on my belt and bow onto the mat, it amazes me how far I’ve come in the two years I’ve been studying.
Earlier this month, my sensei named me Senpai of our dojo. This is loosely translated as senior student, but when used as a [...]

We’re just about halfway through the year, so I thought I’d revisit some of the goals I’d set for myself for this year.
Goal 1: Cut 20 more pounds by October 1st.
So far not so good, but I’ve still got all summer to run. The knee is feeling better, so I may give it a shot [...]

That’s the sound my left knee makes. I’m assuming that’s not a good thing.
I worry it’s the result of a sparring match in karate class last week. I went in for a kick to my opponent’s ribs, and he raised his knee to block. The top of my shin, about an inch or so below [...]

The New Year is starting with promise.
At the moment I’ve got two contracts in progress, one on the verge of signing and the other under discussion. One’s a reprint, but the other is something I’m rather excited about and I look forward to being able to talk about it. It will also be nice to [...]

Personally, 2008 wasn’t so bad. On the fitness side, I started a running program over the summer and enjoyed moderate success. In the martial arts, I earned my green and then purple belts in Shuri-ryu karate, and I read some great books on the subject. I may not have lost a ton of weight like [...]

“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
I don’t know the original source, but my old man says it all the time. He’ll say it when we’re trying to decide whether or not to bring something on a trip, or when we’d try to throw away some old [...]

Miss Walker Go Pei Sho
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.

The Academy of Okinawan Karate hosted their winter tournament last Saturday, and I took several pictures, most of which you can find here.
Once again, I just took pictures and did not compete. I’m just not a big fan of tournaments, or of paying for the privilege of looking [...]

Back when I first learned the kata Naihanchi Sho, I didn’t find a lot of examples of it on YouTube. However, I recently started reading a book called Shotokan’s Secret: The Hidden Truth Behind Karate’s Fighting Origins and learned the Shotokan guys have a different name for the kata: Tekki.
I did a search for Tekki, [...]

New Blue Belt
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.
It’s been 11 months since I first earned my blue belt and left my son in the dust, but he’s finally earned his new rank and he’s wearing it proudly. Friday night he didn’t even want to take it off, as if he were treating it like a new black [...]