Today my husband Rich had breakfast in Knoxville with our daughter Mars & her boyfriend Logan. This is the result of years of hard work for everyone involved. Mars had misophonia as an aspect of her severe OCD, and this led to years of intense disruption to the relationship between her & her dad. Many … Continue reading “HOPE is a Four-Letter Word”
Written by Gail Mader
Ashiatsu Massage Demo So early on in the challenge my sit-up numbers skyrocketed. This is why. I’m training in ashiatsu massage. A few weeks into the challenge, once I realized my numbers were causing some confusion, I told sensei that I wouldn’t count the crunches from giving massage. I went back and deleted all the … Continue reading “Ashiatsu Massage”
Written by Elinor Silack
This weekend I was lucky enough to fly to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to compete in the Isshinryu Hall of Fame tournament. The team competing was me, Lucas, Eliana, Clark, Donovan, Gabe, Bekka, Gail, Sensei Debord, and Sensei. 3 days before the tournament I injured my thumb during sparring practice. I was devastated because I thought there … Continue reading “Isshinryu Hall of Fame”
Written by Gail Mader
My students helped me celebrate my birthday by doing 52 sprawls with me! I teach LesMills BodyCombat every Monday and Wednesday morning. This 55-minute high intensity cardio class is one reason I started training in karate in 2017. I became certified in BodyCombat in 2015. It pulls moves from various martial arts (karate, tae kwon … Continue reading “Birthday Sprawls”
Written by Gail Mader
“Finding my battle rhythm” is a phrase my client uses often. A 25-year Air Force veteran, she served half her time supporting special operations and 3 years in combat zones. It’s simply the way she thinks. Efficiency is using time wisely and being strategic includes rest to increase efficiency, according to my friend. We are … Continue reading “Finding my Battle Rhythm”
Written by Gail Mader
The last few days this Isshinryu code has come to mind. As the energy required to continue the challenge continues to grow, the balancing of finding rest among pockets of time as I continue the training feels draining. I’m grateful to have had 3 out-of-town visits in as many days. I’m grateful I am able … Continue reading “The Manner of Drinking & Spitting is Either Hard or Soft”
Written by Gail Mader
I’ve chosen my personal goal: to complete my application for my Tennessee massage license. My Delaware license did not transfer (there was no reciprocity). I did not know if I wanted to continue practicing massage when we moved here 2 years ago, so I let my license lapse. In the last 6 months, I’ve begun … Continue reading “My Personal Goal”
Written by Elinor Silack
The kata that I have chosen to do 1000 times is Chinto. I have a few reasons for picking this kata. The main reason being that I like how challenging it is because of the length and the double jump kick. I remember when I first began training, I would watch all of the older … Continue reading “1000 Reps of Kata”
Written by Avi Martens
I’ve officially finished the first week of my black belt test! Honestly, it’s kind of crazy doing this. I’ve been in karate for 7 years, and truthfully, being a black belt always felt a bit unattainable, like something that only happens in movies or to the adults that teach class. But after I moved to … Continue reading “First Week Down”
Written by Gail Mader
So I began the One Heart Challenge on June 1. When Sensei Oliver invited me to join the challenge along with Elinor and Avi, I was grateful and yet scared. I know how much of my life I focused on preparing for my shodan test. It literally took an army of people to support me … Continue reading “The Journey Begins”
