Written by Broken Hand…but resolute spirit!
Sparring! A hook punch to Dirk-san’s right hip bone and one broken metacarpal. It happened so quickly just three weeks ago. “The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.” (The Code of Karate – Isshinryu, #6) About 1-minute into our 3rd or 4th two-minute sparring round, I saw the opening. Stepping right I hooked in with a swift punch but connected with Dirk-san’s hip bone rather than the target a little higher, right side rib cage. Crunch! Fifteen or twenty seconds of jumping around trying to shake the pain out of my right hand, we finished our round of sparring (though I did NOT use my right hand). It was almost comical that all three of us post-sparring, (Dirk-san got kicked in the arm and had a stinger, Ike jammed his toe) sat on the bench and depleted the dojo’s ice packs each using one. After I returned home, my hand quickly swelled up and became too painful to move. I then knew it was more than just a sprain.
As I sit here now with a cast (two weeks to go!), I still got a workout in this AM at the dojo. While Dirk-san and Ike-san got in some rounds of sparring, I did planks and got some Kusanku and Chinto kata practice. I want to spar…but I know I need to let my right hand heal.
Being right-handed, it has and continues to be a new set of challenges. But that is exactly how I see it; challenges. Nothing that is insurmountable and mostly an inconvenience, really. Little things like brushing my teeth, tying my shoes, gi and obi, typing on the keyboard, opening things and the like. I have to suck up my tendency to not ask for help and…ask for help when I need it. But it is temporary and really just a minor setback in terms of my black-belt candidacy training requirements.
My hand may be broken; but my spirit is not and I will continue to push myself to be better than yesterday and cast aside (ha! Pun intended!) some of the frustrations that comes with these challenges.
I am always there to tie your belt, sir!