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© Copyright 2006-2010 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
About Ikigai108
I am a Sandan in Okinawa Kenpo Karate and Okinawa Kenpo Kobudo of the Heilman, Odo, Nakamura lineage. I have been training for twelve years and teaching for seven. I have also been studying Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (Miura line) for three years.
The martial arts have long been a way of life for me, and I have gone through many different phases of my training (as most martial artists do). I went to tournaments for awhile and collected some shiny plastic. I learned high ranking kata, assuming they had super death-touch secrets that I needed to unlock (unlike those silly ‘beginner katas’). I watched Bruce Lee movies in awe and admiration…and the list goes on.
That’s all fun stuff, but eventually (thankfully) I found a better balance in my training. I have come into contact with some amazing teachers and continue to grow and learn so as to live up to their standard of excellence. Training has become a personal journey for me through which I endeavor to carve away all the imperfections in my technique, spirit, and character (which is why they call the martial arts a lifetime occupation!)
I decided to write reviews in the martial arts due to my academic background. I graduated from Penn State University with a BA in Professional Writing. Over the years I have published in several different venues, such as Blur (Creative Nonfiction anthology), Penn State Collegian Newspaper, Nolde Forest Outreach (public relations package), Woven With Words (published book), and hopefully in the near future, Masters Magazine. Writing about the martial arts has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, so I decided to put that energy to good use and offer up some reviews.
I work in writing and marketing full-time at Classic Wines, an online resource for wine ratings, wine prices, and wine reviews.
Likes: reading & writing (but not so much rithmatic), feeling that ahh-ha! moment in the martial arts, comedy shows on tv, browsing youtube.
Dislikes: puffy chested martial artists of any style, closed minds, dishonesty, reality tv, stories that end with ‘you had to be there.’
On a final note, for those who are curious and hung in there through my bio, I chose the name “Ikigai” because it is a term that I consider significant. It roughly means ‘that which makes your life worth living,’ but it’s a very slippery and thought-inducing concept. Look into it if you’ve got a slow day at the office or something; use that google all the kids talk about these days.
Email Ikigai 108.
About Black Belt Mama
Filed under: Uncategorized
“Most karate moms just do the commute; this one is working towards her black belt.”
I am a 30-something forever 29 year old stay at home mother. I stay at home with my two daughters: “Big I” who is seven years old. . .
. . . and “Lil C” who is three years old.
I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English Writing, Creative Nonfiction. I met my husband my sophomore year, fell in love with him when he let me borrow his laundry detergent, and married him shortly after graduation.
Then. . .
Now. . . (Notice one of us is getting all salt-n-pepa-ish; the other is not. He’s living with three girls so that probably explains it.)
I worked for a small literary journal as an Assistant Editor, then at Clinique cosmetics (because the pay was better), and then at a graphic design firm as an “Administrative and Marketing Assistant” which is just a fancy name for copy girl, xerox pro, or otherwise just plain old lackey. I was supposed to be a writer, but somehow got the desk where I answered all the phones, filed all the folders, and mostly just retrieved muffins and coffee creamer. I did, however, write a corporate identity manual and an insurance brochure. Zzzzz, Zzzzz. I did learn lots of things while working there though, but mostly how to swallow my pride.
When I got sick of that (a very short time later), I went to Duquesne University where I earned my M.S.Ed. in 11 months, and accumulated so much student loan debt that it’s just plain ridiculous considering I taught high school English for not even two years and then decided my true calling was diapers and picky eaters.
I went on maternity leave, had my first daughter in 2001, and never looked back.
We sold our house; and my husband switched careers so that I would be able to stay home with my baby girl. By home, I literally mean home, as in we moved in with my parents for a year. Then, we moved to NJ. Then we moved back to my hometown.
In October 2005, I gave birth to our second daughter after a long wait to get her on her way. I wanted everything to be natural, and planned a birth center birth. Then I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and everything got turned upside down. I did have a midwife deliver her; and that was truly awesome.
I now work from home (in my spare time) as a part time logistics recruiter and as an adjunct instructor at a local university. My husband sometimes works from home too. Because of this, our neighbors probably think that:
A. We are independently wealthy.
B. Pajamas are the new ‘business casual.’
C. Our house will be foreclosed on momentarily.
None of these are true. Well, except for B., maybe.
I’ve learned that no matter how many legitimate part time/work from home jobs you have, your Dad will probably still tell people you’re “unemployed.” I’ve learned to live with it.
I am trying to raise my girls to be smart, strong women. I am a 1st kyu brown belt in both Okinawan Kenpo and Kobudo. Did I mention it’s a family affair? (I didn’t just mean “strong” in the figurative sense.) Big I started karate when she was three and is now (and will be for quite some time) a 7th kyu. Lil C will probably know how to snap kick before she’s potty trained (she already knows how to kiai better than I do). And I was a little late on the draw, starting when I was 29 (Yeah, I realize the math doesn’t make sense with the whole “forever 29” statement in the beginning, but just work with me here).
I’ve realized that it’s never too late to learn something new. You just have to be willing to face the fact that the 14 year old you take class with who has been there since she was three is 100% capable of kicking your butt.
I started writing my original blog “Black Belt Mama” in 2006 to document my journey in the martial arts. I had no idea how many detours my journey would take. I was looking forward to testing for Shodan in February of 2008, but then I tore my ACL while sparring in October 2007. I had ACL reconstruction surgery in December 2007, and have been using my fabulous sense of humor to get me through surgery, recovery, and many frustrating days of pain-med-induced constipation physical therapy.
I love: reading a good book, playing fantasy football (damn you LaDainian Tomlinson), going on vacations, writing, and nailing a new kata.
I can’t stand: litter butts, irresponsible dog owners, people with no reading comprehension skills, folding laundry, liars, and bad table manners.
My writing credits include articles/reviews published in the following publications: “Pittsburgh Tribune Review,” “Transport Topics,” “Bridges” (NCTE Publication), “English Leadership Quarterly,” and in the book “At Issue: Date Rape.” My original blog has been syndicated by my hometown newspaper’s website, and through BlogBurst on “The Houston Chronicle,” “The Chicago Sun Times,” “Austin-American Statesman,” USAToday.com, Reuters.com, “The Sacramento Bee,” and multiple IBS news service websites. “The BBM Review” is starting to get picked up too as of late. Not that you should care about this, mentioning it just makes me feel more important.
I think that about covers it.
If you have something nice to say, please leave me a comment, write me an email, or link to my sites with reckless abandon. If not, no one is forcing you to read this, so get lost.
No, seriously.
Email Black Belt Mama.
Cranium Bloom Toys
Let’s be honest here. Playing long games with children can be equated to torture, depending on the age of your children and their mood. Interactive activities are great, but when they take two hours, any activity can get tiresome for both parent and child. My daughter has one game in particular that drives me insane. One needs a degree from Harvard to even begin to understand the proper way to play and it takes forever to complete the game. That is just one of the reasons why the Cranium Bloom toys are so fabulous.
We received the Cranium, "Let’s Play Count and Cook" game and it is fun, educational, and quick! The lid promises you’ll be finished in about 10 minutes, and that is absolutely true (of course it may take a bit longer if you have a two-year old who likes to trash the board occasionally like mine does). Players begin by placing the various ingredient tokens on the game boards. It doesn’t matter where they go, so this part is stress free for parent and child. Then, you choose a little chef and choose a recipe. There are recipes for spaghetti, cookies, macaroni & cheese, sandwiches, etc. Players roll the dice and move around the board, adding the proper ingredients and a surprise ingredient or two if you land on a star token.
My girls, ages 2 and 6, thought this was great fun. The best part is that if your children are feeling a little ornery, you choose a small recipe and if they’re settled in for the long haul, you can choose a longer recipe to complete. Interspersed with the recipes for the game are other learning activities. Complete will actual recipes for cookies and activities having to do with measuring, etc. the cookbook can keep a little one busy for quite some time.
The best part about the actual real recipe is that it details out which parts the adult should do, and which parts are kid friendly. If you’re a control freak like me, this will help you greatly to release some control in the kitchen and let your kids join in on some good cooking fun. Although the box says this game is for ages 3 and up, my 2-year old was able to follow along and play quite well. It was a quick and fun game that we certainly won’t mind playing again and again. The ingredient tokens also make great confetti for a final celebration when the game is over. Just ask my two-year old.
The Cranium Bloom "Let’s Play Count and Cook" game can be purchased online here or at Target, and retails for $12.99. If you have a budding little chef in the house, you won’t want to miss this game.
If you have a puzzle fan, the Cranium Bloom "Let’s go to the Zoo Seek and Find Puzzle" will surely be a hit. This puzzle is for ages 3 and up. My little one had a bit of trouble doing the puzzle part by herself. There are 24 pieces, but with help she enjoyed putting it together. My 6-year old also thought it was great fun. This is a puzzle that is truly for all ages.
Once the puzzle is together, it’s time for the real fun. The puzzle comes with two activity books, a beginner and an advanced book. My 2-year old enjoyed finding the zebra, lions, and objects that were certain colors. Once found, she was able to use the erasable marker to circle the items she had found. (O.k. maybe not circle, but rather just scribble over top, but you get the idea.)
When my little one was done with scribbling, my 6-year old took a turn using the advanced book. The advanced book asks kids to find items that start with certain letters. Parents can show them pictures to help them out or make it even more advanced by keeping the pictures a secret. My 6-year old thought the puzzle was a lot of fun too. There’s enough action happening on the puzzle to keep the attention of both a 2 and a 6-year old and that is saying something.
The puzzle retails for $9.99 and can also be found online here or at Target.
Both of these toys are unique in that they can be adapted to real life quite easily. Want to make cookies with the kids? Take the recipe part of the game with you to the store and let your children find the ingredients. Going to the zoo? Take the notebooks along with you and have your children find the real deal in the zoo.
For being fun, interactive, applicable to real life, and speedy, BBM gives the Cranium Bloom toys. . .
Getting Rave Reviews
BlogHer Review
Go Shopping
Macho Warrior Sparring Gear Set
$69.99And see the rest of our Sparring Gear
at MartialArtsSupplies.com
Martial Arts Pagoda
