February 4, 2008

The Hunt Begins

There is no better time to look for a new home than when you’re recovering from ACL surgery. I mean really. Do I have fabulous timing or what?

It all started innocently enough two weekends ago. Mr. BBM was browsing through the real estate weekly and noticed an open house or two he wanted to go visit. We walked into the second house and were in awe. A few days later, when we got a pre-approval letter that would allow us to buy it, we were giddy with excitement.

It wasn’t perfect though. It was in a good school district, but not my top choice. It was beautiful but lacked just a few of the features I’d like to have in a new home. At the open house, we met this great realtor who really impressed us and the rest is history.

We’ve gone to see about nine homes now with our realtor who calls himself the Rocketman. One of them was on a fabulous street with an in-ground pool and we could totally afford it, and the very night we saw it another contract came in on it. That was disappointing but we figured it was just not meant to be.

Yesterday, we saw a foreclosure home that made no sense at all. In an upscale neighborhood, it had lower quality cabinets and counter-tops than we have in our townhouse. We went to see it with great expectations of being able to get a total steal and have equity built in on purchase day. That wasn’t meant to be either.

Today, I have hoards of MLS listings to peruse and many closets to organize. We haven’t put our house on the market yet but plan to soon. Searching for a home has taught me that people have some really horrible taste.

In one house we saw, every single door was painted a reddish-maroon color. The molding matched the doors and each room featured wallpaper with Americana red, green and mustard yellow colors. Most of the wallpaper featured cats. Yes, cats. One bedroom didn’t have a closet. We started to wonder if they had perhaps wallpapered over the closet.

Another house was blue and green from top to bottom. That means the carpets, the walls, and everything in between. I like blue, but I don’t know if I like it that much.

Today my realtor called and recommended we consider new construction with a particular builder who happened to build his own home. The home would be in his development. We’d be neighbors with the Rocketman! After looking at a bunch of homes with lousy color schemes, worn out carpet, homes that smell like smoke, etc. this seems to be a worthwhile course of action to consider. To build a home from the ground up, with our own color choices and no nasty wallpaper to remove sounds like a dream come true. We will have to wait and see.

For the time being, I have another closet that needs to be organized.

***It’s February now and that means March is just around the corner! March is Admired Martial Artists Month here at BBM and there are going to be some exciting visitors gracing the pages of BBM. For more information, go here. If you’re a martial arts blogger, I encourage you to join in with the theme for March and find some great guest-posters for your site as well!

***BBM is also hosting the February Martial Arts Carnival. To submit an article (this months theme is "Great Martial Arts Book" or you can submit any old thing if you’d like), go here. The Carnival will appear here on February 23rd so please don’t wait to get your article in!

Posted by Black Belt Mama on February 4, 2008 in Mental Strain for Mama | 4 Comments

January 31, 2008

Miscellaneous

The bills are rolling in from my ACL reconstruction surgery. I’ve learned a couple things from my itemized hospital bill that I thought I’d share with you.

First, if you’re going to be in the hospital and will require constipation-inducing medications, do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of your own Senokot to take with you to the hospital. If you don’t, you will be charged $3.24 per tablet. Considering you can get them for about 20 cents a piece, I consider this to be a serious rip off. I did not know that hospital Senokot is the equivalent of tablet-shaped gold. Who knew? I would have hoarded those little suckers and sold them on the black market had I known.

You also might want to bring your own ace bandages, should you require them post surgery. You can find them online for about $1. I was given a 4 inch ace bandage that cost $22.00 and a 6 inch ace bandage that cost $24.50. I must have been really out of it from the morphine because I did not think that I had ordered the diamond studded ace bandages.

Normal $1 per ace bandages would have been just fine with me. When you haven’t washed your hair for three days, and you have indentations on your butt from nurses forgetting that you’re still sitting on a bedpan, you’re not really concerned with having flashy and expensive bandages.

When I had those bandages removed by my PT, I told him he could get rid of them. I should have kept them and auctioned them on ebay or something. I had no idea they were so valuable.

I’ve also decided that I’m going to become my own insurance company, as in, I’m going to tell people what I’m willing to pay and what I’m not. I think I’m going to call the hospital and tell them they charged me over the allowable limit for ace bandages and Senokot. I’m also going to tell them that they’re going to need to do a better job itemizing out this:

O.R. Misc Supplies: $735.00
O.R. Misc Supplies: $154.50
O.R. Misc Supplies: $126.70

You’re not seeing double or triple. These are actual charges. If they detail out Senokot tablets, then why can’t I know what constitutes these miscellaneous charges? With those amounts, what could they possibly be?

Piece of gauze: $534.00?
Air in the O.R: $420.00?
Mojito in I.V: $212.00?

O.k., actually forget that last one. I did ask for a mojito in my IV and according to my itemized bill, I certainly got one. Several actually.

Posted by Black Belt Mama on January 31, 2008 in ACL Hell | 13 Comments

January 30, 2008

Train the Brain

I don’t own a dog and I never have; but I do know what it’s like to walk one that doesn’t want to cooperate. Every dog owner has probably had those moments when you want the dog to walk and it just won’t. Today, I was that dog.

After 90 weighted leg lifts, 15 minutes of needing-to-go-to-my-special-place flexion torture, 15 tension filled minutes on the bike, 4 sets on the leg press, 90 band exercises, and 10 minutes of walking backwards on an inclined treadmill, my PT gave me a new exercise.

Instead of doing wall squats with the safety and the comfort of a wall behind me to catch me, my PT handed me a stick resembling a jo.

Standing in the middle of the PT room, he showed me how he wanted me to do a proper squat, stick on my shoulders like a bar-bell with my knees bending evenly and my butt sticking out. He demonstrated and then told me to try it.

I stood there.

I stood there some more.

I simply could not do it. Wall squats have been going fine, but I know there’s a wall there to catch me. What if I bent and fell? What if I bent and couldn’t get back up and fell? I tried to make my knees bend but they didn’t want to cooperate.

I laughed a nervous laugh and said, "This is so mental and I don’t know if I can."

After another minute, I gave it a try, bending my good leg first and following with the bad leg. I totally cheated and my PT called me on it, but told me to try again. I did and this time I got a little bit better at it. I had to completely shut my mind off, because it was screaming at me "KNOCK IT OFF! WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS? YOU JUST HAD SURGERY AND NOW YOU’RE STANDING HERE TRYING TO SQUAT? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

My inner self isn’t usually that irate, but she was today. I appeased her with a beach scene the way I do when she wants to curse during flexion exercises and kept at it.

Each squat was a little better and my PT told me to just work on it at home. I have spent so much time guarding that knee since the injury that I’m going to need to completely retrain my brain to trust it again. It’s like I have an overprotective mother in there just screaming out rules and regulations. She needs to chill out so I can work on getting better.

While my brain was chilling out out on the beach, I made it to 137 degrees flexion. That’s a 5 degree improvement from last week. I’d like to hit 140 on Friday. My PT told me that this last bit comes very slowly and gradually so that I shouldn’t push too hard or get too disappointed with myself. I’m a perfectionist and I’m obviously now hearing voices, so what else could he possibly expect from me? This, by the way, comes from the man who tells me that on Friday, I am doing all of my exercises without my brace on.

That should be a fun day for my inner demon. She’s already starting to freak out because she doesn’t want to learn any "new tricks."

Posted by Black Belt Mama on January 30, 2008 in ACL Hell | 6 Comments

January 29, 2008

Admired Martial Artists Month

There are some martial artists who just strike a cord with you. There’s something special about them. They make you want to work harder, be a better martial artist, and be a better person. The following are some of my favorite martial artists. I know each and every one of them personally. In fact, most of them, at one time or another, either have been or are currently my teachers.

March is going to be “Admired Martial Artists Month” here at Black Belt Mama; and I couldn’t be more excited to be featuring posts written by these amazing martial artists. Some of you may have heard of them; some of you may have even met some of them at training events that have taken place around the country and the world. One thing about them remains constant though. . . they are greatly admired and I am honored to be featuring one of these incredible martial artists each week during the month of March.

Kyoshi Ann Marie Heilman

Mrs. Heilman is co-founder of the HKA, has been a student since 1968 and holds ranks of 8th Dan in Karate and 8th Dan in Kobudo. She has also been awarded her Kyoshi License making her one of the highest ranked women in the world and the highest in the Okinawa Kenpo system. Mrs. Heilman was also inducted into the Alliance Hall of Fame in 1996, making Mr. & Mrs. Heilman the only husband / wife team ever so honored. She was also named Pennsylvania Instructor of the Year along with Mr. Heilman. She has also been a World and National Champion in kata and weapons during her competitive career. Mrs. Heilman is recognized as one of the leading teachers of Women’s Self-Defense Programs in the States. She teaches, along with her husband, at the Heilman Karate Academy.

For the first few years of my training, I’d heard stories about Kyoshi Heilman from others who knew her. There’s a story floating around about several men following her late one night. Smaller in stature, she realized she had some possibly unwanted company, turned around to face the young men, and used the strongest voice she could muster to ask them what they wanted. They walked away. They were smart men. I’ve watched Kyoshi H. throw 20-year old guys around with no effort at all. She’s an amazing martial artist and an amazing woman and I’m excited to introduce her to you here.

Kyoshi Heilman’s posts:
Why Your Child is Not a Black Belt March 2008
Why a Kid Needs to Learn to Fail Successfully March 2009

Sandan Matthew Apsokardu

Matthew Apsokardu has been a student of the martial arts for 12 years and has acquired the rank of 3rd Dan Okinawa Kenpo Karate, 3rd Dan Okinawa Kenpo Kobudo. He has also studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Kenjutsu for 3 years. Matthew has participated in various martial art/self-defense demonstrations and has taught for 7 years.

Matthew graduated from Penn State University with a BA in Professional Writing. His writing has appeared in the following publications: Blur: Creative Nonfiction anthology, Woven With Words: Historical Anthology, ClassicWines.com, The Houston Chronicle, Extra Law, eMediaWire, The Nosey Historian, Masters Magazine (pending), among others. He also has his own blog, Ikigai Way.

He has previously posted here on “Black Belt Mama” and also writes reviews for “The BBM Review.”

When I first started attending karate classes, I avoided “Mr. M’s” classes like the plague. To be honest, I was really intimidated by him. A college student at the time, he would walk into the dojo wearing this black gi and you just knew you didn’t want to mess with him. Then, his class schedules changed, I moved up in rank and I started attending Mr. M’s classes. He pushed me to become better and spent as much extra time as I needed to teach me things I needed to know. He also took extra time with Big I too, which meant a lot to both of us. I knew his classes would be challenging but they made me work hard and think like never before. Now I have the distinct honor of calling him my teacher, my training partner and my friend.

Sandan Apsokardu’s posts:

Holding True with a Warrior Mind December 2007
Where Will We Take the Martial Arts March 2008
The Importance of Control (Less Boring Than It Sounds) March 2009

Hanshi C. Bruce Heilman

Mr. Heilman has been a student of the arts since 1961. He holds ranks of 9th Dan in Karate, 9th Dan in Kobudo and 3rd Dan in Ju-Jitsu. He has been awarded his Hanshi (Grand Master Teacher) License in Karate & Kobudo and his Renshi (Teachers) License in Ju-Jitsu. He is Founder and President of the International Karate Kobudo Federation, President and Director of the Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo Union, Founding Member and Vice President of the Union of Martial Arts Federations, and a past Board Member of Master Odo’s Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo Federation, and serves as a Board Member of four other traditional martial arts organizations. In 1995, he was inducted into the United States Karate Alliance Hall of Fame, and in 1996 he was named Pennsylvania Instructor of the Year. In 1999 he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Karate Hall of Fame. He has also had an excellent competitive record becoming a multiple World and National championships in kata and weapons. Hanshi Heilman is recognized as one of the leading traditional stylists in the world today. He runs his own dojo, alongside his wife, Kyoshi Heilman.

Hanshi Heilman has an infectious laugh and personality. When you’re around him, you know you’re in the presence of someone special. I have never seen someone so “in the zone” while doing kata. I’ve also never been hit so insanely fast as when I first sparred with him. You just don’t see it coming (It could be because you’re blinded by his continuous grin). Full of amazing stories about trips to Okinawa and training with Master Trias and Master Odo, Hanshi Heilman is a true gem of a martial artist. I am honored to train in his dojo, and I’m honored to present him here.

Hanshi Heilman’s Posts

An Overview of Okinawan Kobudo March 2008
There Are No Stances in Kobudo March 2009

Kyoshi William Hayes

Major Hayes was born on May 15^th, 1945, in New York City and enlisted in the Marine Corps in August of 1964. While on active duty he served at a number of major posts including two tours in Iwakuni, Japan, and three tours on Okinawa, where he capitalized on the availability of martial arts instruction in an effort to continue his karate training, which began in 1960. He also served two voluntary tours of duty in Vietnam (66-67 & 69-70). During his second tour as a Staff Sergeant he was part of a martial arts demonstration team and helped teach over 450 Vietnamese Nationals. His efforts resulted in a number of awards and commendations.

In 1973, after only nine years of service, Hayes was selected for both the ranks of Gunnery Sergeant and Warrant Officer. He chose to become a Marine Officer and graduated as his platoon’s honor man from the Warrant Officer Candidate Course in February of ’74 and thereafter served in a number of key billets as a Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer, Company Grade Officer, and Field Grade Officer. He retired in the grade of Major in October of 1990, the highest grade attainable in his military occupational speciality at the time.

The Major is the Past President of the U. S. branches of the Okinawan Shorin-ryu Karate-do International Association and is also the past Historian of that Okinawa-based organization. He publishes a quarterly international martial arts newsletter and is the author of an award-winning book, My Journey With The Grandmaster.

Major Hayes’ teaching credentials as well as his red and white obi were personally awarded to him by his instructor, Grandmaster Eizo Shimabukuro of Okinawa. Bill Hayes is one of the most senior and well-known of the Grandmaster’s students and has dedicated much of his life to the study, preservation, and development of Okinawan martial arts. Major Hayes has appeared on the cover of OFFICIAL KARATE magazine and is listed in the Encyclopedia of Martial Arts (Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People). He has also appeared in England’s FIGHTING ARTS INTERNATIONAL and Norway’s SVARTE BELTE (BLACK BELT). He has demonstrated Okinawan Karate and weaponry on several television programs and is featured in the 1994 video GREAT KARATE INSPIRATIONS.

Bill Hayes has been inducted into both the Karate Masters’ Hall of Fame and the American-Okinawan Karate Association Hall of Fame. He is a charter member of the Marine Martial Arts Federation and is the recipient of both the NAACP’s Roy Wilkins’ Meritorious Service Award and the Marine Corps League’s Distinguished Service Award, which were bestowed upon him as a result of his martial arts expertise.

Major Hayes is currently the Director of the Okinawan Shorin-ryu Karate-do Research Society and is one of the United States Marine Corps’ three Subject Matter Experts on Close Combat, having been instrumental in the development of the Corps’ new and highly touted Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. He is an International Executive Distributor with the Pharmanex nutrition product company and strives to improve the connection between good health and good martial skills. He lives, trains, and teaches in Stafford County, VA.

I had heard stories about Kyoshi Hayes before meeting him. I was told he could hit you 20 times before you even saw the first strike coming. Was it really true? Absolutely. Kyoshi Hayes is one of those people who greets you for the first time as if he’s known you for 30 years. A nice person all around and genuinely interested in the well-being of others, it was an honor to meet him and learn from him during the summer of 2007. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of corresponding with him a bit via email and there seems to always be something to learn from this amazing martial artist. It is my pleasure to present him to you here.

Kyoshi Hayes’ posts:

Our Two “Moms” March 2008

Kyoshi Rick Zondlo

Rick Zondlo has been training for over 30 years and has achieved the rank of 7th Dan Kyoshi in both Okinawan Kenpo Karate and Okinawa Kenpo Kobudo. Kyoshi Zondlo has also been training in the traditional Japanese art of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu for 15 years, and has achieved the rank of Shodan. Kyoshi Zondlo has been recognized by many practitioners and even some publications as an unusual find among martial art instructors. Kyoshi Zondlo wishes to keep the true nature of old style martial arts alive and demonstrates every day the powerful nature of living through Budo.

As an instructor of one of my teachers, I had heard a lot about Kyoshi Zondlo. It wasn’t until an IKKF training camp that I got to train with him personally. His session was full of charts to help explain his concepts and he had even, in advance of the training camp, made weapons for the use of the class. Kyoshi Zondlo is someone that other people gravitate towards because there is so much to be learned from him, and like so many other amazing martial artists, he is always willing to take extra time to explain and demonstrate his effective techniques.

Kyoshi Zondlo’s posts:

Where is My Mind? What am I Thinking? I Can’t Do This? March 2008

Kyoshi Nancy Caliguri

Kyoshi Nancy Caliguri, a practitioner of Shorin-Ryu karate, has been and continues to be an inspiration to many. After a motorcycle accident sidetracked her karate competitions, no one expected her to come back again, let alone win, but that’s just what she did. In 2008, after an 18 year absence from competition, Kyoshi Caliguri came back and won a Professional Karate Commission national title in women’s black belt kata and is now nationally ranked. She has also earned a No. 8 ranking by the United States Karate Alliance for 2008. Being in the top 10 is quite an accomplishment. In 2008, she was also awarded the 2008 Competitor of the Year award by the International Karate Kobodu Foundation. Other awards include the Legend of Honor award at the PKC International banquet last August. She also took 1^st place in the state ratings by the PKRA (Pennsylvania Karate Rating Association) in women’s masters kata division and 1st in the region (PA, NY and part of Canada PKC R4) through the PKC in black belt women’s kata and weapons.

She is currently ranked a 7^th dan in by both the IKKF and the USKA. When she started karate in 1975, there were few women involved, but now Kyoshi Caliguri has the opportunity to serve as a fantastic role model for all women in the martial arts. With over 30 years of martial arts experience, a successful martial arts school where she is a Master instructor, and a husband who has been quite successful in the martial arts as well, Kyoshi Caliguri will continue to be a recognizable name in the martial arts for years to come.

I have heard stories about Kyoshi Caliguri for quite some time now from one of my instructors, Kyoshi Heilman. While sidetracked with my own injury, Kyoshi Heilman continued to tell me stories about Kyoshi Caliguri and how after an accident and physical therapy, Kyoshi Caliguri made a comeback. She continues to serve as an inspiration for me, and for anyone about to make a comeback.

Is it going to be a great March or what??? If you have questions that you would like to direct to one of these amazing martial artists, please do so in the comments below. I’ll make sure that they receive them prior to their post.

Kyoshi Caliguri’s post:

Self Defense Advice from a Pioneer March 2009

Giveaway Details

This month, anyone who leaves a comment on one of the Admired Martial Artists’ posts will be entered to win a prize. I am currently working on adding more prizes to the list. Currently, those who comment will be entered to win. . .

From Martial Arts Supplies: A pair of Trainer Martial Arts shoes from Discipline
From Turtle Press: Vital Point Strikes book by Sang H. Kim
From Kyoshi Hayes: A one-year subscription to Kyoshi Hayes’ quarterly international martial arts newsletter (which is fantastic and always provides good food for martial arts thought)
From Bags of Character: a custom nunchaku or tekkos bag

Help Promote Admired Martial Artists Month!

If you’d like to help promote Admired Martial Arts Month, grab this image and the code below for your site!

To paste on your site:

Posted by Black Belt Mama on January 29, 2008 in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

January 29, 2008

Put me Down for $0

My kids have started "answering" the phone. This is quite disturbing for someone who considers herself the ultimate professional in phone call screening. I wouldn’t mind so much if the kids just handed me the phone without answering it; but their little thumbs hit "talk" almost every time and I’m left to wonder exactly who the person is waiting for me. The person waiting for me is probably wondering why they’ve been dropped 10 times and why a certain member of our household likes to heavy breathe into the phone too, but I’m more worried about me.

Over the weekend, Big I picked up the phone and hit "talk." She handed me the phone and I assumed it was Mr. BBM or my parents. It wasn’t.

"Good afternoon M’am. I’m Joe Annoying and I’m calling today to represent. . . ."

He continued on for a good four minutes leaving me no opportunity to even begin to cut him off. Plus, I was totally off my game since the phone had been answered for me. Sigh.

Finally I had my opening as he said, "So M’am, I’ll put you down for a donation of $35 and send you a thank you decal. I just need to get your information."

"I’m sorry, but I really can’t right now" I said.

"That’s o.k." he said cheerfully, "we have different levels. Let me put you down for $25."

"Even that right now is going to be. . . "

"Then let me put you down for a ~~measley~~ donation of just $15. . ."

"I really can’t," I said. "I just had major surgery and I have to pay for a bunch of it. Plus I have to pay for physical therapy. I really just can’t right now in any amount, unless of course, you’d like to go ask my health insurance company to pay more or call my doctor up and ask him to lower the amount that I owe him. I haven’t even gotten the hospital bill yet, so you can imagine. . ."

"What kind of surgery did you have M’am?"

He was totally trying to call my bluff.

"ACL reconstruction," I said.

"Oh MAN!" he said, "That is THE worst. That is SO painful and awful and it takes so long to come back from it. When was your surgery?"

"December," I said, "right before Christmas."

"Oh Man! I should let you go. You probably need your rest and stuff. I’m SO sorry for bothering you today M’am. You take it easy and have a good recovery. Best of luck to you. I’m really sorry for bothering you."

And with that he was gone. He hung up. I kid you not.

Blink.

After he hung up, I summoned Big I and asked her to PLEASE not answer the phone unless we know exactly who is on the other end of that phone line. She will thank me for this lesson when she hits her teenage years and doesn’t want to go to the school dance with Harold. Perhaps we’ll fabricate an ACL injury for her at that point. Feel free to fabricate your own considering that it can totally get you out of tele-marketing calls.