Saturday, June 14, 2014

Progress and Injuries

I LOVE martial arts!

I have since the first time I saw Bruce Lee as Kato kicking ass on TV.


Then there was "Enter the Dragon"! 



 Of course Bruce Lee was gone before we all really got to know who he was and what his story was all about.  Too bad, I would love to have seen his career over a 25 year span.  Then of course there was "Billy Jack".  I saw that movie time after time, thinking back then that Tom Laughlin actually knew how to fight like that.  Turns out it was a 6th degree Hapkido Master named, Bong Soo Han.



 In the 80's and 90's there was Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Segal, Jackie Chan and Jet Li!  I was so struck with the techniques by Segal, I started practicing Aikido several years ago. I am now working on my 2nd Dan.  Then I had an opportunity to go to a seminar put on by Grand Master John Pelligrini of Combat Hapkido.  I am about to finally test for my Black Belt in Combat Hapkido in two weeks.  That's where the injury part comes in.


As a 53 year old martial artist I have many aches and pains from being so active.  I also have a job that requires allot of driving and heavy lifting so that keeps me visiting the chiropractor weekly.  Lately I have hurt my back pretty bad and my knee keeps acting up as well.  I have had an injured wrist the past two weeks and I have chronic neck and shoulder pain.  I keep the cabinets stocked with advil and I have an ice pack at the ready 24/7.  Does this sound like you??

 The price you pay as an aged martial artist is a painful one but at this point I am still willing to suffer the slings and arrows for the love of the arts..

Here's to all you men and women who continue to train into your later years!

By the way my diet is working, I was down to 169 as of yesterday afternoon.  Only 4 more pounds to go to reach my goal...

Peace

Prepared, Educated, Alert, Controlled and Engaged


JD

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Time to get serious

Over the last year or two I lost allot of weight.

When I started I was 188, by the time I was done dieting and working out I was down to 152.  Well, as I got more relaxed and fell back into my old eating habits I gained much of it back.  I am walking around at about 173-175 for the most part today.  Still well down from the original 188 so I'm happy about that.  Yet I'm ready to give it another round and lose 10 more pounds.  I went to the HT today and bought apples, oranges and carrots to use in my Jack Lalane, juicer.  I also got some bananas and  almond milk for smoothies, frozen peaches too.  I bought lettuce for lettuce wrap sandwiches, ever roast chicken and of course salad mix.

So for the next two weeks I'm going to hit it hard and lose 10 pounds.  I know I can, it's just a matter of applying myself and NOT eating donuts, chocolate covered raisins and whatever other junk I can get my hands on...

By the way, I hurt my back pretty bad about a week ago, I'm on the mend but I can't work out like I normally do so It's gonna be diet mostly that does this.  I have a scheduled Black Belt test on June 28th that I am hoping to still be able to pull off.  I'm praying for a full healing of this back. I have a great Chiropractor that is helping me recover.

I will mark my progress every time I lose 2 pounds here in the blog..






Peace


JD

Prepared, Educated, Alert, Controlled and Engaged