Photos from my black belt test

As promised!

Three years ago . . . two days ago.

Has it really been three years?! Yep. It was three years ago today that I tore my the ACL in my left knee during my exam for 2nd kyup (brown belt).   In my head, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long.  But looking at my last update more than a year and half [...]

First year, ACL Recovery

Better late than never Two and a half months late, really.   So this is, in fact, a 14.5 month report. And yes, yes, I know.  I’ve been neglectful.  I have commited the cardinal sin of blogging:   I haven’t posted for a long, long time. It’s not that I haven’t been meaning to.  I have. [...]

Knee Report – Doctor Visit

  Bursitis. Pes anserine bursitis, to be specific. At least, that’s what the doctor thinks. The theory is that scar tissure around the harvest area is irritating the pes anserine bursa and causing my pain.  In many ways, this makes sense. It’s a common enough ailment among healthy knees, and any one of the things [...]

1-year Anniversary

Somehow it went fast, this year since I tore my ACL.  And yet, it seems like I should be further along in my return to sport. True, I’ve been going to karate about once or twice a week.  And I’ve been going through kata on off days and lifting weights/doing balance work as well.  But [...]

Month 9, ACL Recovery

My knee has a lot to say My knee continues to talk to me, especially when I’m exercising. It chatters almost constantly I as go through my moves and get down into in my stances. Sometimes it grunts, and occasionally it just says no. With one exception, it hasn’t really screamed at me, nor has [...]

Little things mean a lot

Earlier this week I had to get up and perform a couple of katas. Neither went especially well, but that I’m doing them at all is still a wonderful thing. Part of it is being out of practice. Another part is not being used to being up in front of people anymore. And, of course, [...]

Front Stance – ACL recovery

Horse stance? Not bad. Cat stance? Right as rain. X stance? Feels fine. Fight stance? Tiring but solid. Front stance? Hmmm. All through my recovery I’ve had no illusions that there would be a number of things that I wouldn’t be able to do for at least awhile. That sweep at the end of one [...]

A promising start

My first “official” class back at karate with no limitations was essentially Niage (Naihanchi/Tekki) Night for me.   My highest is Niage 3, of which learned half (the upper half) while still in recovery.  My job was to learn  the footwork and start integrating it with my handwork. The good news is that knee seems [...]

Clearance!

It’s official.  On October 9, I got clearance from the surgeon to “return to sport.” And I have. Sort of. You see, I haven’t actually been to back to a karate class since seeing the surgeon. But I haven’t been neglecting my practice, either. During my regular visits to the gym, I’ve been doing some [...]