2nd Brown Finally!

1,603 days. That's how long I was a 3rd Brown Belt, 229 weeks or nearly 4 1/2 years. Any way that you slice it, it's a long time. There was a time when I thought I wanted to quit, but I overcame that. There was a time when I couldn't fit into my uniform, but I overcame that. There was a time when I thought that I'd always be a 3rd Brown, but I overcame that too. I learned a whole hell of a lot more than just my required rank material in these past 4 1/2 years. 2015 has been my phoenix year, I said I wanted to lose 50lbs, get back into college, and earn my 2nd Brown. All three missions accomplished! It hasn't completely sunk in yet, it may not until I have a new belt and a certificate in front of me, but there's a joy that I just can't express with words. I haven't been this excited about something in a very long time. I'm coming for you 1st Brown!!!

An Unlikely Place to Utilize Kenpo

My dear blogger friends!

Obviously I have fallen off the blogosphere for a bit; life tends to do that doesn’t it? I’m still training hard, (super hard in fact!) I’m closing in on that 2^nd Brown Belt and it’s sort of consumed my every thought lately! Today though I have a fun story to share with you!

Midwestern winters are downright despicable; so naturally when a 68 degree day comes along in the beginning of March I am absolutely going to be out pounding the pavement for a run! So, yesterday being gorgeous as it was had me lacing up my Nikes and getting my run on as soon as I got home from work. I use an app called RunKeeper that verbally updates you on your progress every 5 minutes and I love it! Right after my first 5 minute recap (my warm up basically) I started a sprint, and made it approximately half a block before I tripped on a pile of dilapidated concrete! Hey St. Joe, MO your sidewalks are horrendous and crumbling!!

So here I am falling forward and instinct completely took over; I caught my momentum with the heels of my palms and my right knee then continued the motion to push myself over into a tuck and roll. Unfortunately I tuck and rolled so hard when I landed on my back I knocked the wind out of myself BUT I didn’t hit my head or my face at all! My worst injury is a tiny splinter; I’m not even bleeding anywhere!

Here’s the interesting part, I am absolutely crap at doing tuck and rolls in class on 2in thick mats. I know it’s entirely mental; I’m terrified of doing it wrong and snapping my neck. While I was lying on the ground gasping like a fish out of water though all I could think was “hell yes thank you Kenpo!!!” A super sweet Indian lady saw my fall and pulled over to ask if I was alright she even offered to drive me home but I declined because I wanted to at least get one full mile in.

I owe that instinct to Kenpo completely because I surely didn’t learn that anywhere else. The moral of this story is Kenpo can be used in even your most mundane circumstances. That millisecond occurrence is complete validation for almost 7 years and hundreds of classes that I’ve spent on the mat so far! What we teach absolutely does work and the longer you are in it the more it becomes engrained into your DNA. Practice doesn't make perfect but it does make permanent, so get to class! :D