Life is LOUD - but there are reasons.
Category: Kiddos
AmeriKick Internationals: Back in the Ring
Last month (already!) was the AmeriKick Internationals. It was the first NASKA event I had been to in a while. Between honeymoon, black belt tests, working, taking over a business, and graduate school, getting annoyingly sick, and generally running all over the great state of Wisconsin with a grin and a lot of coffee there's …
Sparring Class: Teamwork and Laughter
I don’t want to say “pressure” because I believe that particular word has a few negative connotations. However, I think I may have hit upon something the other day in one of my sparring classes which happened to have a mostly younger population (8-10) Generally while teaching a sparring class, there’s a lot of drills …
Karate School Ownership: What I’ve Learned
The other day I was walking into the school and starting to get various things ready for the day. I had a few phone calls to make, a few contracts to enter, and some general upkeep that needed to be done. There was also the generally unglamorous task of cleaning all the bathrooms and giving …
To the Unrecognized
Just last night I was at the dojo wrapping up an adult class. One of the members came up to me and jokingly accused me of only talking about the karate kids. Every one was getting shoes on and wrangling the last few children who always seemed to be wandering around. "We aren't all kids!" …
Back to Basics: One Step at a Time
I have discovered a new wonder formula of incredible awesome-ness and joy. Basically, it's a liquid anti-inflammatory which works a lot like Ibuprofen. Except you smear it onto the area you want the most goodness to happen in. It's completely awesome (Obviously, use this responsibly and not like a complete idiot. Read the directions, and …
Step 2: Realize Goals and Dreams Don’t Always Match
Once I answered that phone call, things started happening really fast. That weekend I went down for an interview. While I was there I met the woman who would eventually become the girlfriend. Two weeks after that, I had dug my last hole, packed everything up and moved. It was a hot, irritating, and slammed …
Continue reading Step 2: Realize Goals and Dreams Don’t Always Match
How to Own a Dojo: Step 1 – Burning Need for Change
Two years ago I moved from Ashland, WI to Milwaukee. Over that summer I had been doing some contract work for the DNR. I was removing invasive species and planting native trees along the shoreline of Lake Superior. It was good work. I was outside all the time, and usually got to see some pretty …
Continue reading How to Own a Dojo: Step 1 – Burning Need for Change
Twinkie Behemoth
The day after I got back from my drive to Gary, Indiana I managed to throw my back out while putting my shoes on. After pulling myself into the standing position using the assistance of a table and a fair amount of swearing. I hobbled to work and got to tell my story of …
Kata: The What and the How
This is how I explain kata to every parent who walks in the door, wanting their kid to take karate. "Kata is a choreographed series of movements done in a sequence to mimic a battle. It emphasizes control, balance, and focus as well as really pushing coordination and memory." In the karate school, we work …
Kata Nerd 