Back to the gym

“Ha!

NS would kiss...I mean kick my ass.”

“It won't happen. I don't fight friends and most others. I try to help them.

In a fight one can never be sure of the outcome. Since some one could get seriouusly injured, fighting is foolish. My best techniques are reserved for punks who really deserve them.

BTW, spirit coyote, I like the way you got the spirit. Thanks for those extra hugs. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
last edited: 3/01/07 1:42:10 PM”

“and I am now a second degree brown belt in aikijutsu. For the most part, I've been promoted from one belt to another. Only at one other level did I go through three different degrees before the next belt. So, this means probably one more step between me and a Black Belt.

Tonight I surprised myself by doing exceptionally well. There were two classes in attendance for the testing, with people testing at all levels except the Black. First we did some exercising for a warm-up and to demonstrate some basic stuff. Before it finished my instructor excused me from most of the rest due to my disabilities. He is cognizant of what I know and what I don't know. They had eight instructors present and we were then divided into groups according to our ranks. Each group was instructed to start at the top of their levels and work backwards. That way, anything missed would not be too important. Our group started with some nasty throws. Some of it I sat out, but I found myself getting up to do more and more of the techniques. I had to be very careful of my knees. Our group never did any of the lower level techniques. Usually everyone would start at the lowest level and do everything up and through their testing level, before dropping out.

Using rubber knives, our group did a number of techniques avoiding the knives, disarming the person with a knife and doing a technique against him/her. By this time all the other groups were done and they sat and watched each of us do two minutes against three opponents. Nothing really exciting happened until near the end of my participation. One of the oppponents had charged me and I managed to get him in a head lock as he came forward. Most of my body was over his body and his head. From this position I was not sure what technique to apply, so with his momentum still coming at me, I fell backwards (intentionally) throwing him up and over myself. His feet went way up into the air and when he hit the mats a little way past me, it was the loudest slam of a body to a mat for the entire evening. By the time he hit I was rising up looking for another opponent. But time had run out and I was done. But there was already loud appause in the room, mostly for my last throw. Later, many students and spectators congratulated my on my performance, promotion and, especially, for that last throw.

So, all in all, I had a good time and a good workout generating a lot of sweat.
last edited: 3/13/07 2:19:15 AM”

“sounds like hard work AND fun!”

“Yes, Pamela, it is somewhat like work. Most of my backpacking I consider to be work.

After returning home this evening, I did discover one of my fingers was swollen. It has swelled more and cannot be closed. It can provide a good excuse for a few days to not wash the dishes.”

“ice it! who's gonna do the dishes now?”

“good for you NS! That is one heckuva accomplishment.”

“My finger is still swollen this morning. It must be a sprain.

Pamela - I'll have to invite one of my daughters over. She can wash them, while I take my granddaughter for a ride in her wagon.

Thanks, birch.”

“Congratulations Nowslimmer! One step away from black is pretty darn cool.”

“Cool, congratulations.
It would be neat to see that throw on video.”

“humanpackmule - You just might get to see it. Some woman said she had it on video and that I would get a copy. We'll see!”

“cool”

“Congrats NS. Mental note: don't try and sneak up and scare Nowslimmer jokingly on the trail”

“Now I'm hoping that woman comes through with a copy of her video. I'm looking for positive identification of the throw that I made. My main instructor was not at class yesterday evening, but the second-in-command thought that I had performed "Tomenage." But that was not it and she did not see all of it well enough. Tomenage can be called a stomach throw, also. It involves getting a foot in the opponent's stomach as one falls backward in order to help propel him on his flight through the air. But I did not do it that way. (I have done that one in the past.)

I would call my throw a "neck throw," or Kubi nage. It is possible that it was a variation of the "inverted neck snap." Maybe my instructor will identify it on Monday. He had commented to the crowd that he would not like to be caught in a neck grip by me!

Looking back, I should not have done it. Neck throws are dangerous. However, my opponent was a second or third degree, black belt. He's a great classroom friend and has worked with me for a number of years.
last edited: 3/15/07 9:22:49 AM”

“Ran 2 miles on the treadmill 2 nights ago at the gym. Knees felt good!”

“no gym but walking 6 miles of trail at Radnor Lake”

“Walked about 6 miles on the road and through the woods. It was necessary to change my route after my dog killed 2 of the neighbors ducks.”

“ut oh. Hard to take the bird dog out of a bird dog eh?”

“I think my neighbor is willing to try, even if it requires evisceration. Funny thing is, the guys place is 3 miles from where we walked. No doubt Freckles is guilty. Killed 2 mallards on a bird farm. I may give her the trailname of Feathers. Meanwhile, 70 dollars later....”

“hope you got to eat them unless they were tore to shreds”

“macerated duck under glass:( I'm just glad he didn't get the peacock.”

“Made it through a whole spin class for the first time. What a workout!”

“jackstraw, good deal. It is hard spinning on your toes for a full class :)”

“Hey!, when I train for the trail I train Hard!

”

“Part of an e-mail from my instructor:

"Congratulations on your test! You impressed more than just a few folks that night. I am very proud of your accomplishment thus far and cannot wait to award you a black belt in the not-to-distant future. ... "

last edited: 3/16/07 3:45:39 PM”

“Swam 8-lengths of the pool yesterday (200 yds.). Did 12-lengths or 300 yds. today.”

“No gym or pool, but I cut and split a lot of wood in the past 2 days.

By the way, NS, congrats on your brown belt.”

“Thanks, Nimblefoot. Actually, I've had it for just over a year, so this was just an in-grade promotion. I'm still confused as to which step it was. But the main thing is that I've improved and I'll just keep plugging away trying to learn whatever I can and to continue improving.

But last year was a poor one for me. I was in the mountains from early or mid-March until the end of July, but very troubled by scabies, fungus, allergies and my knees. After returning home, I had a possible kidney problem. I was ordered not to exercise. So, for the rest of the year, my martial arts work was as a spectator and doing a little coaching. But one can learn a lot just watching.

Also, I suffered from a "contact allergy." My body had been fighting it for 3-4 years. And my energy level was quite low. I believe my energy was drained by my body fighting the allergy. The cause appears to have been my hiking boots! Just recently my energy level has increased, while my skin condition has cleared.

It ain't easy growing old!

Be glad you can cut that wood. It's great exercise. I'm going to wait to visit your place until you get a mechical wood splitter.”

“Swim Activity
3/17 200 yards
3/18 300
3/19 600
.”

“NS, great swimming man. I did 25yds the other day (underwater) it liked to kill me.

Been hitting the gym in the AM. I have cut back on my running a bit and added some rowing, man that rower rocks. I wish I had one.”

“I've added only four more swims recently.
2007 Swim Activity
3/17 200 yards
3/18 300
3/19 600
3/22 800
3/23 750
3/24 850
3/31 1,000

I got the results of the filming of our last martial arts testing. Mine really shows me stumbling badly on unsurely legs. Not noticeable was how I blocked right hooks of the opponents in their origin and strongly enough to place the opponents off balance. At that point they were easy to take down with an arm push. Once I did deliver a blow over the opposite shoulder for the takedown, but the opponent was already on the way down. At least three times my footwork placed me in position so the I could assure the takedown by adding a leg sweep to my technique.

The final technique, that I used, showed up well in the film. With an over-the-top headlock on the opponent, I fell backwards propelling him over my head to a good slam on the mat. I talked to him last night and apologized. I felt that I should not have done it without having practiced it with him previously. But he said it was OK, that it was the correct technique to apply from our position and that I executed it perfectly. He said that he was stunned from it and had to shake the cobwebs out of his head. The mats are not very thick in the dojo, where we were testing. He did slam his arms down hard to cushion his impact. He currently is ranked two levels above his black belt. (The film does show him shaking his head.)

Problem: The film is on a DVD. I am faced with the problem of getting it on my computer and in a format for viewing on the monitor.”

“Swam 1,000 yards this evening.”

“nowslimmer, Youre an inspiration to us all.”

“Thanks, Corey B.

Swam 1,250 yards today. Just about every swim has been cut short by the closing time at the health club. Close to closing is about the only opportunity to obtain a lane for myself alone. Well, the other choice is at 5:30 in the morning. Various classes start at 8:00 A.M.”

“Nowslimmer, you're gonna make them young boys jealous............better pace yourself....hehehehehe.......”

“I am, Chappy. There is time for only a few more swims before I head to GSMNP. Maybe later in the year I can work back up to over 2-miles each swim.”

“2 MILES!!????? damn you better slow down pops...LOL.........you makin me feel...uh, inadequate...... :)”

“be careful
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/28092/”

“From 248+ last June I've dropped to 219.

Yesterday, after a heart echo stress test, the cardiologist said things are lookine fine. He cleared me for all activities within reason at the health club, listing only a maximum pulse of 140. It used to be 130. On the sheet he originally placed 150, but dropped it to 140. He explained that my defibrillator will shock me at 160!

Also, he is setting me up for Rehab. at the hospital. Most of this cost will be covered by Medicare!

Now I can return to swimming, gradually. I'm cleared for an October trip to GSMNP for hiking and backpacking. He did tell me to start slowly. That is my my normal mode for starting. Even when I get up to full speed, I'm still in slow mode.”

“Congrats Slimmer! Keep up the good work.”

“Slowly getting back into it. Did a slow, short trip on my bicycle today and swam 4 lengths of the swimming pool. Then I hit the steam bath and the jacuzzi for short spells. It all felt good.”

“Good for you Nowslimmer! I plan to do the same as soon as I get this rib taken care of. It's been since January since I've been to the gym to work out.”

“Went out on the bicycle again yesterday.

Got promoted at aikijutsu class yesterday evening. The class ran late, as they had testing. I did not have to physically go through the testing.”

“Doubled up and did 8 lengths of the pool yesterday evening, slowly. I am reluctant to swing my arms out over my head, at least the arm next to my new device. Don't want to pull the defibrillator wires out of my heart.

Rode the bicycle early in the afternoon, before the rains. Made it around the entire trailer park.
last edited: 9/12/07 5:30:59 AM”

“Last night I suited up and worked out a little in the gym and in the weight room. It was the first time in quite a while and it felt great. Guess I can't wait for rehab to start. Rehab missed me on the telephone and will call again on Tuesday to make arrangements to get me started.

Then I followed up last night with 20 lengths of the swimming pool(500 yards). I'm still afraid to throw one arm way out. Don't want to pull the wires out of my heart. For any stronger activity I'm waiting for the rehap department to give me the go-ahead. I am alternating strokes in the pool. One length is the breast stroke. The next is on my back with an easy kick and a circular flutter of my hands next to my hips.”

“wow look at you go! Good job!”

“Did a lazy 24 lengths of the pool today(600 yards).”

“Swam a lazy 36 lengths of the pool yesterday. (900 yards, 880 is 0.5 mile.) Can hardly wait for clearance to use my arms freely.”

“I received the official word in aikijutsu class this evening. I am on the final rung of the brown belt and my next test will be for my first black belt. However, it is unlikely that I will have to test physically. I don't believe that my inplanted computer can withstand the bumps and bruises.
last edited: 9/19/07 8:12:13 PM”

“Awesome! Congrats Nowslimmer. How many years have you been doing aikijutsu?”