OK, So I'm In Shape. Now, Back to Training!

We've just wrapped up our annual 6-week fitness training cycle at the Emerald Necklace dojo.

To get back in shape during the first six weeks of every year, we focus heavily on calisthenics, body weight exercises, and agility drills instead of the karate and traditional weapons practice that is the staple of our "normal" training. This intense training period has been a great way for me to kick off my UBBT — there's nothing like good company and the pressure of witnesses to help form a new habit.

And when disaster struck in Haiti, we quickly used our already in-progress fitness regimen as a launch pad for helping others in need by creating a 30-day push-up and sit-up drive. Donations from the drive are still coming in, but I estimate that ENMA raised somewhere in the neighborhood of $3,000 - 5,000 that will go to the American Red Cross and designated for Haiti relief efforts. When I have a grand total, I'll be sure to post our final results!

(If you sponsored me, rest assured that I did the 100 pushups and situps daily for 30 days that I promised... In fact, I'm pretty sure I did WAY MORE than that, and I have a dojo full of witnesses! If you haven't sent me your donation yet, please do! If you'll make your check payable to the American Red Cross and send it to the dojo, we'll put together a package and send everything to the Red Cross at once. THANK YOU!)

Now, it's time for us to get back to "real" martial arts training — the three K's of karate: kihon (basics and fundamentals), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring and self-defense).