Thursday, October 30, 2008

I've Come A Long Way Baby!!












My Self defense Class!









Me ready to rock and roll!!!







Last night was my test for women's self defense. I can sum it up in 1 word...WOW! :-)


I was asked to go first. None of us knew what to expect and Marko and Victor know me since both of them have fought in the past and are Martial Arts Instructors in the area.

I gloved up with the boxing gloves and stood in the middle of the mat with 1 guy on each corner..none of them were small, and ALL of them had Mixed Martial Arts experience.

(Side Note: I woke up yesterday morning with the feeling that I was beginning to get sick. I had a cough, stuffy head where you feel like you are in a tunnel etc..not good for my testing I tell ya)

The instructions were given: The timer will yell a name and that guy will run from his corner of the mat and attack you and you must fight him off for 30 sec. (I will tell you that 30 seconds seems like a LONG time when you are fighting..hehe) Once the timer hollered another name the first guy will leave and a new one will come up and you must fight him as well for 30 sec and so on...Without ending, timer will yell and 3rd time and 2 different guys will attack you at once.


GO.....I looked around and saw Victor (one of the instructors) coming for me. I hit him repeatedly, kicking and elbowing. I heard another name yelled and turned around in time to see another guy coming for me. I fought him hard as well.

During this time Marko (main instructor) is yelling at me to pace myself. All I could think was "this dude is trying to take me to the floor and you want me to pace myself?" I should have listened. I heard another holler and 2 guys, 1 smaller guy, Nate, came up to me in front...I heard someone yell "look out" just in time to turn around to see Cameron (HUGE...Cameron) coming for me. He bear hugged me and picked me up off the ground and down to the mat we went.

I began to really struggle to breathe. I was exhausted, could not get air and the room was spinning. I punched, kneed and kicked, almost hitting poor Cameron in a bad spot for future children..hehe.


Sometime during all of this I had lost both of my socks and ALL of my ability to breath. :-(

Marko could see I was struggling and asked if I wanted a couple...."Minutes?" I ask, "No, seconds!" ...I got 10 sec. to catch my breath and go down for choking maneuvers.

Victor began choking me...I got him in a full arm bar with ease....very proud of myself for that one!


Next move was 2 guys on you while on the ground choking and kicking at you.


I DID IT....I made it thru and completed for my certificate.

I have a new respect for the fighters since this was the longest 4 minutes or so of my life.


Once I got home, the stress on my lungs had accelerated the cold I was getting and now I sound like Darth Vader...hehe, but I DID IT!


This is something I would not be able to do ever before, physically I was to heavy and way to out of shape. Don't get me wrong, I have a long way to go, but I have come a long way baby!!!


Here are some pic's for your enjoyment!!!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Update the World

The last few days have been good..busy, but good.

Had Women's Self Defense Class last night...LOVE IT! WE learned grappling...where you take someone to the floor and pull their arm funny ways until it makes a popping noise...hehe..good times! We didn't actually pop any ones arm out, but we did practice it, getting ourselves up from a sitting position while being attacked and never letting the guy get our back to the floor. I am amazed by the strength that I have gained along with the confidence. I did come away from last night with a hickey looking mark on my neck...ooppss!

I have been working out regularly for about 1 hour a night at least 4 nights a week, 5 if I can make it all week long. Curt was laughing at my arm muscle that is emerging, and I am hoping the bat wings go away some day. I have lost a total of 51lbs but have hit a plateau...even gaining a few pounds here and there. The trainer reminds me that muscle weighs more than fat so not to freak out on him! ;-P

Nikaya tested for preschool (the BIG test that took 3 hours.) I was as tired as she was afterwards. She qualified (barely, by needing a -2.00 and getting a -2.00) as Mildly Developmental Delay in Cognitive are. This just means that she is behind kids here age in things like colors, numbers, shapes etc...I already knew that, but it is nice to know I am not making things up that I should not really worry about.

During the test Nik had the teacher in stitches. She is an absolute jokester with quite the personality. The teacher asked her the following questions:

Teacher: Nikaya, if you are thirsty, what do you do?
Nikaya: Get a drink
T: If you are hungry what do you do?
N: Eat
T: If you are playing and you break something, what do you do?
N: I didn't do it!
T: I know honey, but IF you broke something then what do you do?
N: I said I didn't do it!
T: OK....but what if you and your friends or brothers and sister were playing with something and it broke?
N: Someone else did it, not me!

hehehehe Cracked the whole room up. She was so serious in her answer as well. They are excited to have the little social butterfly in the class and feel that she will more than likely be the class clown.
After they call me we will get an IEP meeting and then get her started. She can hardly wait to ride the school bus.

Well, off to bed, I am tired and the days are busy...Friday I work, work out, grocery shop and Sat. is cheer and fights, Sunday Church and then it starts all over again...whew

Sunday, October 19, 2008

HELP SAVE DEREK...New Web Page

To the right of the blog I have added a website link. This link will take you to the new HELP SAVE DEREK web site and journal. You can read about Derek (Curt's brother, my Brother-in-Law) and how he is doing in his fight against PSC.
I have more to post on this, since last night was a fantastic auction and dinner on his behalf that was done for fundraising. I want to get the pic's up and tell you all about the great community effort that went into getting money raised to go towards Derek's cause. I will also be putting up links for organ donation and a poem in honor of Derek....very powerful.

Most of all, Derek is asking for prayer. Prayers that he get on the donor list soon...hopefully before December. I am not sure how it all works, but part of getting on the list is showing the hospital that you can raise your own money for surgery....his portion will be about $250,000 for an uncomplicated surgery. :-(

Of course, prayers for God to find a way to help us fund this venture to save his life.

That the liver will take and be ok....60% survival rate for 5 years...Derek has always been a good gambler though..hehe

And that once the liver can become available, prayers for the family that has made the decision to give in the wake of loss.

More on it all later!

Blessings all around!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Busy,Busy

Busy, busy. I have had a busy few weeks. Wednesdays I am enjoying a Women's Self Defense class at the YMCA. The class is taught by a couple of brothers I know that run a local Karate school. Last Wednesday we learned defensive moves during an attack. This Wed we learned how to use Pressure points in self defense. Next week we will learn how to handle multiple at attackers. I have to say, the class is extremely informative as well as a stress reliever...where else can you go and hit a guy in a padded suit, and get some aggression out. :-P
Once the class is finished, we will have attackers go at us all over the Y until we cross the finish line to receive our certificate of completion....definitely have to take pictures of that!

Fights have been good, got 2 more coming up this month...Oct 18th at Speedway and Oct. 25th at Qwest. Looking forward to seeing my guys again in the cage and helping any way I can!

Work is going well and I think I am getting the groove down. I have found a few places where I still look at things and say "huh?" Oh well, one day at a time I guess.
I often look back at my Bible and remember the saying "Today is all ya got, all ya need and all ya can handle" phrase Pastor said one Sunday...definitely true for me!