KRAV MAGA CLASS

Tonight we covered:
- Upper Cut Punch
- Defense vs Upper Cut Punch
- Review Choke Front with Push
- Choke Against Wall / Front

While I plan to go to the Monday & Wednesday classes every week, I'm currently actually attending about four classes a month. Spring storms come in every Wednesday and have been playing havoc with my head. The migraines aren't every day (thank every deity possible), but the change in pressure will set one off, and I wouldn't be able to be a good student or partner when my head hurts so much my left eye is throbbing.

The classes I do make are great and I'm very glad I decided to finally take this up. I still need a hot bath after each class so I don't walk too woundedly (is that a word?) the next day. ^_^;

Here's to a stronger and more dangerous me! ^_-

PARTY

Nissan hosted a food-filled past & present co-worker party at her house tonight, complete with cheese fondue. A chocolate fountain was supplied by a guest (first time I'd seen one in action), and I have no doubt someone drank out of directly before the night was done. Tonbo was free, so we drove out together. Showed up early, had a lot of fun, and left when the number of people and noise level became too much for my introverted self.

SERENITY BETTER DAYS #2

Buy it, read it, wait in eager anticipation for the last issue ...

Serenity: Better Days #2, new Firefly comic by Joss Whedon released by Dark Horse Comics

BDAY BC TRAVEL

[I can blog about this now, but at the time, it was a secret ... ]

There are lots of reasons you don't want to receive a phone call at 4 am. One of the lesser evils is that you plane has been canceled. Thanks to a very friendly and helpful American Airlines employee, I was able to catch an earlier flight which left me even more time for my connection in Seattle.

Because I'm traveling on my birthday* as a surprise visit to my Dad for his birthday.

Everything went well. I love the Fireworks Gallery at SEATAC airport, and can spend a lot of minutes and moola in there. The little prop mountain hopper sailed smoothly into Okanagan Valley, where I met my mom at the Kelowna airport. My sister should arrive an hour after me (how cool is that, especially since she left half a day earlier than me from Mongolia. Really, Mongolia).

So lots of people get off various planes and no sister. Since the airlines can't give out personal information, we don't know at what point she stopped traveling along the itinerary she sent. We assumed she made it to Shanghai. We hoped she made it to Vancouver. She obviously hadn't made it to Kelowna.

Therefore, in an attempt to track her down, we ended up having to call my dad at the house and well, there went the surprise. Fortunately, sis showed up on the last flight of the day, and it was all good.


* and Nathan Fillion's birthday. Never forget Nathan Fillion.

UNCLE SAM WANTS MY MONEY

Saw my tax accountant today. A little less to do this time, as I only did one convention last year with Fan Done. The site gets maybe one sale a month, but I'm going to keep it up because I still have Can't Take the Sky From Me Wristbands available. And if I make some time for it, there are designs I want to put on the Fan Done CafePress store.

A small refund is in my future.

I HAVE RUN OUT OF WAYS TO SAY "OW"

Remember those padded assailant attacks I so enjoyed yesterday?

Today, it hurts to blow my nose.

I'm sore after my normal krav maga classes, but it's a very localized kind of sore: the arms from punching, or the legs from kicking. Having been grabbed around the waist over a dozen times, and ending up on the ground at least once in a fight with a padded guy bigger than me apparently did all kinds of things to the muscles on my central body. From the hips to the shoulders, I ache. I'm also aware of how many daily actions involve those central body muscles. Like getting up, or sitting down. Walking isn't that bad, and thankfully I don't have to cough often.

Guess Monday's krav class will work out all the soreness ... or overlay it with a new layer.

Go me.

I BEAT UP 3 MEN TODAY

OK, not really, but I punched and kicked hard enough for them to let go, which was the goal of the 'padded assailant' part of the rape prevention workshop I attended, hosted by my krav maga teachers.

The first 2.5 hours were talking and 2 specific techniques: what to do against a front choke hold and what to do against a bear hug from behind. The last 30 minutes you did anything you could to stop the big padded guy that looked like he just stepped out of Halo from dragging you to the door. Think about trying to put a cat in a bathtub full of water, and you get the idea.

There were about 20 women there, and when it came to the "real" thing, we divided up into the corners of the room and each of us took a turn with our padded assailant. You stand away from the others, your eyes closed, and wait for the attack. As soon as you feel him on you, you open your eyes and start fighting.

The first time he did the bear hug from behind I was picked off my feet so fast it really shocked me. But not for too long. I ended up on the ground with him, and then got away. On the front choke hold, I landed a really good heal palm to the head and was one of the fastest to get away from that attack. Overall, I think I went through the drill 4 or 5 times, I really don't remember. I know I've never had an adrenaline rush like that before, even when I was held up at gun point. After each attack I was extremely tired and a bit shaky, but it wore off faster each time.

I remember the steps of each defense, but I honestly don't remember what I specifically did to get away after each attack. But I did get away. I watch as one woman was within a foot of the door before she really put some power behind her punches. It surprised me how many of them didn't seem to be taking this seriously, or didn't want to try the padded assailant drill again. In my mind, this is one of the few times I'll be able to "practice" in a "safe" environment something like this, so I went for as many drills as we had time for. Wish I remembered more of it. ^_^;

Remember, an ugly win is still a win.

The evening was spent with Tonbo's mother and sister, who took us out to a hibachi grill for birthday dinners and a custard shop for dessert.

Awesome day. ^_^