Nationals update

Quick update before we leave for the beach today and the airport later tonight.

Team Navadisha sweeps!

I took 1st in traditional Forms, Mariah took 1st in Forms, 2nd in single and 1st in a hard fought double stick and Cole manhandled and dominated his way to 1st in both single and doublestick divisions.
This was a great weekend of many memorable moments, too many to list.
I'll start trying tomorrow
:-)

These are the memories that made me a wealthy soul

Women have come, women have gone, Everyone trying to cage me.

Some were so sweet, I barely got free,Others, they only enraged me.
Sometimes at night, I see their faces,I feel the traces they've left on my soul.
Those are the memories that made me a wealthy soul,
I tell you, those are the memories that made me a wealthy soul.

Travelin' man, love when I can,Turn loose my hand 'cause I'm goin'.
Travelin' man, love when I can,But sooner or later I'm goin' on.
Travelin' man, travelin' man.

Travelin' Man by Bob Seger



Heading out to Nationals tomorrow in LA. Hard to believe this will be my fifth one.
Each one has been unique and different.
Hearing this song yesterday brought back memories from a Martial Artist and Man who I have the utmost respect for, Tyrone Johnson.
Tyrone and I have traveled and roomed together in many, many places and he has the most unique and endearing wisdom as well as stories.
If you meet him and have a half hour, just ask him about the traveler's walking stick made specifically for him by High Zulu medicine man Credo Mutwa in S. Africa when he was there.
Tyrone goes way back, heck he was on the Western Michigan University TKD competition team already in 1975. Btw, Shaykh Tanner was there at the same time.
We were sitting in a hotel room in London 2002 having one of those deep, existential, prefight nervous discussions that seem to occur when you're in unfamiliar surroundings. Tyrone always had a unique and wise take on competition too.
"Winning or loosing really doesn't matter. We both know within the first 30 seconds who really won and was better anyway. All I want to achieve is to do the best I can and make my teacher and school look good" And he always did both. And I've seen much younger guys who beat him not be able to look him in the eyes later.
I said "Tyrone, what are we doing here anyway then?"
"Memories Steve, we're building memories is what we're doing"
That about covers it :-)
God, I love that man. Named a combo after him last week too.
Only thing I'm really worried about is making Navadisha look good. I no longer have anything wrapped up in competition results.
Thanks for all the wisdom Tyrone

Demo time

Put on a weapons demo at the TKD dojo a week ago.

Trying to drum up some interest and introduce me to the larger group.

Once they meet you, the guy with the pointy stuff isn't quite so scary.

By all acounts went very well.

Did some Hapkido, Aikido, empty hand FMA, padded stick sparring and full contact sparring.

And Cole did an excellent job as assistant. Kept his ego in check.

It's getting out of hand at times but I suppose going into Nationals that's not necessarily a bad thing. We'll reign it in later if the tourney doesn't do it for me.

And this is my favorite picture, classic Navadisha form.

No workout today

Yet another winter storm.

I'm not really an old-timer but this has been one of the more quirky winter's I can remember.

Severe storm seems to hit on a weekly basis and dump more snow. Usually warms up in between but we've already broken the record for season snow tally this week. Not that I'm complaining mind you. More snow means more opportunity to ride the newest snowmobile (and that's turning out to be a nice exercise plan, I'm usually whupped later).

As for driving in the storms, well what a better season to have gotten the Hummer. I'm really pretty much not worried pulling out of the driveway.

Snow? What snow? Had to get the trailer out of the back field last week. Just lock it in 4 Hi and go. It's like there's not even really snow there.

The only frustration on the road is following the people who's vehicles are unprepared for winter or those who really shouldn't be driving either. Pulling away from a stop is so uneventful.

I even figure, hey if there's even a few cars on the road, a Hummer should be OK. Now Chuck gives me a reality check and says "4WD only means you're stuck that much farther from the tow truck" and I heartily agree. I'm no fool and don't drive beyond the limits of a vehicle. This one just seems to have higher limits. In fact, I'm usually one of the slower ones if the roads are icy. 4WD means nothing then, I get passed alot and will see alot of fools in the ditch.

Now along comes today. You can't see squat.

It was 37 degrees yesterday and today it ranges from -1 to 3 degrees all day.

Well hell, Nationals start Friday and Cole and I both need the practice and Mushtaq needs to do the final wrapping on my scabbard.

Went out early for gas to run the snowplow and it wasn't too bad. Driving 50-55 before I realized it. Just brief white outs lasting 2-3 seconds.

I guess things changed a bit between then and when we left for good a few hours later. Figured I'd have to drive a bit slower so the trip would take 60-70 minutes rather than 50.

Yeah. Made it about 6 miles before I hung up the cell phone on Randy. I couldn't even see 1-2 car lengths beyond mine. I had a hard time finding a spot to pull a U-turn and I new exactly where I was.

Driving an hour in that is just plain brain-dead zombie thinking. And here 5 hours later it hasn't let up either.

Stuck my camera out the wind on the way back and got these. This was about double the length of visibility I saw on the maid roads.

Two weeks out

Two weeks out from Nationals and I'm pretty pleased.
The kids are looking great.
Both giving as good as they received here!
Neither going for blood, just a nice spirited training round.

Better to have them fight anyway. I'm having to fight them as an opponent they might meet, not as myself. I seem to get waaaay more beat up that way. Thanks go to Mushtaq for teaching her limb destructions!!!! We counted 8 on my arms after one round.

I'll be feeling younger again when this is over I think.

surprise visitor

Saw this pretty guy at the feeder Sunday.
Not a normally significant event (it's not an Ivory Billed or anything).
But you'd think living on the edge of a large (for Michigan) forest, we'd see more woodpeckers.
Usually just the Downys but the more interesting ones stay away. I did see a Piliated once.
I can draw in Orioles and Grosbeaks, even flickers and bluebirds in the spring, but the more interesting woodpeckers stay away.
I think maybe this one was attracted to this dead standing pine I have yet to cut down (and now have an excuse not to).

Lets go down to the river

Went for a few more rides on the snowmobile this weekend.
Friday night was a high speed jaunt to the river and down the gas pipeline to Fennvile.
Fast and Beautiful after another heavy dump of snow.

Then went again Saturday with Kristen, Cole and his Girlfriend. Another ride but an hour east instead. Get to see some areas of the Allegan Forest not otherwise seen.