Miscellaneous Weekend Education

February 2, 2009

Groundhog's day, right? Well, I'm hoping for a short winter (as if it hasn't been long enough already).

I spent Saturday at a Sanchin-Ryu Retreat, which is the style of karate I study. A couple hundred of us holed up at a conference center in Lansing and on Saturday there were three two-hour workouts. It was fun and I learned a lot, much of which I'm still digesting. Here are some miscellaneous thoughts that might have applications to writing.

By the way, I'm a first-degree brown belt, which means the next level is first-degree black belt. I've had this belt for about 18 months. Like any aspiring writer who has recently had an agent, that next belt (think publishing contract) could be right around the corner ... or much, much later. Hard to tell.

Anyway,

Best Bumpersticker Seen While Driving To Lansing:

When Do I Get To Vote On Your Marriage?

Best Tactical Advice:

"You're telegraphing your hachi." (I think that's the spelling. It's a knee strike and I, like a lot of sanchinkas, was sweeping my foot back a couple inches as if winding up before striking, rather than launching off my toes).

Best Philosophical Advice That Can Be Applied To Everything:

"No, don't say that, you're placing limits on yourself." (Back to hachi, actually, which is a tough strike for everyone, but particularly for those of us with stiff hip muscles and tendons. In fact, sometimes I have pain in my right hip when I lift my leg. Might be a touch of arthritis or who knows. Anyway, I was working with a third-degree black belt and I made a comment about how our target was supposed to be the floating ribs--with your knee, folks--and I doubted I'd ever be able to do that. To which Sensei Phil told me I needed to rethink my attitude on that and not place limits on myself. Work toward it, but don't tell yourself you'll never get there).

Best Philosophical Advice That I'm Not Sure I Understand:

"Absorb this with your heart, not your head." (I suppose it means, don't think too much).

Best Snack:

Raspberry Newtons

Scariest Moment:

When some teenage a**holes were doing dives, flips, and other crazy things into the swimming pool, which was only 5-feet deep. One of them decided he was going to jump up and slide on his feet down the metal rail to the ladder, but missed it entirely. I thought he was going to break his head open on the ladder. I'm pretty sure these jerks were with the Motocross group that was also at the hotel.

Best Sanchin-Ryu Advice That Can Be Applied To Writing:

You just got a giant chocolate cake. You can't eat it all at once. But you can cut it into slices and by Wednesday it'll be gone. (I'll let you figure out what I mean with that) :)

Cheers,

Mark Terry