Southern Indiana

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[nuxie]

Hello everyone,

My name is Mary, I first started martial arts in 1995 after my father died. I was a very angry person after my dad died and my mother decided to enroll me in karate classes. Most people thought she was crazy, because I had become very violent. It was the best thing she could have ever done for me. It helped me get out my aggression while learning to control it at the same time. The place she enrolled me in was for adults but the person running it took me in after my mother told him what was going on. There were probably 6 grown men at the school at the time and one blackbelt who owned it. He tought Hap Ki do to the adults but would only teach me basic USA style Karate. I was allowed to watch the hap ki do stuff but for me he was more worried about learning self control etc, I stayed there for three years and earned my brown belt. When I was 20 my Step dad died and I got into some very bad habbits. . I came back to martial arts when I was 24 and had my son. I needed an outlet and remembered how much martial arts changed my life. I bounced around from various styles trying to find something that would suit me. ( by this time I lived in another city) Nothing I could find really grabbed me like Hap Ki do had. ( pardon the pun) I drove an hour away to go back to Hap Ki Do school 3 days a week. At this time I was allowed to learn the actual Hap ki do stuff. I was in love with it. I stayed with it to earn what is the equivalent of a 7th cup yellow belt. As my son got older and gas got expensive I no longer was able to go to classes. I then found a school right down the road from my house and tried it out. I just needed to work out. Didn't matter what style. They tought Jui Jitsu, okinawa karate, and kung fu. None of these seemed to grab me. I tore my ACL while sparring there and took a year off to have surgery etc,. when I returned last month I was stunned to see that there was a Blackbelt in Aikido with two students working off to the side. . I was so excited to see this. I asked to join him and his students and he said yes. I have been working with them for two months now and I have to say I am absolutely positively in love with Aikido!! I thought I loved Hap Ki DO but I am pretty sure I love Aikido much better. I once again find my life in chaos and stress but when I am working out for two hours doing Aikido all that is gone. I still have to learn how to relax a bit in class but it is happening,. My knee is not fully recovered but the only thing I cannot do is sit fully in seiza (sp) I am so thrilled to find Aikido especially one block from my house!! :)

So Hello everyone and I hope to have some good discussions along the way,
I am extremely interested in Ki energy.

[akiy]

Hi Mary,

Welcome to AikiWeb and to aikido.

-- Jun

[Janet Rosen]

Mary, thank you for the introduction! I'm so glad you feel you have found a "home" in aikido.

Just a word about ACL and kneeling, from a person who is both an RN w/ over 30 yrs experience AND has been through ACL graft: if you've had ACL repair you are at risk for arthritis in that knee. If you are having trouble kneeling, I would recommend asking your Sensei for permission to NOT shikko (knee-walk) or have to do suwari-waza (techniques done from kneeling). There is a whole world of aikido to learn and enjoy without that!

[nuxie]

Thanks Janet.
My sensi is well aware of my knee problem and we do limit anything I do from a sitting position. Thanks for the advice!! Most of the stuff I am working on is from a standing position. I do continue to wear my brace though to keep me from accidentally twisting my knee due to bad technique. It also keeps me out of trouble :) . Thanks so very much for your concern. ((hugs))

In physical therapy though I am supposed to be working on stretching out my ACL to regain range of motion. My PT told me I am not going to tear it just by bending my knee :). Sometimes it feels like it is going to snap again, but he assured me it wont unless I do a very grounded twisting motion. So each day at home I stand on my knees and slowly start to sit back just untill i feel the tension to stretch it out. PT doc says I should be able to kick my own hind end in no time if i keep that up!!

Thanks again for being so encouraging.
Mary

[Janet Rosen]

In physical therapy though I am supposed to be working on stretching out my ACL to regain range of motion. My PT told me I am not going to tear it just by bending my knee
Thanks again for being so encouraging.
Mary

and your PT is absolutely right! Concern is that it is unusual to tear an ACL w/o also doing some soft tissue and meniscus damage that place you at high risk for osteoarthritis due to uneven wear and tear - suggest you check in w/ your surgeon + your PT on this - here's hoping they say you are free and clear on that!

[nuxie]

Oh fear not! I had to get permission and pass a series of tests from my therapist before my doc would let me return to my normal activities such as Martial arts and BMX etc. That is why I am just now returning after almost a whole year since the injury, I haven't returned to BMX yet though hehe. I am too distracted with Aikido. :)
Therapist said Aikido will be good for me because it will help develop and strengthen the muscles that surround the knee, thus providing me with more stability. They even encourage me to be as active as possible to help me lose all the weight I gained after sitting on my rear end for 5 months after surgery! Let me tell ya sometimes after class I feel like I have sweated out ten pounds!! haha. Sensei makes it all look so easy!! I feel like I have just ran a marathon after class :) and I am only 33!!

I will get there though ... learn to relax and let my uke do all the work so to speak! That is why we practice ..right :)

Mary

[ninjaqutie]

Welcome! It sounds like you have went through some ups and downs in your life, but you have held your head up high. Good for you. A lot of aggressive people seem to get a lot out of martial arts if they go to the right school. I have seen the same thing with kids with ADD and such. Totally turned their life around (and their grades too!). Thanks for such a nice introduction!

[nuxie]

Yea I have been through my share of hurt. I really think they key to me :keepng my head up" was early intervention on my Moms part. She was a very smart lady. When my son was 6 I enrolled him in the localk TKD place hoping it would gie him confidence, flexibility, and a good mentor. It did all of those thihngs for him. He is 9 now and wants to puruse his blackbelt. Unfortunately I cannot find an "honest " school that will give him a blackbelt if he earns it ratherthan weather or not i sign the check. He told me he just wants to finish what he started and move on to something else I am proud that he wants too finish what he started. I would love to see him doAikido but I am not too sure if it is a good martial arts for a hyperflexible 9 year old with way to much energy and a hearing problem :)

[ninjaqutie]

I'm sure you will or could hear various opinions about 9 year old black belts in a martial art. I'm also sure people may mention that a black belt is not the finish line and that in fact you have finally laced up your shoes and are in the starting blocks. :)

Regardless of those things, your son should be proud of what he has learned and where he has gotten in his training. He may like aikido, or he may not. Perhaps he is actually ready to close this chapter in his life and move on to something else that interests him. :D

[nuxie]

Well to him Black belt is the finish line for his TKD career haaha. He really does seem to want to move onto another style. He liked Hapkido but I was't too sure I wanted him learning the arm bars and pressure points etc. . I am going to start next week working with him myself to see how he does. Of course he really really really likes weapons especially the bo staff. I have a friend that is a black belt in Bong sool so I may just opt to do that with him. He would love nothing more than to have his very own Katana but I am not mentally prepared for that yet haha.

[nuxie]

Just and update on my knee, I am doing great. I can now sit in seiza completely. I am back to normal finally. I can stretch and touch my toes the whole nine yards. Doc says it has healed up nicely and I am no longer considered "injured". Yay me! I can literally Kick my own butt! :) what a milestone!. I am progressing pretty good with aikido. I am still in love with it in every way. Thanks for the answers and advice about my knee.

((hugs))

[Janet Rosen]

Wonderful news for a new year!!!

[ninjaqutie]

Good for you! Keep up the good work!

[nuxie]

update on my son. I found a wonderful school for him to train at. It teaches mui thai and jui jujitsu. My son has fallen in love with it. especially the mui thai stuff. He loves to kick things :) He is doing surprisingly well with the jui jujitsu stuff. It suprised me because he hated wrestling. He doesn't like to be grabbed on. I am so glad we can now close the very expensive TKD chapter in his life. whew.