Wednesday, October 04, 2006

It's Supposed to be Fall!

Yet it was in the mid 90s today.

After being so hot for so long, I am ready to move to Alaska.

We got a few more things moved today, but we are running out of room in the new house. The old house had much more cabinet space in the kitchen than the new house, so I'm finding it hard to find storage space for everything, despite the fact that I am getting rid of so much stuff. My bedroom and bathroom are completely moved, except for my dresser and file cabinet, and I'll need help with those. The kitchen is about 75% moved, and the living room is about halfway done. There is still quite a bit left in Cody's room to be sorted through, mostly my craft stuff I had stored in his closet. He claims he's gotten everything he wants out of his room, but there is still a lot in there that will need to be packed up, donated, yard saled, or thrown away. I'm just tired of moving...

In snakey news, I measured Blaze today and he is growing like a bad weed. He grew 2 1/2 inches since his last shed, and now measures 28 1/2 inches. Sunset is getting ready to shed again. Slider is becoming more comfortable in his environment, and is getting out and cruising his viv more. Onyx is still off his feed. He'll grab and constrict the mouse, but won't eat it. He is still plenty active though, and doesn't appear to be losing too much weight. After urffing her previous feed, Scarlett has kept this one down for 5 days now, and has given me a hallacious poop. And finally, Snow appears to be slimming down some. I'd put her on a diet a few months ago because she suddenly bulked up. It was around breeding season, and though I didn't breed her, I think maybe their natural tendency is to put on weight during this time in preparation for being gravid. She's looking a lot better, but still chunkier than I'd like her to be.

James is talking about quitting karate. He still comes to class, but doesn't even gi up and participate any more. He says it's no fun being a black belt. He, like me, is disgusted by the behavior of some of the students in the class. We have a few students that seem to think the dojo is a teeny-bopper dating club, rather than a karate dojo. Then there are others who just aren't serious and spend most of the time playing. We have one young female white belt who refuses to wear her obi. Now, I know we all misplace our obis from time to time, or forget our gi tops, or don't get them washed, but this girl never wears hers. Ever. I've mentioned it to her several times, but she always shows up without it. I think she wore it the day she tested for her two stripes, but other than that, I don't ever remember seeing her with it on. I guess if she shows up without it Thursday, I'll have to talk to her grandparents.

I've mostly been teaching a new white belt named Brandon. I think he must be very shy. He never looks at me. When he does, it's those quick little glances like he hopes I don't catch him looking. Karate wise, he's doing ok, though.

7 comments:

Mathieu said...

mid 90! I'm jealous!
we're around 37 here. UGH! At least it's sunny.

keep up the moving.

Quitting karate?
sacrilegious!!!

Kidding. I guess you have your reasons. Still, it's up to the Sensei. No gi? Go home. No obi? one class goes, second, go home.

I remember my last dojo - a shotokan dojo. Up to a point, a 16 Y.O. was doing the warm up and laughing all along... It was like.... errrr, ok, what am I learning here?
But when Sensei came in, zilch. Everyone was in place.

How old are they?

Seriously, though, the sensei does it. It's his responsability to uphold discipline. Maybe you should talk to him before quitting. Plus, do not forget that :

sempai set the example for kohai.

I know it's not good form to do so, but there are teaching classes for instructors. And I also know it's a big NO-NO, but there must be someone who teaches black belts full time that you can reach by internet and ask about clinics. That discussion can lead to "other" things.

I simply cannot envision that being a black belt is no fun! Make it a fun experience. Do talk to your sensei. I mean, up there, you have a very wide curriculum of techniques you can do. basic, throws, grappling. I know you black belts have been set apart and that your sensei does not make others bow when you enter... What to say, don't quit. Talk to Sensei before. If truly, you feel that you've done everything you can and nothing changes and you're unhappy... well. so be it. If not, push harder.

Hurdles are part of the way too.

If it doesn't work out, hell, come to canada and train with SuperGroup! Same style, I believe.

Hope it all works out for you. I'll be hoping you persevere in your training.

Mathieu said...

Sorry, not the same style, my error. :-)

Becky G said...

37! I'M jealous! (That is in F, right?)

I think you misunderstand. I am not thinking of quitting karate. James is. Sure, I get frustrated sometimes, but I don't intend to quit. I'm trying to talk James into staying as well. If we are not needed to teach, I try to get him off to the side and go over stuff ourselves. Here lately, though, he's been too much of a gloomy gus to even wear his gi.

The girl who won't wear her obi is 12, despite that she is in the "adult" class. I keep saying I wish sensei would start a TRUE adult class--ages 18 and up--no exceptions. The "adult" class we have now ranges in age from 11 years old to 55 years old. There is a lot of difference in teaching a teenager as opposed to someone over 35. Add to that, most of the teenagers aren't serious about their karate.

I'm going to try to talk to sensei tonight about James. I don't want him to quit, especially since the other black belt is so irregular in his attendance. We'll see how it goes.

Mathieu said...

Oh! sorry, I was lost in translation again - happens...

Good luck :)

Perpetual Beginner said...

Our "adult" class when we have one is 18 or over, or green belt and up. I.e. an 11-year-old green belt can attend, and a 25-year-old white belt, but no one under 18 with a white, yellow, or orange belt. It seems to work pretty well, since by the time the kids get to green, they've pretty much proved that they're serious. Also it lets us beat some sense into the mid-level boys before they get too big.

It really sounds like you need a separate black or black/brown class so the upper belts can continue progressing.

Becky G said...

I've been asking for an upper rank class ever since I became a brown belt. I keep hoping that one day we will have one. Sensei has mentioned starting a black belt class on Friday afternoons, but so far we haven't been able to get everyone there, even though there's only 4 of us. He won't start it unless all of us can be there.

Becky G said...

Mat, no problem. It happens sometimes.