A Non-post-class ...uh...post!

TKD has definitely been on the brain in the last couple of days, even if I haven't been to class since graduation. I think it's because I see this next cycle as being rather critical, basically due to the regional tournament in late July. This is going to be the first big tournament of the "new" year. (The ATA World Championship is this coming weekend, I believe.) Anyhow, while I'm far from World Class level (I'd have to be REALLY good and attend a LOT of tournaments nationally, which I'm not going to be doing), I do want to have a kick-butt ranking on a state level. After going into leadership and attending my first big tournament, I ended up ranked 3rd in Weapons. Not too shabby. I'd like to rank in all formats, and at least be in 2nd place. Heck, I might even be first if the current #1 happens to age out, but I don't know her exact age, and she might rank out (she was a brown belt in April, so during this year she'd have to be getting her black belt). I think this is my last year of being in color belt, as I might be a black belt by this time next year, so I have to kick butt as this is my last chance. After that, I might have a chance, as I don't think there will necessarily be any other 30-something 1st degrees the following year. But I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. ;-)

Related to that, I was thinking about how I can make improvements for the next tournament. I think I need to talk to Ma'am about it a little, when she's in an open and good mood, if she has any suggestions of extra stretching or weight training that I can do that will truly be affective in improving my performance. I started to work out a little on my Total Gym yesterday while Drew and JC went out biking. I think I have to figure out, however, which exercises are optimal for me and what I'm trying to achieve. I was even looking at several books on TKD while on my date with JC (yes, we went to Barnes & Noble and went out separate ways-- some date!), and did find one book that looks good, but I'm hesitant to buy it when I can probably just ask and adapt. Y'know?

Also in interesting reading this past weekend was out of the ATA World magazine was how Chuck Norris actually got his start in the military learning his martial arts from the ATA's Eternal Grand Master Lee. Sweet! I'm sure he's making the rounds in all the martial arts arenas to promote his World Combat League, but still...it was interesting reading. It lead me to look at the WCL website as well as his personal website. I think that what he tries to promote overall is fairly universal to all martial arts, and for that matter, life in general. I can go for that. This isn't to say that I'm a Chuck Norris fan now, but if my son were to pick him as a "hero", he would be making a pretty good choice, and I wouldn't object.

Many TKD reflections, but I think instead of thinking, I need to start doing. I'm just not exactly sure of where to start.