Dangerous Beginners

Or “How AJ was broken in taijutsu last night

Alternatively, “Why you should only practice combat martial arts with people you trust

Typing actually isn’t too bad this morning. That’s good, considering I can’t reach my left shoulder, can’t pick up The Boy, can’t really use the phone, and had to eat oatmeal left-handed. All because my training partner last night was impatient and intimidated.

We were working on some small throws that are all about balance and timing and the judicious application of a fulcrum. The guy I was working with is new to the art and kind of whiny and really worried about working with me, apparently because I’m big and have a shaved head. At any rate, he couldn’t get me appropriately off balance for the throw and instead of focusing on that, he just wrenched me around. My arm was tied up in his shirt, and before I could do anything about it, I was laying on the mat wondering if I had broken anything.

Nothing in the joint is grinding, and I’ve got maybe 30 percent of my usual range of motion, so now I’m just worried about tears in the muscles around that joint. I’m going to the doc this afternoon to see what’s shaking.

Flip-flopper

Yeah, so I’m back to being a web designer / maintainer / content producer. At least for now.

I was thinking yesterday that while security sounds all sexy and exciting and whatnot, I’m actually a mid-level web geek already, and can turn that competence into paying gigs fairly easily. Also, I get a little rush from having created fire something. I hate all the piddling little details that come with actually implementing a site, but I suspect there are as many or even more little nuisances with being a security guru. And there’s also that bit about me already having all kinds of mad content-generating skillz…

Fortunately for my ever-so-indecisive self, I can pursue both goals simultaneously for a while. Server management and web server hardening applies equally to both paths, as do learning Perl and PHP and other command line trickery. So no firm decisions for now – yippie!

Internal Clock Disparity

I should know better by now, but this happens every year: the snow falls, the temperature drops, and I think, “Boy, I’d sure like to go for a motorcycle ride about now.” And then in spring, when the snow melts and the roads are dry, I get the itch to carve a perfect turn.

Maybe this winter, I’ll not only ski, but start tackling all the deffered maintenance on the bike so it’s ready to go this spring. I could even start saving for an Aerostitch suit (in the hi-vis yellow with reflective silver ballistics, of course). Maybe…