Cross Dressing

T

tonbo

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*Old* Gi = Good.
Wrinkled, smelly, old gi = BAD. (unless you're alone, I guess).

Yeah, at least have the decorum and respect to have a *clean* gi. I'll go with that.:eek:

I saw this posted once, and loved it:

"When I was told that I couldn't wear my karate uniform to work on casual day, it turned into a Gi rights issue"

:rofl:

Peace--
 

Michael Billings

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Old faded grey, some almost white again, and soft feeling, just broken in right. Of course my students ask why I don't get a new uniform like theirs. I just smile (of course I get a heavy weight KI grey and with holes at sleeves in about 2 years of use.) I do have some a decade or more old. They are pretty much rags ... but I just can't get rid of them.

Nothing was more traumatic than when my favorite black belt finally gave up the ghost and shredded when I was tying (sp?) it. I still have it, but just get sad when I look at it, lots of good memories there.

Yours in Kenpo,
Keep the belt even,
Michael B.
United Kenpo Systems-Texas
 
R

RCastillo

Guest
Originally posted by Michael Billings

Old faded grey, some almost white again, and soft feeling, just broken in right. Of course my students ask why I don't get a new uniform like theirs. I just smile (of course I get a heavy weight KI grey and with holes at sleeves in about 2 years of use.) I do have some a decade or more old. They are pretty much rags ... but I just can't get rid of them.

Nothing was more traumatic than when my favorite black belt finally gave up the ghost and shredded when I was tying (sp?) it. I still have it, but just get sad when I look at it, lots of good memories there.

Yours in Kenpo,
Keep the belt even,
Michael B.
United Kenpo Systems-Texas

Yep, I've buried many a good GI, and the stories behind them, choke...........:vu:
 
R

RCastillo

Guest
Originally posted by jbkenpo

Hey Mr. Billings,

Check out

http://www.linerskenpo.com

There is a cartoon figure in a crane stance that looks very familiar.

jb

Man, that is sooooooo cool. I wish I could move like that. I better contact Mr. Conatser for more lessons!:eek:
 
OP
Seig

Seig

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I'm about to retire the Heavy Weight I've been wearing for the past three years, not because it is starting to fray(it is), but because it has become 2 sizes too big. The advantage of going form a size 8 to a size 6, besides the obvious health rerasons, is that it is signifigantly cheaper!:) My belt is finally starting to grey, hope it doesn't shred for a few more years.
 
K

Kirk

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Originally posted by Seig

I'm about to retire the Heavy Weight I've been wearing for the past three years, not because it is starting to fray(it is), but because it has become 2 sizes too big. The advantage of going form a size 8 to a size 6, besides the obvious health rerasons, is that it is signifigantly cheaper!:) My belt is finally starting to grey, hope it doesn't shred for a few more years.

So enlighten me. I've been on every diet known to man (except
the Zone...to much weighing and measuring) haven't lost a pound. I've cut back on all kinds of crap in my diet, I've been
doing kenpo for 8 months, 1 month of TKD before that, and 6
months at the gym (1 hour treadmill 5 days a week, weight lifting
4 days a week) and haven't lost a fargin pound. I want to retire
my ghi for it being 2 sizes too big.
 

Goldendragon7

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You have to talk to Gary my student in Corpus Christi Texas. He was close to 500 pounds...... I started in on him a little over a year ago........... now he is at about 265. He has done magnificient! I't is all a matter of dicipline and exercise unless you have a physical condition (thyroid) so check with your Dr. first. If ok there..... then the Kenpo diet is for you.

[email protected]

E-mail him!

:asian:
 
K

Kirk

Guest
Originally posted by Goldendragon7

You have to talk to Gary my student in Corpus Christi Texas. He was close to 500 pounds...... I started in on him a little over a year ago........... now he is at about 265. He has done magnificient! I't is all a matter of dicipline and exercise unless you have a physical condition (thyroid) so check with your Dr. first. If ok there..... then the Kenpo diet is for you.

[email protected]

E-mail him!



E-mail sent, and thank you. I'm kind of feeling at the end of my
rope here. Because of problems with the health insurance
company that my employer provides, I can't get my thyroid
checked until next month. But I already have an appointment for
the 1st.
 
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Seig

Seig

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The answer to how I lost the weight is neither short nor easy. I will explain the whole thing, so if it seems I am rambling or my typing gets attrocious, bear with me. It started back in 1995, I was in great shape training every day both MA and body building, for competition. I was an auto mechanic by day and a hardcore MAer by night. One day right before Easter, I was in a Near fatal car accident. I was told, get ready for a wheel chair and lear how to be right handed, if you manage to keep the arm, you will loose 75% use of it. I found that unacceptable at the tender age of 25. I went to the Chancre Mechanic's (Doctor) and to see Olga, the Swedish Terrorist (Physical Therpaist) every day, but it was not enough. I asked for help from my Mentors in the MA community, and got it. I went on the Adkins diet and dropped a lot of fat and began a very heavy regime of weight training and MA, about 4 to 6 hours a day. I was a very trim 213 pounds(I'm 5'8"). As my health returned I slacked off a little on the weights. About a year later I settled down with my wife. I started actually getting dinner in the evenings and most of the weight training went by the side. No worries, I was still in good shape and we were both happy, I put on a few pounds and then got her into Kenpo with me. We both dropped the extra weight we picked up since settling down. Fast forward a little over a year, one day on her way home form work, my wife was in a near fatal car accident (weren't we the lucky ones). Since I had already been this route, I knew what to expect. Her disability checks were erratci at the best. we got one about every 6 months. Ihad to pick up the slackif we wanted to keep our home and eat. I started teaching at the dojo four nights a week instead of two and also taught Saturday mornings, in addition to my full time job, now at WorldCom. It wasn't enough, I picked up four more shifts at the Green Parrot (Security, not bouncer thank you). It came down to me leaving the house at 7:00 am every morning and getting home about 3:00am every day. I was livingout of a fast food bag or bar food. In about a year and a half, I ballooned up to almost 290. Finally, my company offered me a huge raise and promotion to work in Arlington (across the street from the Pentagon) and I accepted. I bid Sensei a tearful farewell and packed up and moved. I knew living down there would be too expensive, so I moved back to WV and had a 90 minute commute each way. No time for MA. I taught private lessons at my house twice a week until my student moved away. I finally got transferred to another site about 30 minutes away from the house and still was at 290 lbs. One day while at work, I was highly stressed and started having chest pains. Turns out the pains were just gas, but I figured it was God's way of telling me to loose the weight or die. I tried the Adkins diet again, and it did not work, i gained 8 pounds. So I talked it over with my wife and embarked on a low fat diet coupled with Slim Fast. I also got a gig teaching MA at Shepherd College. The weight started coming off slowly, a pound or two a week. Then I got laid off from my job and the diet went on hold. I opened the dojo four months later and went back on the diet, doing menial work where I could find it. The weight kept coming off. Over the holidays, I put 15 pounds back on, and it ticked me off. I went back on a strict diet, six days a week. If you don;t treat yourself at least once a week, staying on a diet is hard. I no longer eat junk food, except on Saturday, same thing with any kind of Soda. I drink a lot of water or unsweet Iced Tea. Now I work out 5 days a week, at least two sparring nights a week for extra Cardio, when College is in Session this can mean up to 3 hours of sparring in one night. I'm back down to 225 and have my eye on 210. The point I'm trying to make is this, it isn't enough to NEED to loose weight, you have to REALLY WANT it, just like studying MA. Set small goals for yourself, 10 pounds at a time. That keeps your goals realistic. When you reach a goal, don't stop. Celebrate on your day "off", and thenpick another goal, and so on. It has taken almost a year and a half, but I have taken off over 70 pounds.
 

Michael Billings

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I am truely impressed. I have battled weight gain my entire life. It was fine for my 3rd Black back in 1992, a knee surgery later, and 10 years (I am in my mid 40's now) and my metabalism has slowed increadably. I am fighting the good fight, but it is really hard when you are behind a desk 8 hours a day, teach at night, and have a new wife.

You inspire me to continue the struggle to lose mo weight.

Thanks,
Michael B.
 

Klondike93

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I strugle with a smaller weight problem. I'm 5'10 but weigh in at about 218 which I find heavy after getting down to 182 for a long time in the 90's. I had retired so to speak because of knee problems, got heavy, got the knee fixed and un-retired. When I started MA again I put everything into it and the weight just came off and stayed off. Then I didn't work out as hard for a while and the weight came back. Now at 41 it's hard to get the weight off, but I'm trying. Keep fighting guys :)


:asian:
 
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Seig

Seig

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After my accident, I had to have my knee reconstructed, it really hurt doing MA for a long time. I still occassionally have to wear a brace while sparring or some such, but as the weight comes off, the knee hurts less.
 

Turner

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Good stuff, really helps to hear success stories!

A two months ago I stepped on the scale and was horrified to see that it was 285. In the past 6 years I've gained 150 pounds... I joined the Air Force and weighed in at a malnourished (was virtually homeless, military was a saving grace) 135 and was given a desk job (A job my recuiter suggested after seeing my school and asvab scores, but I told him that there was no way I wanted to do it) working a rotating shift that left me to my own devices... That was the worst part. I've got great discipline. If I'm obligated to someone and they tell me to do something, I'll find a way to do it. I discovered that when I was a live-in student at a martial art school. The instructor had me doing things that would seem to most to be physically impossible. When it comes to self-discipline, I have very little. Over these past 6 years I've been motivated to get in shape thousands of times. Each time it lasts a day or a week before I failed. The problem was that I can't get motivated for me. Me is always the last person on my mind and wanting or needing something for myself isn't good motivation to get it.
Seeing that 285 caused something to change. I went to the local gyms to search for a place to lift weights and to train. All of them are packed. No open places to practice and the machines seemed to always be in use. I went and visited the local martial art schools to see what kind of classes they had and was disappointed to see short classes with mediocre instruction. After asking around, someone mentioned that one of the Studio's rented out time and so I made a deal. Its four times as much per month as a gym membership/MA class together would cost and that is motivation in itself to get in there and practice. Added incentive came from when a coworker mentioned that free Kenpo classes were being held in a local church once or twice a year and the response was excellent and a whole lot of people who were tired of the mediocre instruction of the local classes wanted to take Kenpo. I'd been introduced to a little bit of Kenpo from my Goju-ryu instructor and had always wanted to practice, but could never find a school. (sadly I never knew of any of you guys in MD existed when I was stationed at Ft. Meade...grrr... though my schedule was too wacky to take classes even if I did, which is why I didn't look too hard.) So, now I can be motivated by my community's need for quality American Kenpo instruction if I can only learn American Kenpo and lose the weight.
In the past two months I've dropped 10 pounds, right on the schedule I have planned. Now all I need is to start learning Kenpo. Hopefully in 2 years I'll be in fair shape and in 10 I'll be a black belt and ready to teach. :)

Its good to know that it is completely possible to move from @290 down to @210. I always had hope, but good to hear someone else's proof.
 
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Seig

Seig

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Let me let you in omething else most Kenpo practitioners know. If you start teaching the art (which initself is not enough to loose a lot of weight) people don't really see how big you are when they see how you move. I made that mistake ONCE . One of my biggest fears when I started teaching at the College was my weight, no one would take me seriously. As soon as I bounced around a few of the more fit guys, the students didn't really notice my size. I still did though, I didn't feel I was moving right, for me. Once I opened the dojo, I started concentrating on my weight a little more as I want to provide a good image to prospective students. Again, that fear is fairly groundless as students that watch a class will see you giving quality nstruction and that you can do what you are telling them to do. It ws a good feeling when one of my students asked me if I had gotten a newer, longer belt. It used to kind of wing out of the knot and now the tails are to my knees.:D
 

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