Kokondo Training in Connecticut

After the Kokondo seminar in Wellesley, I had two weeks to kill in Connecticut. Now, put yourself in my shoes for a moment and assume that you have been in school for the past 24+ years. Assume that one day you are suddenly no longer in school, and you have all this free time with absolutely nothing to do, and you're in northern Connecticut for two weeks. What would you do? Maybe go hiking, or spend some time at the beach, perhaps?

For me, the answer looks something like this: wake up, work out, eat, read, sleep, read, eat, go to karate class, eat, read, sleep, repeat.

Fortunately, there are a ton of Kokondo dojo in the state of Connecticut, and my weekly schedule looked something like this:

• Monday, 6:30-8pm: Master Robert's Jukido class
• Tuesday, 4:30-5:30pm and 7-10pm: Master Betancourt's Jukido classes
• Wednesday, 6:30-8pm: Master Robert's Jukido class
• Thursday, 4:30-5:30pm: Master Betancourt's Jukido class
• Thursday, 7-8:30pm: Master Scanlon's karate class
• Friday, 6-10pm: Master Betancourt's Jukido class
• Sunday, 7-9pm: Mr. Dylag's karate class

In addition, I've been attempting to keep up on my kata, kihon, and nage waza. For kata, I venture out into the grass behind Master Betancourt's house, and try (unsuccessfully, I might add) to simultaneously work out and keep the gnats out of my nose, eyes, and ears. For those of you who are into math, Humidity + Bugs = Sucks.

In Master Betancourt's basement, I work on my karate kihon, and also use a rubber exercise band to work on my throws.

See that setup there, with the rubber band, and the metal pole? If you try a hip throw and you don't get enough pull, the band will snap you back and you'll slam into the pole. If you try a throw like harai goshi and the angle of your leg is off, your heel will crash into the pole. If you try morote seoinage and you drop your elbow, the band will slip off your arm and snap into your ribs.

For those of you who are wondering, the answer is yes. I am crazy and I have nothing better to do.