The Martialista - THE MARTIALISTA Kick. Punch. Love.

My Last Belt Test Before Black Belt Testing!

2/11/2018

On Saturday, Feb 10th, I tested for my RBB (Recommended Black Belt) which means no more stripe testing - only degrees of black belt from now on!
It sounds so surreal to say it out loud but...my next test (hopefully in August if all goes as planned) will be for my black belt.
Here are some pics from my test yesterday :)

Saferingz for the win!!

2/2/2018

So I am sure many of you have felt my pain: you don't WANT to take your wedding ring off for class, but you have to. Meanwhile, your significant other is giving you a look that could curdle milk.

Sometimes I would remember and leave it safely at home and sometimes I'd forget until just before I was about to run out to the mat and end up tossing it haphazardly into my purse or gear bag. The last time I did that, I couldn't find my wedding ring for almost two months!

I figured there had to be an alternative. I even considered getting a tattoo on my ring finger so it was always there but wouldn't hurt myself, others, or damage the equipment. Then I remembered seeing silicone rings online. These were designed for first responders, members of the military, or anyone with active lifestyles. Perfect! But which company should I use? I searched and decided on Saferingz, mostly because they didnt stick their logo smack dab, front and center on the rings. I ordered one single band in gunmetal and three thin stackable bands to create black and white stripes.

They are simple, no fuss-no muss little silicone bands that are a real solution to my problem. I can leave my precious, one-of-a-kind wedding ring safe at home while still proudly displaying a symbol of my marriage. It won't damage equipment or faces, and if it gets lost, a replacement is only about twenty bucks. Best of all, I don't get that disappointing look from my hubby when I head out to class, sans wedding ring anymore.
(saferingz.com)

Whistlekick sparring gear. Testing it out- Part 1

1/27/2018

In my search to replace my original gear and find sparring gear that fits and feels just right, I came across this brand , Whistlekick, (@whistlekick) and am giving it a shot. I bought the footgear first. I love this blue color and all the cut outs for more air circulation- hopefully this mean less sweaty feet!
There is no toe strap which kinda weirds me out so I'm walking around and literally doing housework in them to see how they feel. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how they stay on without that strap (which usually breaks anyway, usually in the middle of a match...amiright?!)
Whistlekick's website claims they wont tear like other brands even after years of use, so I plan to put them to the test this year. I really WANT to love the products so we'll see how it goes!
Waiting on the matching headgear (expected in 2 weeks) so I will give my thoughts on that in Part 2.
I'm rooting for you Whistlekick.

Ok, I really just like saying Whistlekick.

Anyone have experience with this brand? The brand being...Whistlekick.
Ok, I'm done now.
Whistlekick.

#sparringgear #whistlekick #newgear #blue #girlswhospar #sparring #femalemartialartist #girlpower #martialartistover45 #taekwondoismytherapy #taekwondo #kickpunchlove

Northwest Hapkido Open House/Seminar

1/13/2018

I had the pleasure of checking out Northwest Hapkido last night. It is a new martial arts school in Hillsboro, OR and they hosted a Hapkido seminar & hands on workshop.

I actually met Sensei Spencer & his wife Janae at a Chrsitmas Bazaar at the Portland Expo Center in 2016 where they had a booth with their custom handmade wood weapons.(Check it out! - Lethal Arts Workshop) I admired the beautiful craftsmanship of their work and followed them on Instagram & Facebook.

Once they announced they were opening a Hapkido school, I wanted to show my support and also learn about a different martial art as I have trained primarily in taekwondo. Needless to say, I learned a lot and had a great time!

I just love meeting different people along my martial arts journey and being open to new experiences. You just never know what direction it can lead you, but I sure am enjoying the ride!

Thank you Sensei Spencer for an informative and fun class!

2018 - The year of my black belt. (If all goes as planned...knock on wood!!)

1/8/2018

I am on track to test for my black belt this August and to be honest, I am a bit obsessed with the idea.
It's all I talk about, it's all I think about and it is what is driving me every day. My poor hubby can attest to all of this - but if i have to listen to him obsess over Star Wars, he can listen to me ramble on about martial arts ;)
ANYWAY, like I said, August is the plan, but me being me, as in old & clumsy, I know things can get derailed so fingers crossed my poor knee heals, my torn hamstrings don't prevent me from kicking like I need to and no new injuries pop up! :: Knock on wood again ::

Tonight was a great night at Dragon Brand Martial Arts. We worked hard and sweat (sweated?) a lot.
I got my form (poomsae) stripe tonight & I got my Kickboxing stripe earlier this week.
Up next board breaking and sparring stripes.
It occurred to me that these will be my last stripes ever! My next belt is prepping for black belt / recommended black belt which doesn't get stripes, and then after that.....eeeeekkkkk!
So send positive thoughts my way on the journey to BLACK!!

#stripetesting #forms #poomsae #taekwondo #kickboxing #sparring #boardbreak #beltstripes #highredbelt #everydayisblackbelttraining #ivegotgoals #lightattheendofthetunnel

Sparring class action shots

3/29/2015

My hubby came to watch me spar in class last week and was able to grab some photos of me.
So THATS what I look like whilst getting my butt kicked! ;)

#sparring #martialarts #goldbelt #Martialista # Primetimemartialarts #TeamPrimetime

Getting my gear on

Catching a quick breath or two...

Sometimes, all I can do is laugh when I get scored on.

Yup, Primetime is everywhere!

3/20/2015

Going to grab some groceries at my local Safeway and lo and behold... my shopping cart had a very familiar logo with some very familiar faces so I had to show my love. (And of course, wearing a Primetime shirt, natch!)

No one ever said it was going to be easy...or pretty!

3/18/2015

No one ever said it was going to be easy...or pretty! Punch to the eye, hit to the foot, meh, just another week of martial arts. ‪#‎shiner‬ ‪#‎blackeye‬ ‪#‎bruise‬ ‪#‎martialartstraining‬ ‪#‎martialartistproblems‬ ‪#‎Martialista‬ ‪#‎everydayisblackbelttraining‬ ‪#‎martialartist‬ ‪#‎martialarts‬ ‪#‎primetimemartialarts‬ ‪#‎teamprimetime‬ ‪#‎goldbelt‬ ‪#‎ivegotgoals‬

Milestone: Gold belt, 1st stripe

3/17/2015

Just keeping track of the progression milestones. Stripe goal #1

Change means growth. Change is good.

3/16/2015

My little (but mighty) school is growing with a larger number of advanced students which is awesome. As things are changing they have rearranged the schedule to break the classes down by beginner/ intermediate/advanced classes as opposed to ages - which often times meant mixed belts and skill levels. This means I am no longer with the adults that I have been training with since I began last July as they are all much higher belts than me (whom I admire & respect) However, now I get to train with other White thru Gold belts of all ages (whom I also admire and respect).

Since I was training with intermediate/advanced students from the day I walked in to the school, I felt like I needed to catch on fast and just hold on tight through the whirlwind. Some days I was close to the point of passing out and I even threw up a couple of times, but I kept pushing on and kept giving it everything I had. If I didn't know something, I would watch and mimic. I knew I had to put my time in the trenches and the only way to get stronger was to keep coming to class no matter how hard I was pushed at times.

With the new class format we are doing basic moves and positions that I have been doing already but I have to say I am really enjoying focusing on my basics (stances, blocks, punches and kicks) I went from intense, barf inducing classes to ones where I can breathe and focus 100% on doing things the right way and practicing it over and over and over and over....I thought that this class might not challenge me enough, but I couldn't be more wrong. Since I can focus more on the intensity of the moves I already know, I am actually pushing myself harder and getting better every day. Heck, some days I even take back to back classes to work on my endurance because I am not completely out of steam like I was after some classes.

I am grateful that I had a couple of months of super intense and difficult classes to muscle through because, trust me, if I was GOING to quit, that would have been when I threw in the towel.
But I didn't.
I hung in there.
It gave me an indicator of how much more challenging it will be for me someday down the line.
It showed me what I am really made of and damn, I am made of tougher stuff than I ever imagined.