Sorry I’ve taken so long off.  I’ve been really busy with things for work…and some play. I have been training, just not as regularly as usual.  But I’m working on getting back into it full time.  Lots of things coming up in the next few months. There is the US Open and some other small tournaments that I will be helping train some kids for.

I’ve recently ordered a few new uniforms from Mooto. 2 of their top their uniforms and one of their demo swords. I’ll let you all know how that goes.

Other than that I’ve started training for my Second Degree. If I stay consistent with training it should only take 2 years to accomplish, which isn’t that bad at all. Anyways, just wanted to check in peeps.

Hey peoples…

Here is the deal. Its been forever since I’ve posted and it is partially from other things going on in my life, but also partially from not knowing what to post next. I’ve been hitting all my regular sites and haven’t been getting ideas. My training has been going okay, but I’m finding it hard to work on some of the things I’d like to (running, weights, 540s). Truthfully I miss it and just need to buck up and get back on the wagon. Anyway, just wanted to throw out a quick post and get this stuff off my chest.

A lot of people are pretty taken with the Roger Clemens situation. I’ve put my idea of performance enhancing drugs on this blog before, but here is a point that is brought up by the hosts of ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption. It should be said now that I completely agree with what they are saying:

Question: Is Congress going to far with the Roger Clemens situation?

Wilbaum: You know what? Yeah, I think so. And I going to give credit to you for trying to convince me over a period of years that Congress should not necessarily be involved in these matters. There real life things going on that are bigger and more important than baseball. There’s conflict worldwide. There’s an education crisis in America. Loisiana and the golf have yet to be rebuilt. There are things so much more important than Roger Clemens. I think that you have convinced me, particularly now Tony. They’re talking about depositions, they’re talking about all this work. This is work. These are hours commited to Rger Clemens. No. I think they’ve gone to far.

Tony: I don’t think Congress needs to be in the baseball business. I think Congress needs to be in the school business, and the cost-of-cars business, and the war business, and the bridges and the roads business, and stuff like that. They’re now investigating Roger Clemens, like this is the House on Un-American Activities Committee. I would remind people, I think that Mark MaGuire is not in the Hall of Fame because of what happened before of a Congressional Committee. And I would think that a lot Congressman up there would have gladly gone to games where Mark MaGuire played and cheered him as he hit his 500 foot home runs and stuff like that. I’m not saying they can’t be involved with sports, but to me it’s a glad handing position to get involved with sports, to come in for the kill on something like this. And especially in an election year there gotta be more important (Wilbaum in background: have to be) things for sitting members of the House of Representatives to do than this.

Essentially, Hanmadang is a huge Taekwondo Festival, and this year it will be held in Anaheim California. This will be the first time it will be held in the USA and might be the last time for a pretty long while. Here is a clip from the 2004 Hanmadang self defense:

04 Taekwondo Hanmadang - Click here for this week’s top video clips

I’ve been one for a little over a week, and I must say I don’t feel any different.  You know, so many people put so much emphasis on getting this belt that is the absence of color, they put such a weight of gravity on it that you almost think that once you’ve reached this milestone that things change. They really don’t.  I was about to type that I don’t feel any different before as I do now.  However, it isn’t true.  I actually feel sub-blackbelt now as opposed to a few weeks ago.  Reasons:

1. I started having ber and wine again. Not a lot, but a drink is a drink.
2. Injuries (toe, knee) have caused me to curb my training and do just teaching.

The only difference I’ve had so far is what other people think of me. There have been a few reactions to it so far from the people that have seen me train or that I help to teach:

• a little more respect from the students that are close to black belt
• congratulations from students parents
• shock from students that weren’t at the test, and this has been said to me after the new belt is viewed. “You’re not a Blackbelt!”- that is by far my favorite

In the midst of writing this blog, I was speaking to my friend in regards to the same topic. My friend Randi basically told me the following:

Randi: i’m sorry that you don’t feel different doing your blackbelt, but the thing is, you did all of that training so you knew you were ready for it, so basically you were doing the same thing before, but now you gotten certified for it. and you know not many people make it as far as you and have the strength to do so. i saw you breaking those boards and i saw a smile at one point.

The truth is, that I think that my friend is right. I’ve heard that 1 in every 10,000 people can become a Blackbelt.  At another school 1 in 400 that starts as a White belt becomes a Blackbelt. I don’t know if these ratios are correct, but being one of those select few, doesn’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything.  Its more like I’ve still got more to accomplish.