Back to the dojang.

I finally got my knee brace about two weeks after the February entry. It fits perfectly and while I've read a lot of material that's discussed how the post-op knee brace doesn't necessarily protect my knee from ACL reinjury, it still feels more appropriate for me to wear it for now. My surgeon told me that I should wear it until I feel comfortable working out/playing sports without it, which could take a long time (A year? Two years? Don't know . . .). It's a pretty lightweight brace - weighs about a pound and has been set to prevent my knee from hyperextending. I initially had to get used to activity with the brace on; six weeks later, the only thing I'm still not used to is being able to stretch my leg all the way.

I've been working with Cindy and Francis every Sunday for two hours on forms, from white belt to first degree black belt. Cindy has been an amazing help, pointing out the (millions of) areas for improvement. Granted, Francis and I have had to work on basics at this point to make sure our performance of the forms looks much better, but we now understand why each technique is executed the way it is.

During Wednesday forms classes, I'm able to take my learning from Cindy (who learns directly from JHK) to the other black belts. It's great to see someone's improvement over a period of time, especially when you know that you've helped them on that road to being better. Some of the black belts I've been in class with now know the nuances that Cindy first made me aware of, since I've been there to offer constructive criticism. It's times like these when I want to keep working towards at least third degree. Who knows if I can get there with my knee the way it is . . .

I'm looking forward to the test, even if it gives me butterflies in my stomach. I've been working hard for this and I know that I will do well when the time comes.

Just do it.

Nike's motto. I <3 that motto.

I had a six-month appointment with my surgeon today. Graft feels great, leg is strong, need to continue with weight training and cutting and pivoting exercises. I'll be getting fitted for a brace some time this week. I'm basically allowed to start doing sports again, but I have to listen to my body and not try to go above and beyond (which is hard, because I put 110% into everything I do).

Apparently, I'm eligible to obtain my second degree black belt sooner than I expected. I got my first degree in October 2007, and it's been about a year and a half since then (minus the 9 months that I've been out of commission). My Grandmaster wants the first degree black belts that he feels are prepared for the black belt seminars to train with him. By the end of the seminar sessions, if we've met/exceeded his expectations, we are granted our second degree.

The problem with this is that I've been out of practice for 9 months. I have little control in my left leg in terms of kicking techniques, and I'm out of shape in general.

So now what?

Once I get fitted for my brace, I'm going to jump back into the game. I need to get back on the horse and go for it. There's no way I'm passing up this opportunity, especially because I can finally move ahead in my training. I can get past that mental block.

In other news, I had been registered for 6 classes this semester (yes, 6 . . . at the graduate business school level . . .). I finally made the decision to drop one and just pick up an extra class in the summer because I couldn't deal with the workload. Now I'm taking 5 and working 4 jobs (yes, 4 jobs . . . UPS, the Registrar's Office, undergraduate accounting grader, and undergraduate organizational behavior writing tutor). I've been losing sleep because of the amount of coursework I'm expected to get done for each class, trying to balance working, and maintain my health. This decision might have repercussions later, but for now, my mental health ranks pretty high on my priorities.