Karate Talk

Thoughts on a Tournament and Tangents

How well tournament went last weekend really depends on your perspective.  Overall, a success:  many people attended, competed, and went home with medals.  Lots of people got experience with competition and with tournament logistics.  Sparring was spirited and fun but no one got hurt.  These are all good things.

On a smaller scale, the success really depends on what perspective you had.

From the perspective of the many little kids who were in the children's divisions, it went well.  We had double elimination first round of kata, so everyone got to do at least 2 katas and have a chance to show what they could do, and nobody had to feel like a "loser".

From the perspective of the youth division, older kids who are a little more aware of all the ramifications, double elimination was a chance at redemption and for some, a double blow when they failed to win either round.  Those divisions were also well populated, but unlike the young children, the youth division starts to show some clear separations in ability; there was a group of about 8 youths who were clearly above their peers in technique, spirit, focus, etc., and they dominated the rings.  This was discouraging to kids who have gone through awkward growth spurts and lost control of their centers and extremities, and were really no match for the top tier (although they will be once they adjust to their added height and weight).  In addition, one ring had some judging controversies which will undoubtedly foster some bad feeling.

From the perspective of the adult divisions, it could be both intimidating and discouraging.  We did not have a large number of adult participants, sometimes just two or three people.  Although it guarantees a medal and a quick finish to the group, it's a lot less fun.  In the brown belt ranks, many of the competitors had tested for shodan that morning and were "on", out to prove something and already revved up, and had been training very hard for several months.  For those who weren't testing, that was a bit overwhelming. 

From the perspective of the black belt competitors, there were a lot of frustrations.  These competitors are experienced, knowledgeable, and aware.  They know how things ought to run, and they know when things aren't going smoothly.  Due to miscommunication somewhere, double elimination first round was carried over into these rings although never intended, which resulted in the brackets not going as they should have, and seeded competitors going up against each other in early rounds.  Scoring was also exceptionally slow, as was staging.  For this group, that was acutely frustrating.  The lack of some of our higher rank black belts in the competition rings, yet again, did not help.

From the perspective of those working behind the scenes, checking in competitors or working the tables, there were other frustrations.  Clear instructions are given on the entry forms, but many people do not follow them, which means a lot of headaches at check-in as people had to produce identification, membership cards, payment, proper paperwork, etc.  There were also same-day entries, which means that these people have to be added at the last minute to the brackets, and some no-shows, which requires more adjustments.  Most people working the tables were inexperienced; they've never written up brackets or had to juggle them, and had to call on tournament organizers to help them.  In one case, a high rank belt insisted on working a table and took over the running of it, despite having absolutely no table experience whatsoever.  The trained brown belts did not know how to handle this and really had little choice but to let the higher rank call the shots, but many problems ensued because of it.

From the perspective of the major organizers of the tournament, the day was a long series of headaches, crises barely-averted, and some not quite averted.  Aware of many things the average competitor would not know, they are taking notes on what not to do next year.

From my perspective, the day was mostly frustrating.  I was neither competing nor judging nor working tables, because not only am I almost 7 months pregnant, but I was also sick as a dog.  I did what I could to help and stayed all day to support my husband and our dojo, but had to spend a lot of time holding up the wall and trying not to pass out.  I've worked tournaments since I was a green belt, I've done every aspect of ring management from staging to re-writing brackets to scoring and can get a division completed quickly and efficiently, and it was acutely frustrating to look out and see problems but be unable to take over and correct them because realistically I couldn't stay sitting there through a long division.  It was frustrating to see inexperienced, uncertified judges having problems that slowed down some rings, and know that if I had been judging, they wouldn't have been out there.  I have training in all these things, and I felt like I let down the team by not doing any of them. 

I am still processing my feelings on a number of levels, and will have a few things to say (I'm sure!) about some of the things people did that caused problems, because I am really annoyed at some of them.  Some people really should know better.  For now, I will say I'm glad tournament is over with no total catastrophes, I'm glad that some of the competitors had a really good day out there, and I'm glad I can breathe through my nose again!

Martial Arts Experts, Revisited

There are so many martial arts experts out there!  It's really quite impressive.  Master, Grand Master, Shihan, Sensei, and all the others.  Black belts everywhere, in every discipline, in every dojo.  All of them so experienced, so full of knowledge, wisdom, expertise and good advice.

Right?

Yes, that's absolutely right.  Every single one of them is, indeed, an experienced and wise master who can set you on the right course.  And once you're there, I have some property I'd like to sell to you...

The problem with naming anyone an "expert" lies in the precise definition of expert, as well as who confers the title upon them.  For example, someone who has reached high rank in an established organization, who is certified in one or more ways and vouched for by their martial arts elders, probably has some skills under that frayed and faded black belt.  I am more than willing to at the very least hear them out, and will probably gain from the experience.  On the other hand, I have issues with the self-proclaimed "experts".  Those issues start, but certainly do not end, with the fact that they feel important enough to proclaim themselves so to the world!

I have certainly had my moments of feeling all-knowing and wise, looked around at a dojo full of people and just longed to benefit them with my riches.  Luckily for me, I was rarely able to indulge myself, since said dojo usually contained a number of people who have been doing this longer than I had, and who frequently outranked me.  Very beneficial for preventing me from making a fool out of myself. 

I'm extremely lucky that way.  I train in a region rich in high rank certified instructors, experienced world-level competitors, and a deep base of karate-ka who have been doing this for many long years.  Despite my years of training and dedication, and the rank I've attained, I am very, very rarely the most qualified person in the room.  Just for starters, my husband has been doing it for twice as long and outranks me, my instructor is a 6th dan, and the regional head is an 8th dan who did his initial dan testing years ago under Funakoshi. 

Kinda keeps things in perspective.

A woman I know has been doing karate for about 20 years.  She's good.  She's one of those deceptively good people; not a lot of flash, but very solid, much faster and more intuitive than you might realize until you try sparring against her and realize you can't get a damn thing through!  She also is a wife, mother, and college professor, so her training in the past few years has been less intense.  Some newer people don't necessarily realize her long history.  At Kangeiko, one of these people chose to give her some advice on her kata.  She smiled politely and refrained from commenting that she remembered when this person wore a white belt!  Another woman I know gave some advice on kata to someone she met at Master Camp.  She later had to apologize (as did her instructor) to the 5th dan that she (a nidan!) had been correcting!

I am always very careful about who I give advice to.  I will give opinions freely if the situation warrants it (or in this blog), but it's so important to keep a low profile.  I could put up a pretty good argument that I have the goods to back my opinions up, and the right to express them:  I have a respectable rank, with more than a decade of experience, who is in the Instructor Training program, who assists my sensei with teaching and instructs the beginner class, and fills in for sensei when he is out of town in teaching belts of all levels... definitely solid credentials, but unless I'm actually teaching, or it's someone from my own dojo that I outrank and who hasn't trained as long as I have, then I rarely comment unless I am asked. 

Why not?  Respect.  Even if you technically have rank on someone, it doesn't always mean it's necessary or appropriate to give them your two cents.  It's great to feel that you've grown, that you've learned so much.  It's great that you've reached a point where you start really seeing things like hip rotation, vibration, correct technique, timing, etc.  These insights will take you a long way, and if someone asks you to watch their kata and give them some feedback, you will be able to give them something constructive to work with.

Until then, unless you happen to be their instructor or have been specifically told to work with them, then it's probably best to keep your mouth shut.  People don't always appreciate your well-meaning advice, and you might be stepping on toes without even realizing it.  There are plenty of qualified instructors out there to handle the teaching duties; stick to your own training and it will be better for everyone concerned.

Finding Progress

When I first discovered I was pregnant, one of my greatest concerns was how this would affect my karate.  Don't get me wrong, of course I was concerned for the baby's health and safety, but assuming that the pregnancy ran smoothly, what did that mean for my martial arts training?

Although it might sound silly, I was unhappy at the thought of losing a year of "serious" training, and depending on how the birth went, and how we coped with the first few months of the baby's life, it could be much more.  Obviously the baby was the priority and well worth any sacrifice, but that didn't mean that I was blind to the fact that there would, in fact, be sacrifices.

Initially my worst fears seemed confirmed.  Constantly exhausted and with no appetite, I missed a lot of training in the early weeks.  Plus, due to the limitations of pregnancy, I was forced to train at a very moderate and cautious level when I was there.  By the end of the first trimester, there was no question that I was slipping.  And I was discouraged.

Then came the second trimester, where appetite and energy made a reappearance, and I was able to train more often and with more focus.  However, many restrictions remained.  There was just no way I was going to be able to train in the style I was used to, and that's the only way I knew to keep improving.  Never allowed to go full speed, full power, not allowed to push myself to physical extremes, and definitely no sparring, it seemed that although I now felt capable of much more, I was still condemned to plod through class on "medium".  I was still discouraged.

Finally I decided to quit feeling sorry for myself, and figure out what I could work on that wouldn't be limited by the need to keep my heartrate down, avoid overheating, or be restricted by my increasing size.

Once I looked with fresh eyes, it would obvious:  stance and technique.  Those can be done quite slowly, and they can be done without excess physical exertion.  They also allow for cautious movements to accommodate the physical changes in my body. 

So I started working hard.  I spent a lot of time in stance, making sure that my feet and knees were in proper position, deep with weight properly distributed, and practiced moving slowly from one to another for smoothness and proper expansion/contraction.  Since I had to slow down, I had plenty of time to really think about how I was making technique and concentrate on making sure that I was doing full range of motion, that my elbows weren't flying out, that my shoulders were being kept down and back, that my techniques were properly targeted and that my timing was correct.

Yesterday I got a compliment.  I was told that, contrary to other people's expectations, my karate had actually improved over the past few months.  Specifically noted were my technique, which I'm told has become sharper, with excellent timing and execution, and also my stances, which are low, strong, and perfectly balanced.

That's the beauty of martial arts.  No matter what you're going through, you can always find something that you can still do which will give you a personal feeling of accomplishment as well as a very real improvement.  You can find progress if only you teach yourself how to look for it.

How Much Do You Give Back To Your Karate?

Anyone who trains in the martial arts for any significant amount of time, who puts committed effort into it and enjoys their endeavors, can hopefully give you a list of many things that martial arts training has given to them.  Among these might be physical fitness, mental health, greater self-confidence, feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction.  These are gained through regular exercise, through gaining understanding of various techniques and their applications, through learning new things and mastering them, through facing challenges and overcoming them.

At some point, after gaining much understanding and raising through the ranks, it might be asked:  what have you given back?

We have a tournament coming up in March.  Normally I would arrive early, help set up the rings and tables, check in contestants, spend most of the day judging, compete in my division, and at the end of the day help clean up.  This year my role is undefined, due to the fact that I will be almost 7 months pregnant at that time and I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do.  The only certainty is that I will not be competing this year.

What will I do?  I will be there early and help set up.  I will check in contestants.  I'm not sure whether or not I will judge, and if I do, it will of necessity be for briefer periods of time than usual.  I plan to stay and help clean up.  By the end of the day, however much or little I have managed to contribute, I will probably be exhausted.  And no matter how much or little I have contributed, I will feel guilty for not doing more.  Sure, it's a lot of work, but it's also fun and a great experience.  You get to see people you don't normally see, spend time with them, see how they are progressing, swap stories.  You also get to learn a great deal if you are paying attention.  It's well worth the effort.

I wish more people felt the same, but I'm not sure they do.  This tournament has been a great attraction, drawing avid competitors from all over the region.  There were always plenty of willing volunteers to help run things, making it fun instead of a task (to quote the old saying, "many hands make light work").  The color belt and youth rings would go all morning, and then in the afternoon the marquee events:  men's and women's adult black belt competition.  Everyone looked forward to watching the strongest competitors, appreciating and learning from them.  We all knew who they were -- knew their names, knew where they trained -- and couldn't wait to see who came out on top.  Watching katas performed at high skill level is an artistic experience, and watching the sparring was so exciting!

Although it is the normal state for things to ebb and flow a bit, the past two or three years have seen a falloff in participation great enough to concern me somewhat.  Some of our strongest competitors have retired or moved away.  We have full youth rings, but few adults, and most of the youth competitors leave as soon as they are done competing.  So too do many of the adult color belts.  By the afternoon, the place is practically deserted except for competitors and judges.  The black belt competitors have no appreciative crowd to fire them up, the youths and color belts are deprived of the opportunity to watch the best karate our region has to offer.  The people who work the tournament (judges, staging, table help) work all day without a break, because there are barely enough of them to go around as it is.

I'm not sure what has led to the change, although many things are potential contributors.  I only know that I find it discouraging.  Why don't people want to stay and watch the black belts compete?  When I was coming up through the ranks, that was my greatest thrill on tournament days.  Why don't more black belts participate?  As any reader of this blog knows, I don't live for competition, to put it mildly, but I see so much to be gained through it, and we have so many strong black belts that it could be really exciting and rewarding.  Why don't more people volunteer to help?  Maybe they don't realize just how much work it is to put on a tournament and keep things running, but if so, why not?  Hasn't anyone of higher rank explained any of this to our people, and encouraged them to contribute what they can and support their fellow karate-ka?  It's one day out of the whole year, is it so much to ask? 

I have no answers.  I'm not attacking anyone or claiming that they aren't pulling their weight.  All I know is that I think it's sad that more people aren't more excited about this right now.  It makes me worry a bit for the future, if the committed and active participants slowly disperse and no one steps up to take their place.  I really hope to see more people there this year, in all capacities, enjoying the opportunity to get together and share our martial art with the other people in our regional organization.

Repetition, Both Good And Bad

Repetition, like so many other things in life, is neither intrinsically good nor bad.  It all depends on the situation, and your personal perspective.

For example, repetition in karate.  Although sometimes it might seem tedious repeating the same movements, over and over and over again, there is a point to this type of repetition.  Repeatedly doing the same kata helps you learn the movements so that they are natural, helping you to move on to the point where you can start thinking more in terms of application and proper technique, timing, etc.  The more you do your kata, the better it gets, if you are putting any effort whatsoever into the process.  Bring a thinking mind to it, and the progress will be obvious.  Repeatedly doing kihon (basics) helps build muscle strength, flexibility, body control, and the end result is that the movements become a natural reaction to certain stimuli, performed correctly when needed.  Boring to practice?  Sure, sometimes it seems that way.  But there is a definite point to it, which helps even the least philosophical person see a purpose (in these cases it also helps to think of it as "doing karate", which you enjoy, rather than "practicing", which most people think of as a chore).

Other kinds of repetition appeal only to sadists.  Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but things like a faucet that drips all night, the 14th time in one day that you hear the latest hit song on the radio, being able to predict what your mother will say before the words leave her mouth ("that's not music, it's just noise!") -- these things are annoying.

Another thing I find annoying is beating a dead horse, or in other words, endlessly rehashing and arguing the same points, when there is nothing new to be gained.  I also dislike people using this blog's comments as a personal soapbox to attack someone else.  That is why I made the decision a few months ago to close certain threads.  See my post on September 29, 2006, if you want the details.  I stand by that decision; in fact, time has shown that it was quite wise.  I still get plenty of comments attempting to publish to these closed threads, and believe me when I tell you they bring nothing new to the table, and most of them are pretty belligerent (and many have been submitted multiple times, in the apparent belief that if they just spam me, then I will give up and publish them).  So yes, I continue to censor my personal blog.  I could defend myself by pointing out that I've blocked ALL comments, including those that I agree with.  However, that's really not the point.  The point here is not to "win" an argument or get your shot at someone, the point is that the time comes to close a discussion and move on.  Period.

The More Things Change...

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose?  Well, not always.  Things don't always remain the same as they change.  As your situation in life changes, sometimes you need to make adjustments.

A friend of mine had her baby last summer, and says that her attitude toward karate has changed drastically since then.  She's been training for 20 years, and plans to continue, but she says it's no longer her highest priority -- nor should it be.  She trains now just for herself, not for the team, the region, her husband, her sensei, or any other reason.  This is not because any of those things have become less important in her eyes than they once were, but because her priorities have changed.  She has a husband, an infant, and a career, all of which she loves, all of which are important to her, and none of which she will neglect, even if it means scaling back on her karate for awhile.  She doesn't want to miss anything good, her life is so rich right now that there's not room for letting something take up all the thunder.  She won't let anyone guilt trip her into training if there's something else she deems more important.

There will be times in every karate-ka's life that are like that.  Karate is still hugely important to me, but I had a migraine yesterday and did not go to training, even though it was mostly gone by the evening.  My husband, who recently started a new job, stayed late at work to finish a project and didn't make it either.  In years past, we both probably would have gone.  Right now his job is #1, he needs to get settled firmly in his new position and wants to make a good impression, so he's going the extra mile a lot of the time.  Me?  As I've mentioned repeatedly (until you're all sick of it, I'm sure), I'm not taking any health risks at this time.  I was weak and woozy and still light- and sound-sensitive, and the last thing I wanted to hear were ki-ya's echoing around the room.  I stayed home and rested.

This is not to say that karate should not continue to be a priority for me, my husband, or our friend with her infant.  It should be, and it is, but at times, your life outside the dojo needs attention.  This is true for everyone out there, because you need balance in your life.  If you spend too much time at your job and neglect your family and your training for too long, you will lose out.  If you spend too much time concentrating solely on karate and neglecting your job or your other relationships, then some things which need attention won't get it.  If you wrap yourself up too much in one person or situation, you stop even seeing the other ones that exist.  The Masters would be the first ones to back me up on this; although they always emphasize the importance of regular training and making karate part of your life, they have repeatedly told us that you need to maintain balance.

So that's the theme of this post:  Don't think you can always just go on as though nothing has changed.  Sometimes things do change, for better or for worse, and you need to address those situations and find a new balance in your life.

Every Woman is Different (Men Too!)

How many times have you listened to someone giving you advice on how you should do something in the dojo, and thought, "that might work for you, but it won't work for me"?

Probably quite a few.  And you were probably right, too.  People constantly give well-meaning advice that doesn't necessarily apply to you.  Maybe they tell you to bend your knee farther, but you have knee problems and your knee just doesn't bend that way.  Maybe they tell you to put more power behind your punches, when you're punching as hard as you can.  Maybe they tell you to train harder, more often, do cardio, do sit-ups, etc.  They're trying to help you solve a karate problem (stance too high, no power, lack of strength) by telling you to do whatever they did to solve the same problem.  The trouble with that is, what works for a 35 year old man who is 6 feet tall, 180lbs., is not the same thing that will work for a 12 year old boy who is 5'3" tall and 100lbs (growing fast and losing control of his techniques), nor is it the same thing that will work for a 50 year old woman with joint troubles.

In the past few months I have received a great amount of advice from many and diverse sources on how to handle every aspect of my pregnancy, including doing karate while pregnant.  This advice has come from parents, grandparents, fellow karate-ka.  It's come from women my age, older women, and men of various ages.  The advice varies depending on the generation and the gender.

Once upon a time, pregnant women were encouraged to stay home, rest, keep your feet up, and drink a glass of wine every night to keep you relaxed.  At other times they've been encouraged to lead a completely normal life, keeping up all of your activities and responsibilities and pretending this didn't affect you any more than a broken finger.  They've been told it doesn't matter how much weight they gain, they've been told to gain hardly any weight, they've been told to eat a vegetarian diet, they've been told NOT to eat a vegetarian diet.  Getting the picture?

An older man from our dojo asked not only me, but my husband, with great concern, if my doctor knew I was still training.  We assured him the doctor knew.  His kids are older than I am, and when his wife was expecting, conventional wisdom said you didn't exercise like this.  Other older people have been amused by my avoidance of alcohol and caffeine, since they faced no such restrictions when they were expecting.  People of all generations have questioned my decision to get testing done ("you're really healthy, I'm sure you're fine!").  Friends who have been pregnant ask about my diet, make suggestions on what to eat, give advice on keeping fit, give opinions on how much weight should be gained, and what symptoms I should worry about and which ones are of no concern.

They all mean well, and I appreciate it.  I've listened to what they had to say and weighed it against the research I've done, what my doctor has told me, and how I feel.  Because at the end of the day, I'm me.  I'm not them.  The advice I give in this blog is pretty general, and not all of it will apply to every pregnant woman -- or to every pregnancy she has, for that matter.  So if you're reading this for advice, then realize I mean well and that what I've said applies to me, but might not apply to you. 

It can be summarized neatly and with great common sense:  If you're too tired to train, don't.  Don't push yourself too hard when you do train, because you're not just risking your own health.  Don't take unnecessary risks with yourself and your unborn baby.  Pay attention to medical advice even when you don't like it (believe it or not, all those years of medical school probably taught them something!).  And most of all, pay attention to your own body and try to understand what it's telling you.

Listen to your Doctor

Since I've occasionally been a poster child for ignoring doctor's advice, this one might seem a bit strange to people who know me!  I have trained when I was sick, trained when I was injured, all against doctor's advice.  I did it out of my own stubbornness and the occasional conviction that I knew better.  I also did it with the full knowledge and acceptance that if I was wrong, I was probably going to make things a lot worse.

And often, that was the case.

So in terms of general training, I will emphasize that if you have sought a doctor's opinion for some physical condition, and you have reason to trust and respect that doctor, then it's probably in your best interests to heed their advice, even though it might really restrict you for awhile.  As I've gotten older, I've gotten better about this, primarily because I got sick and tired of being constantly sick, tired, or in pain, and finally realized that sometimes you just can't do all the things you'd normally do.

Pregnancy has had a very positive effect on me where this is concerned.  While I am perfectly willing to risk my own health and safety (as I've proven on a number of occasions!), I balk at putting anyone else in harm's way.  Harming my unborn child through my own headstrong stupidity is something I absolutely won't risk.

So far it's been pretty easy to follow my doctor's advice, since so far (**knock wood**) I've had a pretty easy pregnancy.  The restrictions on me are very limited, and mostly I've been asked to use common sense.  Still, I've had to curtail my activities to some extent, adjust some eating habits, and change my physical and mental approach to training.  I now go into the dojo knowing that I cannot train at full speed or power, period, so regardless of whether or not I feel "on" and think I could dazzle the world, it ain't gonna happen.  Instead I have wisely invested my energies into things I can still work on and improve without compromising the new life.  This includes timing, stance, rhythm, and how to make technique properly.

If something changes in my pregnancy, my training will adapt accordingly, or cease if necessary.  Not because I want that, but because it's not always about instant gratification, and it's not always all about me.

Your karate isn't always about that either.  So if you have no incredibly compelling reason to compromise your health or safety against doctor's advice, then don't.  You could cause yourself long-term health problems, not to mention possibly compromising the health and safety of those you train with.  Grow up faster than I did and make this choice before you have some overwhelming health issue such as pregnancy force you into it, and you'll probably save yourself a lot of the chronic pain problems I've had in the past!

Adjust Your Activities To Your Physical Condition

Many physical conditions require you to adjust your martial arts:  Injury; illness; aging; and of course pregnancy.  In illness, you don't have much energy, endurance or strength.  Stay home and rest, and when you return to the dojo, take it easy until you get your strength.  When you are hurt, rest for awhile and let it heal, brace it and use a different technique (punch instead of kick), or for more permanent injuries, adapt your stance/technique/etc. to accommodate.  It doesn't have to be a limitation; it just means you have to figure out new ways to do things.  Aging can either mean going from your prime into older years, when joints and muscles stiffen up and lose strength, or it can mean going through puberty, as your body grows by leaps and bounds, and your center of gravity, strength, flexibility go through catastrophic changes.

At 5 months pregnant, pregnancy seems to me a combination of the above.  It is similar to injury in that there are techniques I cannot do, and I have to come up with creative ways around them.  It is similar to illness in that my energy level got nuked.  It is very similar to going through puberty in that my center of gravity is off, I've gained weight, and I sometimes have trouble controlling my extremities!  It is also similar to puberty in that hormones have wreaked havoc with my emotional and mental control, and it takes a great deal of effort at times to keep my "black belt face" on.

That's all quite general.  What about particulars?  When I first discovered I was pregnant, I looked up everything I could find on doing martial arts while pregnant.  This didn't take long, there isn't much out there.  What I did find was extremely general and did not discuss some of the specific things I was encountering.  So while I will reiterate that every woman and every pregnancy are different, I'll discuss a few things I've had to adjust for, as I go through this bizarre and wonderful process.

1)  Strength.  Your strength and endurance decrease dramatically.  I was expecting it during the last trimester, but was totally unprepared for the exhaustion of the first three months.  A normal person can pull up inner reserves and "push through" exhaustion.  This is not true for the pregnant woman.  Overexertion can and will harm you and the child.

The adjustment:  Monitor your energy level and respect it.  It doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't work out; in fact, keeping fit is great for you physically and mentally throughout pregnancy.  It will make carrying the child easier, and they say it makes birth and recovery easier.  But don't think you can still train at your "normal" level, and if you're not up for training, don't go.  Only do as much as you have the strength for, and get over feeling like a wuss about it. 

2)  Peak performance.  If you are having a complication-free pregnancy, there are very few restrictions on your activity.  One big change, however, is how hard you should push while you work out.  Don't shoot for your peak.  You do NOT want to "feel the burn"! 

The adjustment:  I was told to keep my heart rate in the "moderate" zone, no more than 140 bpm.  Also, you want to keep your body temperature down, as the growing child inside you can't adjust, and if you get too hot, then it can damage them.  So you don't work up a good sweat!  A guideline I was given is that if you normally train at an intensity level of 5 - 7 then knock it down to 3 - 5.  If you start feeling winded or hot, stop and check your pulse, and if need be, slow down.  Drink water before, during and after training.  During the first trimester this was very easy.  As I've felt better, it has sometimes been difficult.  My mind has to take over now and override the body's habits.

3)  Relaxin.  This is a pregnancy hormone whose job is to loosen up joints and muscles.  Many pregnant women I know think it's great.  Me?  I've been spaghetti-noodle limber my whole life, and I find it a bloody nuisance.  Thanks to relaxin, my joints now go way too far unless I am extremely careful.  My knees hyperextend just by stretching, I've dislocated my shoulder twice, and we won't even get into the things my back has been doing.

The adjustment:  Move carefully.  Ironically, relaxin has helped ensure that I don't push too hard, or get sloppy in technique, because when I do, I hyperextend or dislocate something.  So while I have roundly cursed relaxin, it's probably doing wonderful things for my karate!  Slow down, make sure that your line of movement is proper, and make darn sure that your stances are dead-on.  And enjoy the flexibility if it's new to you, it's not a permanent condition any more than pregnancy is!

4)  Adjust technique, part I:  Body changes.  Relaxin aside, pregnancy changes your body drastically.  Waist, chest, rear end and thighs will grow.  Depending on your original body shape, your adjustments might be minor at first, but as the pregnancy progresses you will certainly notice some differences.  I was relatively smallish to begin with, not too large anywhere, and I've had "issues".  Apologies in advance to anyone who embarrasses easily, but I must give a mention here to what happens to your chest when you get pregnant!  I grew a full bra size in two days.  That alone would be enough to screw up some karate techniques, but I must add that this is painful and that pain lasts for several weeks.  Compression, jiggling, or heaven forbid something whacking me were all torture.  Then there's the growing belly.  Not only is it bigger, but it really, really doesn't want anything pressing on it.  And you can't risk getting hit, by other people or by yourself.

The adjustment:  First of all, you need new underwear.  Sorry if that doesn't sound martial arts related, but it makes continued martial arts possible so it's very relevant.  A supportive jog bra is essential, as are loose, comfortable panties.  Then slow your punches down and be very careful, so nothing vibrates or gets knocked.  As my tummy started growing, my center of gravity shifted.  Transitions from one stance to another become more difficult because your balance is off; you have to be sure that you transfer your weight properly, that your knees are properly positioned over your toes, and you need to make darn sure that you are keeping your abs tight, or you'll lose your balance.  Kicks of course need major modifications!  Side and roundhouse kicks I can still do more or less normally, but my front kicks are a whole different story.  I cannot raise my knee to my chest; right now it's hitting about belly button and will go further south as time progresses.  My jodan kicks are now chudan.

5)  Adjust technique, part II:  Preventing miscarriage.  As I mentioned above, there are very few restrictions in a pregnancy that does not have complications.  However, certain types of movement can cause problems.  You want to avoid anything that risks falling, getting hit, or otherwise taking traumatic injuries.  You also need to avoid exercises that mimic the feeling of giving birth, of "pushing".

The adjustment:  In martial arts, this is a no-brainer:  no more sparring.  I still do sparring drills (one-step and combinations), I've just adjusted my distance so there's no chance of contact.  Outside of the dojo, I'm careful not to do squats or leg thrusts of any kind.  Regular karate stances are fine, just keep your abs nice and tight.  Regular karate techniques are also fine.  In fact, the only real dojo thing I've had to modify is the "butterfly stretch".  I'm starting to have to adjust some other stretches to accommodate the belly though, and find that my best bet is to arrive early and stretch carefully ahead of time, so I can more or less skip any stretches in class that my body can't handle right now.

Listen To Your Body

Anyone who does regular physical activity learns, to some extent, to communicate with their body.  The more you exercise, and the more serious you are about it, the better the communication.  In order to get past a certain skill level, you have to be aware of your body on a fine-tuned level, and the more you work out, the better care you need to take in order to avoid health problems.  People who are careless find themselves with permanent joint problems, out of training for weeks or months to heal injuries, or with life-threatening problems like dehydration.  So although I am currently talking about trying to keep physical while pregnant, this particular maxim should be applied by everyone.

In martial arts, listening to your body helps you to develop higher levels of fitness and skill.  You learn to realize when you're raising your shoulders up, when you're not in the proper stance, when you aren't controlling your techniques or aren't hitting your target area.  You learn that many techniques, if performed improperly, can cause injury.  Not keeping your knee over your toes when in a deep stance will lead to knee and ankle problems; letting your elbow fly out when you punch can lead to elbow and shoulder problems; bending your wrist when you punch can lead to a jammed wrist; etc.

I've had years of practice listening to my body's wants, needs and complaints, and I've had to pretty much throw it all out the window starting last September.  The only thing that has remained constant is the need to listen to my body, more important than ever now because all the rules have changed.

I want to emphasize that I am no doctor, and in no way does anything I say constitute medical advice.  The next thing I need to say is that compared to so many women I know or have heard of, I've had it easy, for which I am very grateful.  So, I'm only discussing my personal situation, but I do feel much of it applies to many pregnant women.  Here's what my body has had to say to me the past several months:

1)  I'm tired!  I've never been so tired in my entire life.  I slept 9 or 10 hours a night, and needed naps most afternoons.  I spent 3 months feeling dizzy and exhausted.  If I didn't get enough rest, I had serious meltdowns. 

In terms of karate, it meant I missed a lot of training because I was too tired to get off the couch, or knew I couldn't get through class if I did.  The one time I tried to rebel and "push through it", I ended up shaking and in tears, and it took me 2 days to recover.  Lesson learned. 

In terms of the non-pregnant martial artist?  Still true!  If you're too run down, there are times when you are better off resting than trying to push it.

2)  I don't want to eat that!  I did not spend the first 3 months of my pregnancy in the bathroom, and I can't begin to express my gratitude for that.  However, I did go "off" almost all food.  I ate bread, crackers, and baked potatoes, with water and ginger ale to wash it down.  Despite concerns for my nutritional needs, and those of the baby, I never tried to force myself to eat something I didn't want, and if I had, I would have gotten sick.  I did what I could with prenatal vitamins to make up the difference. 

In terms of karate, this meant more missed trainings and much weaker trainings, because I didn't have the fuel required to train at my accustomed level. 

In terms of the non-pregnant martial artist?  Many things might affect your eating habits, including illness, stress, or just plain busy scheduling.  Be aware that it can and will affect your strength and endurance, and give yourself a break until you're at full strength again.

3)  Like it or not, your hormones are affecting you.  I've always been a tomboy and never had much patience with women who use hormones as an excuse to weep, throw fits, or stay in bed whining.  I ignored the little suckers to the best of my ability, and never saw why other women couldn't do the same.  I now feel I owe an apology for every time I saw a pregnant woman dissolve into tears and thought to myself, "what an idiot!"  My emotional state was extremely shaky for several months, and some things were really hard to deal with and my inability to control my emotions made it that much worse. 

In karate terms? More missed training.  When I knew that I was too tired and shaky to have a good training, I didn't go, because emotionally, it was devastating.  The only thing worse than missing training and getting out of shape is training and really sucking, and spending the next two hours in tears wondering if you'll ever be able to do karate properly again.  Again, it only took once for me to learn this lesson. 

In terms of the non-pregnant martial artist?  There are many things in life that are beyond our control, hormonal or otherwise.  Outside stressors can do just as bad a number on your mental strength and confidence, and everyone has bad days sometimes.  Sometimes the outside influences are so strong that they will overwhelm your dedication to the martial arts.  Forgive yourself; life has a way of sometimes rearranging your priorities.

4)  Be patient.  Which was the most important lesson my body had to teach me.  I wanted to try to push through all of this, and you just can't do it.  Your body is pumping 50% more blood, and your internal organs are rearranging themselves to accommodate a growing baby.  This is physically exhausting, and it does no good to pretend otherwise. 

In karate terms, this meant stifling my infamous impatience level and hanging onto hope (sometimes by a thread!).  I had to keep my fingers crossed that what everyone told me was right, that things would get better during the second trimester.  And they have.

In terms of the non-pregnant martial artist?  Oh, how many times have I felt that I was on a plateau.  I trained and trained, for weeks or months on end, and felt no improvement.  I heard the same advice and corrections over and over again.  I got tired and frustrated.  For whatever the reasons, I always stuck it out, and comes a day when you have that amazing breakthrough, and your karate makes a "leap", and the feeling is indescribable.  When things seem hard, or seem to be going nowhere, have a little patience.  They can, and will, turn around.