Yesterday was the last day of the Thousand Waves Spirit Challenge and we finished strong with an impressive breaking challenge, but we still have three days to help raise funds for Thousand Waves. Our dojo is a wonderful place that runs karate programs in partnership with the Rehabilitation institute of Chicago (doing karate with children with disabilities), as well as outreach self defense programs all over the city. It is run as a not for profit business and our fundraising also helps people who would not be able to afford classes attend our school. Please consider donating any amount by going my donation page. Just go to Janet's Spirit Challenge donation page.
The challenge was to perform a kata (a karate form) while breaking with techniques in the kata. I performed Seido 4, and broke three boards out of five total. I'm particularly fond of this backwards elbow break while standing on one leg.
My husband Dan, a black belt at Thousand Waves, made several impressive breaks during this challenge as well.
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| Don't mess with Dan |
It is really empowering to break a board and although I was very nervous it was really fun to do this breaking challenge. It makes the artform feel more real and gives you immediate feedback on the techniques. By the way, I didn't hurt myself either, because I was using proper technique. That in itself makes me feel great!
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