So You’ve Torn Your ACL. Now What? A Comprehensive Guide.

How to Avoid Knee Pain Caused by Running | JustRunLah!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical or health care provider of any kind. These articles are written from the perspective of a patient. Please follow the instructions of your health care provider.

So it happened to you. The infamous “knee blowout” they talk about in sports or dance movies but never show in detail. You felt the pop in your leg and were on the ground before you knew what happened.

You have a torn ACL. Now what?

Congratulations! You’ve now joined the elite club of ACL Warriors.

Continue reading “So You’ve Torn Your ACL. Now What? A Comprehensive Guide.”

Little Black Belt is NINE!

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Ten years ago, on April 1, 2013, I started taking taekwondo lessons again after a 20+ year hiatus and began a journey that changed my life. I am a different (and hopefully better) person thanks to the triumphs, challenges, and lessons I’ve gained from taekwondo. It inspired me to start this blog nine years ago, publish a memoir in 2021, connect with the online martial arts community, and continue to grow as a human.

So let’s celebrate nine years of my blog with my favorite posts from the last year:

  1. Frustrated, Disappointed, and Burned Out – So I Changed My Outlook and Went to Taekwondo Class (May 2022) – After not getting a job I really wanted and feeling stuck in my current role, I did some soul searching along wth kicking and kiyahping to feel better.
  2. From Therapy Every Damn Day to Making It On My Own (June 2022) – This was when I was finally coming out of a depression that had haunted me for over a year.
  3. Taking My Own Advice on Feeling Unstuck (July 2022) – This short and sweet article was my most popular post of the year and one I revisit when I’m feeling down.
  4. I Don’t Practice Every Day. Here’s Why (August 2022) – If practicing your hobbies and interests is a form of self-care, so is not overdoing it. I have good reasons for not doing what I love every day.
  5. My Guest Post: Are You In a Martial Arts Cult? (October 2o22) – This has been my most popular and commented upon post for the website Martial Journal. Toxicity and cultish behavior in marital arts is an important topic we’re not talking about enough.
  6. I’m Glad I Got Injured and Gained Weight (October 2022) – No, really, I am.
  7. The Person Who Inspired Me to Persevere in 2022 (January 2023) – Have you heard of the rapper Prof? Click out of this post and go discover him right now. Hilarious, talented, clever, and soulful, this artist from Minneapolis put on the show of a lifetime and inspired me to follow my dreams.
  8. A Year of Private Lessons: My Personal TKD Comeback Tour (February 2023) – From injury to surgeries to rehab and now moving into recovery, my ACL reconstruction journey went to a whole new level when my coach and I committed to a year of individual lessons.
  9. My Guest Post: Seeking Authenticity? Look to Marital Arts (February 2023) – Another guest post for Martial Journal. Authenticity was alluding me for a long time. Turns out it was right under my feet.
  10. Back to School! (March 2023) – After a year of private lessons I rejoined the ranks.

Sometimes I Just Want to Quit

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No, this isn’t a belated April Fool’s Day joke.

I had this really weird thought recently: “I could just quit taekwondo and not care about it at all.” I love taekwondo, and at that time I had that thought I was looking forward to going back to regular classes.

I’m positive it came from a place of placid laziness rather than a dislike for my martial art. I love being a homebody, and for a while thanks to the pandemic and my prolonged injury recovery, my partner and I had a nice routine of eating dinner and watching TV every night (sometimes with a Boggle or Scrabble game thrown in).

Our routine was safe, easy, and cozy, and all that TV and movie-watching did inspire us to start a movie/TV-themed podcast…so it’s productive time, right? I don’t have to put on shoes. I don’t have to drive. It’s wonderful. I could stay inside my house forever.

But damn if it isn’t the BEST feeling on the other side of a taekwondo class–I’m sweaty, tired, full of endorphins, and have gotten to spend time with people I like (but for a limited, doable time; prolonged time spent with people cramps my style). My partner goes to a black belt-level grappling class with me so I have a built in training buddy to work on techniques with. I’m really happy to be back after being out of the game for so long.

Funny how I procrastinate the two things I love to do and the two things I’m best at–taekwondo and writing. I will literally do anything to get out of creative writing–clean the toilets, fold laundry, work on a smaller writing deadline. But when I get on the other side of a writing spurt I feel amazing. I trick myself into working by setting a timer. So far that’s the only method I’ve found for making myself sit down and work.

I’m feeling happy at this point in my life. All is well. I guess it’s time to chip away at old habits and build new ones.

Unlike some of my other blog posts, I’m not offering a solution. I’m just sharing an observation.

It’s kind of funny.

My Guest Post: Building Resilience When You’re Feeling Stressed

Ramping Up Your Resilience - Anne Grady Group

April is Stress Awareness Month. Something we heard a lot during the pandemic was “jUsT bE reSIliENt” as if we could magically change how we felt overnight. Sometimes the sentiment came with support. Other times it came as threat from those who refused to budge. Either way, building resilience in a healthy way is possible.

Check out my latest post on Martial Journal to read more: https://www.martialjournal.com/building-resilience-when-youre-feeling-stressed/

Back to School!

I’m back in school!

After a year of private lessons I changed my training plan and started joining regular taekwondo classes at the beginning of March. I could have kept going with private lessons because of how deeply beneficial they’ve been (plus my coach and I get along great), but I knew I would become too dependent on them. It was time to cut the cord.

Continue reading “Back to School!”

Guest Writer: The benefits of training in a traditional martial arts style versus a modern hybrid style

Article by Darie Raclau | karatemartialart.net Founder

Martial arts training can offer a wide range of benefits, including improved physical fitness, mental discipline, and self-defense skills. When choosing a martial arts style to practice, many people are faced with the decision of whether to train in a traditional style or a modern hybrid style. While both types of training can provide benefits, there are some key differences that may influence a person’s decision.

Continue reading “Guest Writer: The benefits of training in a traditional martial arts style versus a modern hybrid style”

My Guest Post: Seeking Authenticity? Look to Martial Arts

Out of the vast hellscape of the pandemic came a cry for authenticity–in our workplaces, in our homes, and in our hearts. If you’re a practicing martial artist (or have any kind of hobby, passion, sport, etc.), the power might already be within you. In this month’s article for Martial Journal, I describe how practicing martial arts can help you find your authentic voice.

Click here to read the article.

 

A Year of Private Lessons: My TKD Comeback Tour

Getting my mojo back. Photo by Wesley Kirk.

 

The first time I set foot in my dojang after the night I tore my ACL was in mid-December 2020. A girl who had been a student of mine at the old dojang before transferring to our new one was testing for black belt. I was still wearing a knee brace and was deeply mired in rehab at home and at the healthcare facility. 
Continue reading “A Year of Private Lessons: My TKD Comeback Tour”

The Person Who Inspired Me to Persevere in 2022

Prayer To Persevere – Rhemalogy

Part of my ongoing journey to authenticity and emotional growth involves reflection on lessons learned and observing where I was at a specific point in time.

About this time last year I was still in a deep depression, severely hating my job, and feeling irreparably stuck in life. When I found myself sobbing over Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg’s performance at the 2022 Super Bowl, I realized I had sunken into an odd mid-life crisis. Here were people who had pursued what they loved, and decades later, they were still going strong. I mourned the loss of my creativity and my supposed failure at resurrecting it through writing.

Continue reading “The Person Who Inspired Me to Persevere in 2022”