Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line

[Mark E. Hurling]

Thanks for the support and good wishes. I too have the hands falling asleep thing, but I figgered it was nerve impingement from side sleeping and a doc I do jujitsu with agrees. I never had a problem with shin splints, but DB told me that prior to making her an Honest Woman that I kicked and punched in my sleep after some particularly busy shifts.

My sleep study had me wired for leg movement and indicated none. So that at least is a good thing.

[Eric K]

Probably leaning to the severe, given the O2 saturation levels monitored from a normal 95 dropping to 50.

Also: this is insane, Mark. When I was training in Nepal my O2 dropped to 80 something (from a pretty normal 97-98) and I felt like shit... I bet your lips were really blue. I'm glad you woke up after that kind of night.

And about the leg thing, I notice that I have a problem with that pretty frequently, it's really annoying when I'm trying to go to sleep. Is that a weight-related thing?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Yeah, the O2 thing was pretty scary.

As for the kicking and punching thing, I was 185 pounds at age 26 or so. I'm convinced it was a result of what I ad to deal with on the job. On the other hand, when I was a sophomore in college and in heavy and frequent practice and training on the judo team, I woke up one morning choking my roommate out. He was waking me up as I'd asked him for finals while I was training for a match the week after.

The Old Man had a real problem with alcohol the rest of his life after the Pacific Theater had had it's way with him. To include having been busted from and E5 after having been found in a paint locker of the USS Block Island with a still when he passed out from the fumes. My maternal grandfather had the same problem along with night terrors after The Great War for Der Kaiser.

So I figgered I came by my own problems by way of my forebears. None of which relieves me of my own responsibilities for dealing with them. Nonetheless, I don't kick or punch in my sleep and have not for decades.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Weight: 254.5.

Jujitsu today had us working on use of ki extension. I drew the short straw and got paired with the brown belt who is a few years younger, fatter, and has so many injuries to beware of I wonder why he bothers getting on the mat, just a real trial to try to do something worthwhile with. Ah well.

Ki extension of the hands involves pointing the index finger, supinating the wrist, while extending it first downward and then in an ellipse outward, upward, or inward. Sometimes all 3 together. It's impossible to keep a good grip and even if the attacker does maintain even weak contact, they get kuzushi'ed off balance and set up for a takedown. Or lined up perfectly for some real damage. A couple of the movements aligned the attacker's arm across the defender's body in a bar similar to some chin na techniques I've seen illustrated. The movements of the arms when combined with stepping results in an escape and a thoroughly discombobulated attacker.

[Mark E. Hurling]

In other news, I discovered some less than pleasing news that Carlos Daniel had alluded to. Qualifying for the IPL Worlds will now take a Masters total rather than a Class I total. That adds about 100 pounds to my best effort, and I'll be surprised if I manage to do it. So now I have two challenges. Both losing bodyweight and adding to my total. So I'm planning out 2015. There's the Camp Pendleton Open in January which is reasonably nearby. The next ones in proximity are the LA Open in March in Anaheim, I'm not sure if there's a qualifying total to enter that one. I'll have to find out. In any event, there's the LA Open in April. If I can total 964, I can at least compete in the Nationals. In any event, I'll always have the accomplishment of having made it to the Worlds once.

[Eric K]

In other news, I discovered some less than pleasing news that Carlos Daniel had alluded to. Qualifying for the IPL Worlds will now take a Masters total rather than a Class I total. That adds about 100 pounds to my best effort, and I'll be surprised if I manage to do it. So now I have two challenges. Both losing bodyweight and adding to my total. So I'm planning out 2015. There's the Camp Pendleton Open in January which is reasonably nearby. The next ones in proximity are the LA Open in March in Anaheim, I'm not sure if there's a qualifying total to enter that one. I'll have to find out. In any event, there's the LA Open in April. If I can total 964, I can at least compete in the Nationals. In any event, I'll always have the accomplishment of having made it to the Worlds once.

That's definitely something to be proud of.

I wish I had known about the Camp Pendleton Open earlier. Think there are still any spots? I don't know if I should bother entering, but I did try to look for some meets but didn't find much going on this far south. The April Open might be a better goal, but if they have a qualifying total, I'd probably have to compete at Pendleton just to have one that I can show them...

[Mark E. Hurling]

Eric, it was overwhelming. I didn't total well at all as part of a combination of getting positively sapped by a long, hot meet in September at the Long Beach Metroplex and then following it up barely 6 weeks later with the Worlds. Which had me so freaked out I couldn't eat much. I compete in the USPA and you can check in with Steve Denison at 661-333-9800 cell or email at steve@uspla.org to see if there are slots open. It'd be great to meet you at one of the meets. I'm leaning for the later ones to try to get my lifts up a little better. Also you would be the only one of the various people I've met here to actually meet Dearly Beloved. She's the greatest organizer of cheering sections there is and she'll get one started for you too.

[Eric K]

The nerves just mean that you cared about the event. That means it was worth going.

I'll send an email and look at my schedule. The Pendleton Meet may not mesh well with my schedule, because my in-laws will be in town that weekend... The other thing to think about is that I would probably be at the bottom of the 220 weight class by January 10th, which is never good. I competed a couple times in Okinawa, but they were unsanctioned meets. I am definitely interested, and I think it would be pretty cool to meet you as well, so I'll keep you posted. If there's a qualifying total, do you think they'd accept video from an unsanctioned meet?

[Mark E. Hurling]

You don't need a total for local meets. Just enter, pay your fees, and show up. I just am not sure if the California State Championships require one too. But the Pendleton and LA Opens should be a slam dunk.

I'll just add that Denison, the fed president is a good guy. He took the time to explain one of my red lighted squats when I slumped off the platform. I had some other interchange with him that was also of the same caliber. When I got sick last year, he was willing to let me apply one of the meets I entered and paid fees for to a later meet. That I also got sick for. He and his federation strike me as a class act.

[tertius]

Also: this is insane, Mark.

Yes. Completely nutso. I think you'll find (as you consistently get better sleep) that you've gotten accustomed to a dramatically altered standard for what feels "normal".

I also think you might find new vistas open up for you in terms of weight moved and lost.