Look Where You're Going

What is this power we hold in our eyes that allows us to jump higher, move smoother, and reach farther?  I have no explanation, but I know it to be true 100 of 100 times.  In judo your throw becomes easier if you look in the same direction that you want your opponent to fly.  The power of your punches will increase if you look at your target instead of your opponent’s defense.  If you want to sweep your opponent on the ground, you need to move more than your head in the right direction, you also have to move your eyes.

We must keep our gaze fixed on our objectives and continue in that direction, like the obstacles don’t matter, and they won’t.  Sometimes things don’t go your way and you find yourself distracted. Take a step back, refocus your gaze, and push forward again.  We can’t look at obstacles and expect to succeed.  Just like you can’t focus on your opponent in a fight.  You must respect that they are there, but the only power they have is the power you give them.

Have the courage to look, not at where you are, but where you want to go.  You will go farther.

www.KatieCasimir.com

A Fighter's Love Story

I don’t date fighters. After one terrible experience, and witnessing several others from my perch as “one of the guys” at the gym, I just determined it to be a bad idea.  Fighters love hard, they also tend to be a little self-loathing, unfaithful, irresponsible, and have tunnel vision toward their goal of success in a rough industry.  Not my definition of an ideal partner.  After a horrible argument with my fighter ex, I prayed, with the most open of hearts, and asked God for a good man.  I heard clearly “Get ready.”  I stopped looking because I knew he was coming to me.  The last place I expected to meet him was in the gym, for above mentioned reasons.

When Bendy Casimir asked why I didn’t have a boyfriend, I told him that I spend all my spare time in the gym and I don’t date fighters.  Fortunately his English wasn’t that good at the time.  All he understood was that I didn’t have a boyfriend. It took me about two weeks of interacting with him in training and in passing at the gym to realize that I was totally in love.  $#!t!!! A fighter???  But he was different, and I was different about him.  I asked him on out first date to the WEC, a promotion with which he had recently signed to fight.  I had to ask him through his friend who had better English, I wasn’t sure if it was a date, but I was hoping…  Last October we celebrated two years of marriage.

 

I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject of marriage, but I have learned a few things.  Mostly that having a shared passion is everything.  I can’t imagine my pre-fight mood swings being well received by anyone who has never experienced them personally.  We’ve both gone through times when we wonder if it’s time to quit.  It’s truly a blessing to have someone to believe that you still have everything you need to achieve your goals, and push you to keep going.  He’s not a cheerleader, but someone who really wants what is best for me, a partner.  He studies technique like I study nutrition, we take our separate roles toward the same goal.

Couples that grow and learn together attach the positive feelings of growing and learning to their partners.  I feel so close to my husband when we finish training together.  We have no “teacher” or “student” we work together.  How could I do that with a musician without giving up my precious gym time? 

I think we’ve all made rules with good reason, and broken them for better reasons.  God brought me my split apart in the last package I expected.  It was the only package that was going to work.

www.KatieCasimir.com

Why I Love MMA

I could go on and on about the reasons I love martial arts, in fact I’m sure I have.  However, after training and competing in multiple disciplines, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion.  Mixed martial arts is on a whole other level of awesome. Here are a couple reasons why:

Tuff-N-Uff August 2010

First, we love the finish. If you pull guard in MMA, you need to do something with it, quickly.  Lay-and-pray (taking top position on the ground and holding your opponent) takes a lot of skill.  However, if you win like that, no one is impressed.  Strategy is important, but if you don’t finish the fight, you’d better look like you were trying.  “Martial Art” is the art of Mars, the Roman god of war.  In war there are no points or advantages, only damage, surrender, victory and defeat.  The whole picture is taken into account, not one spectacular move (unless that spectacular move creates surrender or defeat).

Second, MMA changes rules to ensure the safety of competitors, not to preserve (prevent evolution of) the sport.  There’s no eye gouging, groin shots, biting, etc.  While in other disciplines (some of my favorite, mind you) you can’t touch the legs to get a take down.  Fewer rules allow for creativity and growth, for both the individual fighter and the art.

Also, while we have our own sense of superiority (see above), we greatly value other disciplines.  Traditionally our favorites include jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, and muay thai, but we will learn from samboists and judokas.  Got a slick taekwondo kick?  We’ll learn that too. Kung fu, sanshou, kyokushin, if you’ve got skills, we’ve got respect.  There’s no “We do it like this...” because everyone does everything just a little different.  It’s way more likely that an MMA practitioner will say “A karate guy showed me this awesome footwork,” or “In boxing we do this, but if you move your arm here instead you’re safe from the knee.” 

 It’s far from perfect, and can look quite barbaric to the untrained eye, but we are athletes, artists, warriors, and entertainers.  I love that I can learn from everyone, compete in everything, and take what works for me.

www.KatieCasimir.com