MAMA: Adventures in Martial Arts and Motherhood

CAAAAANDYYYYYY! I am not a Halloween hater, although I admit that there were a few awkward years in there. Like the one, pre-Maya, where Matthew and I went out to a bar on Halloween night dressed in odd clothing from our closet that could only halfway qualify as a costume. (I don't remember what we were claiming to be but I do recall one woman referring to us as "Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.") And the year when Maya was almost one, where we dressed her as a pumpkin and went trick or treating by pushing her around in her stroller. I am pretty sure she slept through most of it. I know she had no idea what trick or treating was. Can we all just admit that if you are taking your one year old out on Halloween you are collecting candy for yourself? Its ok, we all did it. Just be honest. The past few years, however, have been a lot of fun. Maya now has a full understanding of the point of this October holiday, to dress up funny and beg for free candy from strangers. (De...

Here are the main objectives for sparring: Number one, don't get hit. Number two, hit the other person. Or in the case of jiu-jitsu; sweep, pass, submit. Don't get swept, passed, submitted. So here I am on the mats with a pretty tough opponent, having a really good roll. But occasionally I have to put my hand up to block a foot that is flying at my face. Or an elbow that is aimed at my ribcage. Or a big, hard-as-a-rock head that is flying right towards my nose. Is my opponent spazzy and out of control? No, she's great. It's the pair of grapplers next to us who I am protecting myself from. And lest you think this situation is unique to jiu-jitsu, how about when you are sparring with someone and the 250 pound guy who is in the pair next to you steps on your toes. Or slams into you in his quest to sidestep his opponent. Or, even worse, aims a hook punch at that other guys midsection and somehow hits yours instead? (Yes, this has happened to me!) Don't we ha...