Defendo

Defendo sounds like a cheesy name for some Chuck Norris movie, but it's a variation of Krav Maga and I had the opportunity to participate in a Defendo workshop held at the National Training Centre in Abbotsford as part of our professional development.

That was last Friday and I'm still feeling the pain. For three and a half hours, a group of my co-workers and I engaged in hand-to-hand self-defense techniques. The third hour was absolutely brutal. The instructor combined all the self-defense moves we learned with a fitness routine that included running and throwing medicine balls larger than my torso. Lots of punching, kicking, ground fighting, and take-downs were ... ahem ... thrown into the mix, as well.

The instructor showed little mercy. When he demonstrated how to get out of a choke hold, he literally choked me. He said it was the only way we could "practice" an effective defensive technique. I lost count on how many near-nut-breaking moves he performed on some of my co-workers, too. Despite his discipline, he has a very kind demeanor, but that goes to show that we should not judge a book by its cover. He's a smaller man and probably in his late 40's or early 50's, but I'm sure he could take down Hercules and the Hulk in one swoop.

What an incredible, but intense workout! When I got home that day, I had enough energy to vacuum my house and go for a short jog afterwards.

Saturday was a different story. My husband had to roll me out of bed. He helped me get dressed and undressed, hockey fight-style. Throughout the whole day, I moved at a snail's pace and winced every time I had to lift my arms past my waist.

Last night, I wanted to roll over onto my stomach to sleep, but then pain shot through my abdomen and shoulder and I had to wake up my husband to help untwist me from my pretzel position.

Today, my ribs still hurt when I laugh or cough. When I sneeze, I double-over and stay in that position until the pain ebbs. I had to shift into Park with both hands. Right now, I'm feeling 30% better, so it's looking good. But, man, am I getting old! And I'm so out of shape!!!!!

Still, I would recommend Defendo to anyone who is up for a challenge. It's good exercise and a practical way to avoid becoming a victim in our crime-saturated society of late.

Turning a Frown Upside Down

My interesting day overall ended on an incredible note.

One of my autistic students broke a school rule that compromised his safety. He didn't do it maliciously, although he did it intentionally. The principal and I talked to the student about this matter and later I chatted with my student privately about how there would not be a next time. The situation had been dealt with swiftly, but only time will tell if what we discussed gets through to this student.

Another thing was that our school underwent a global review. It sounds serious, but every school gets a review every year. What it basically entails is ensuring that paperwork and programs are all in place for all the designated students we have in our school. Our school's reviewer is a wonderful person, very knowledgeable, and very compassionate, plus our school is known for keeping good records, so I wasn't too worried. Our learning services team is full of people who really care to dot their i's and cross their t's. We're OCD that way. Despite all that, preparing for this global review was a daunting task, partly because we are also in the middle of creating progress reports for all of our students and partly this was in addition to the teaching services we provide for students on a daily, regular basis.

After an exhausting day at work, I tried to prepare for my youth group. Tonight's program was different in that the youth leaders decided to take a day out of our regular schedule to set guidelines for behaviour. I volunteered to lead the whole group and explain what our agenda was going to be before we split up into smaller groups. Because of the day I had, I didn't feel mentally prepared for what we had planned. I had butterflies in my stomach and worried that I would stutter and tell really lame jokes, which I tend to do whenever I get nervous. God allowed me opportunities to connect with some of the youth tonight that I hadn't planned on being with at all.

• Two of the teens were sort of hiding out during games time and because I was also using that time to settle my nerves and go over my notes, I found the chance to chat with them and get to know them better.
• I deliberately sought out a girl whom I've wanted to talk to about her attitude and behaviour. She was really receptive to what I had to say, so I was pleased I got that chance to talk to her.
• I followed up with another teen to let him know that I really noticed a positive change in how he acts during youth group. He's still goofy, which we all love, but he's learned not to take his clownish behaviour too far.
• I chatted with a girl about looks and let her know that people would find her attractive and that her family loves her no matter what.

These connections made me feel more confident in what we were doing as a youth group. I hope these kids found something meaningful in our discussion tonight. I strongly believe, though, that kids will respect us and rules more if we make meaningful conversations and connections with them. Best of all, the guidelines were created by the teens themselves, so they get to feel ownership of the youth group and not view it as something the adults made up for them. I truly feel blessed by these teens and the hard-working volunteer youth leaders who help guide them.

Sometimes, it seems like when I do something deliberately, it doesn't always work, but God always finds a way to remind me He's got everything under control.

Things You Don't Say to Your Wife

I'm glad my husband doesn't say these things to me. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Be Careful With What You Post

I read an article today about a bus driver who was fired over what could be perceived as questionable comments on his blog. The bus driver wanted to discuss the challenges of being a bus driver, while the company felt that he was very critical of how the business was being managed.

As for myself, I have written entries about trials and triumphs I face as a teacher. There are some issues I choose not to talk about on my blog like the FSA's (Foundation Skills Assessment) or teaching Social Justice 11/12 in schools because they are politically-charged. I love a good debate when everyone participates respectfully, but some things should be said in person because much can be misconstrued when they are written, especially online! I certainly would not want to get fired because of my perception of what constitutes as honest and candid recollections of life as a teacher.

Besides, isn't what happened to the bus driver a form of censorship? When is it necessary to silence someone's need to vent or speak his/her mind over an issue in a personal forum? I hope I haven't overstepped boundaries, but at the same time, I hope I would have the integrity and audacity to speak out for something (or someone) that I think is valuable to know and worth fighting for.

How to Stay in Shape

This video is for busy people like me and have access to unique weights such as the ones shown in this video.

How To Defend Yourself

I'll be taking another self-defense class on Feb. 20, but I think I'll learn as much as I need to know from this video.

Got a New Phone

After being an LG girl for over three years, I switched to Motorola today. Say hello to my new MOTOKRZR!


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