I had travelled to my dojo by bus. It was one of those mucky, cold, wet spring days. As I exited the bus, I noticed a patch of ice covered water, and a patch of what appeared to be sand next to it. I chose to step on the sand so that I wouldn't get my feet wet.
Ah... looks can be deceptive.. That patch of sand was really a VERY deep hole filled with some sort of mixture of rocks, gravel, water, and dirt. It was more the consistency of quick sand to be honest. I walked on that patch, and my foot instantly sunk down. My physical reaction was to shift my weight onto my back leg in an instant back stance. My shoe only sunk down about an inch and a half into the muck rather than up to my knees. The slime entered into my shoe filling my foot with freezing cold mud, guck, and water. I pulled my foot out of there feeling that sucking, pulling sensation, and hearing that awful "slurp" noise. With a groan of frustration, and a wish that someone would have placed some sort of warning near that thing ( I swear it was deep enough to drown a stray dog.) I hobbled over to the dojo building feeling my right foot squish with coldness with each step.
I was wearing my gi under my clothing ( as is my habit ) and I dreaded to look at how dirty, and slimey my right gi pant leg must be after that incident. I went into the change room, and was happy to see that there was just a little unnoticeable 1/4 inch line of mud on the very tip of the bottom of the pant leg.
WOOT! Karate reflexes, and training saved me from injury, and kept my Gi pant leg so clean that I was able to just up and join class. Sure.. my right shoe, and right sock need a good cleaning afterwards, but that's o.k.
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I was wearing my gi under my clothing ( as is my habit )
This is highly unusual.
Colin
"This is highly unusual."
True enough.. most people get changed at the facility. However, Due to my skin condition being all over my body, I have found myself to be quite shy about changing in front of others. They can't help themselves, when they see the extent of how severe my skin is they react so deeply. It causes them emotional pain to see me. I am used to who I am, I have lived this way for so many years, and I have lived with my brothers, and sisters all of my life. ( They have it more severe than I.)
This skin condition is why I do not wear shorts in the summer, nor do I wear a bathing suit, or go swimming. I frighten people with my appearance.
This is another reason why I wear long underwear under my Gi pants. It is to hide the skin of my legs as I kick. You see..when the blood rushes to the surface of the skin to cool off the body during a workout my skin condition turns a deep purple. I take on quite an alien appearance. I caught a sight of me training in a mirror once, and frightened myself. No one is ready to see someone with big huge purple splotches all over them, not even me.
By the way, I have to admit that it is rather HOT to wear an extra layer of cotton under the already warm cotton Karate Gi. But it has more than one use for me. It stops the skin flakes from flying out each time I do a technique. It protects my skin from the harsh Gi material from causing severe friction. It absorbs the little droplets of blood that might sometimes happen when my skin condition breaks through extra severe friction.
So.. I change at home, and then I put a loose stretchy pair of pants, and a very loose jacket over my Gi. When I get to the dojo, I only need to take off the first layer of clothing.
What's your skin condition called?
It's called Psoriasis, Lizzie.
I realize that there are many products, and various "cures" available out there. Some of my brothers have gone forth to use them, and have gotten some mild success with them.
Personally, I chose a different path. I have improved my diet to support my body in it's efforts to be healthy. My Psoriasis has gone from covering over 80 percent of my body to lowering to about 25 percent. Just through diet and exercise.. although I have to admit that this is a slower path of healing.
Yikes. By seeing pictures on the internet it looks and sounds very painfull. What type of Psoriasis do you have?
Type? I didn't know that there were more than one kind.. Um... just a second.. I'll google it.
AHA! I found it. I have this:
"Plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) is the most common form of psoriasis. It affects 80 to 90% of people with psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis typically appears as raised areas of inflamed skin covered with silvery white scaly skin."
Shucks.. I just have the common everyday kind of psoriasis.. nothing rare, and impressive.
Glad that only your right shoe and sock fell victim to the evil mud hole. :) Bet you never thought you would use martial arts against puddles.;)
You are so right Silverstar.. There have been many moments in my day where I didn't realize that my Martial art training would come in handy. (evil mud puddles included..)
Before my path of shotokan I travelled down the branch of Jiu Jitsu, one day I stood on a raised Island filling what you Americans would call a "semi" I slipped and fell backwards of the 450mm kerb to smash into the concrete.
Witout knowing what i had done I had executed a perfect backward roll and ending on my feet un hurt and wondering what had just happened?
There are indeed many branches in "the way" not all Shotokan but all equally usefull inlife.
Osu!
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