Random thoughts bout regret and decisionmaking.

Youth seems to be wasted on the young people. I have one big regret so far in life and thats the fact that i didnt train harder and more when i was younger. Time passes quickly and i feel a strong sense of urgency to make sure that i maximise my potential in the next few years. And to the juniors that wanna be great at karate (or any other skill, for that matter) : Dont inherit my regret, and make sure that you as quickly as possible develop a discipline that will alow you to train more than the average guy (whom by default will have an average level of skill)

Furthermore, dont spend energy being upset with details or tell yourself that you dont measure up. In my opinion: Excellence is a mindset, an attitude that sets the successful people apart from the rest.

Some minor practical points:
(And these are my personal feelings, not some rules or dictates that *you* have to follow)

Dont debate whether to train or not, and then train only when any other option isnt there. Decide to train 2 times a week or 12 times a week and stick to it, since consistency is vital. Push yourself instead of being "nice" to yourself and take a break every time you get slightly tired. Show up atleast 5-10 minutes early to "tighten your mind" and get ready for class. Take care of your partners and try to push and pull them in the direction of stronger, sharper, faster and more decisive karate.

In closing, i have a principle that have helped my karate to the level i am, at that i would like to share with whomever that is still reading. I think of it as the principle of "how bad do i allow myself to be on any given day?" - Yes, we all have bad days, but as i alluded to earlier; real karate, to me, is about spirit of mind and the strength of your resolve. With this thought in the back of my mind anytime i come to the dojo, i leave my other worries outside and never let my physical karate slip beneath 80% of my ultimate ability. This may seem like mumbo-jumbo but i am serious; With that thought in mind i atleast have consistency if not much else.

And in the words of a (semi) old norwegian sensei: "Come to the dojo to train, not to get trained" If i come off as preachy, then i apologise, but to me this is important. I want you guys to get way better than me and i want you to get out of karate all the wonderful things i have gotten.

Roskilde - tickets

Roskilde - tickets heavily discounted for sale by Åsa Katrin. Flight back and forth Iceland + entry to the coolest rockfestival, ever, for almost no monies.....

She has 2 and they go for 40.000 isk each which is superduperlicisously cheap. (Just entry to the festival is 28.000 and the flight is between 30.000 and 35.000 as of today)

The festival-webpage

I was there some years ago, and its a thing that definetly needs to be on everyones list of stuff to do atleast once before they get boring.....

;-)

NY - 08

This update is a bit overdue, but hopefully i will remember the highlights anyway.

May 5th: Flying is boring, i realise that the sandals i brought were very smart after all (I almost left them home, since the weather-forecast sounded cold-ish) Made it to the hotel i used last year. Virginia House on 112th and Lexington, its the best option for budget travelers in NY, i think. (50$ for a single room, free internet and a very bad breakfast)

May 6th: First class with the big guys. This year it was only Rune Nilsen and Pål Erik Hansen from Norway, so the private classes was really intense in the amount of personal attention. (Maeda sensei was also there, i wasnt all alone being funsized, though....)

The rest of the days blur together, so i dunno when what happened..... hihi

Highlights: Sunny and warm for the most part, great classes, 10 km run in Central Park, the best burger in the world (it lives on the corner of 2nd avenue and Saint Marks Place), getting 2 tattoes (yes, it was mad painful, but damn they look good), watched a standup-show on Times Square, kumite with Maeda sensei is always great fun, pro pedicure, bought bubblegun and ofc just walking around in the rather large apple. (I also may have had a fresh danish for breakfast and got busted by Richard sensei a block from the dojo.... :-$ )

May 12th: Flying home (really dont like flying) Bought bag of M&M (and finished it the next day)

I should be back next year, it really is a kickass place for a week of intense karate. Would love for a couple of icelanders to join me, though..... Maybe in the fall?

Steve Ubl sensei in Iceland.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. (Ok, i will try to be more detailed...)

I am so grateful for him taking the time to travel from sunny and warm San Diego to teach us. And the visiting students from abroad were also a bit emotional after receiving what only can be described as amazing insights into *real karate*

I am definatly visiting his dojo next year.

Nobody teaches what sensei teaches, so grab any remote chance of training with him. You will not be disappointed, unless you are looking for info that will win you shiny objects. If your are looking for how to get your karate to work, though.... Look no further.

He is coming to the gashuko in Fredrikstad this year.......

;-)

Wohoo....

In no particular order:

Gudmundur Kari
Bjarki
Vilhjalmur
Bergsteinn
Gudrun
Olafur
Jon Agust

Remember that karate does not end with passing shodan, it starts. Congratulations.

PASSION!!

In my opinion: Its the coolest word out there. I am ever so grateful for being passionate in one area of my life (karate (big surprise)) It gives me tremendous joy to move, struggle to improve and every now and then succeed at something i wasnt able to do earlier. And other times i dont get it at all, but i love the process of striving for excellence, so whether i get there or not doesnt really matter.

:-)

And why this topic, you may ask..... Well, i just watched all the auditions for the australian version of the show "So you think you can dance" - and wow!! These guys can *move*!! And still they pour their heart and soul into moving even better. I am officially inspired and so much looking forward to this weekend gashuko. I dont care what we gonna train as long as i get to move and hopefully i will get slightly better. If not, i will settle for the experience and hope that the effort i put into this will help me keep my karate alive-ish into my 40-ies, 50-ies, 60-ies, 70-ies, 80-ies and so on..... (you get the point....)

And to quote my biggest hero: "Live with Passion"

Summer gashuko in Norway

Here is the info i have bout the summercamp in Fredrikstad late june.

5 instructors:
Steve Ubl 7th dan
Aidan Trimble 7th dan
Richard Amos 6th dan
Tom Kompier 5th dan
Scott Langley 5th dan

Location:
Kongstenshallen in the sunny city of Fredrikstad, Norway

How to get there from Iceland:
Icelandair to Oslo, Gardermoen
The most convenient flights would be morning-flight on the 25th of june and then home on the 2155 flight on the 29th.

Local trains from the airport to Oslo then the regional train to Fredrikstad is the way to go. Some sightseeing and food in Oslo like we did last year sounds like a plan.

Hotel close to the dojo

We have 15 rooms that fit up to 3, on a first comes - first served basis.

Singleroom 675,-
Double 765,-
Double with extra bed 900,-

All prices in norwegian kr and includes breakfast.

Official poster

Its also possible to camp right next to the dojo:
For more info regarding this option, call:
Harald Knutsen
Phone +47 69320532

Anyone that wanna go should make up their mind and make sure they have the flight-tickets sorted and a space at the hotel.

:-)