Despite what all the cool martial arts movies might imply — especially ones with some Ancient Master who is so advanced in his mystic-fu that he can turn aside attacks with a minimum of effort and movement — blocking a kick with your finger is not a recommended defensive move in karate. At least, not at my rank.
Yet that is in fact what I did (unintentionally) while sparring at my nephews’ dojo over the holidays … and my left ring finger is still hurting me, three weeks later. Not a constant pain or a “wow, look at the bone sticking out” sort of thing, but an uncomfortable strained reminder whenever I clench it. Further, the knuckle remains somewhat swollen, which means I can’t get my wedding ring on (or, if it were on, get it off again).
*sigh*
So, at what point do I actually go see a doctor about this, vs. wait for it to get better in my ever-advancing decrepitude?
NOW is the time to see the doctor before this heals badly and leads to CONSTANT pain. Joint apin is nothing to mess around with!
Yeah … you’re probably right.
I have made an appointment for Friday.
(Insert here the irony that if it had been my loving, wise, knows-lots-of-doctors wife who so advised me, I’d have hemmed and hawed and maybe scheduled something in a few weeks, or after she advised to do so multiple times.)
Reminds me of the hairline fracture I got in my ring finger while fighting for the target in Photon. I was body slammed against a wall during the rush to the other teams headquarters. Do you remember that?
I second making sure of what is actually wrong and treating it correctly. You are left handed, you know!?!
I’d forgotten that particular war injury — though I still remember playing Photon with great fondness.
And, yes, I am left-handed. It isn’t actually causing me any difficulties using my left hand — but I concur that better save than sorry.
Photon?
Like laser Tag?
Yuppers. At the Photon center down in Orange County somewhere (memory escapes). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=2537683
The MO was that Mary would come up from San Diego to my condo on a Friday night for the D&D game I’d run on Saturday, and then we’d drive separate cars down to Photon on Sunday mornings, play for a few hours, then we’d separately drive back home. We did this maybe a dozen different times over about a year or two.
Sadly, one time we headed down there, only to discover the place shuttered. *sigh*
Appalling to realize, based on the Wikipedia article, that would have been in (gulp) 1989.
As the article indicates, the arena for this was huge, dark, multi-level, with strobes and smoke and music. There were two teams (red and green) of — I’m thinking around 8 on each side, and, just like PUGging in an MMO, you might find yourself with a bunch of Leroys, a bunch of idjits, or a group that could actually use tactics. Points (individual) for taking down folks on the opposite team, of course (which de-energized their gun for ten seconds or so — bad form to hang around and shoot them again when it came back up) or for shooting their base. Points for teams, as well. It was very intense, physically and mentally, and a hell of a lot of fun.
I still have a printout from the results of a match tucked in a box somewhere. I went by the call sign “Usagi,” and would typically dress in black sweatpants and a black t-shirt (for extra-cool stealthiness, don’tchaknow). As noted, you also had to wear a ton of battery packs and equipment, which made you look a lot like one of the MI from (the movie) Starship Troopers.
Good times.
Okay, cool.
Yeah, we use to play Laser Tag back when they used to open in former Dead Mall BB stores or Warehouses. It was great fun to do on a Friday night after work, with perhaps some beers before hand.
And thinking about time wise, it would have been about the same time year wise.
I still have my photon id card although I never got my actual photo in it (it has a cut out from a Cathy cartoon instead). Do you remember that on the day they were closed we went to see The Abyss at a nearby movie theater?
Ah, yes. That dates it pretty well. 🙂