The Kai'us Numbering System

(Sorry for the crazy formatting, not quite sure why it's coming out that way...)

For those who don't know (which would be everyone except maybe one or two of you) the Kai'us numbering system has given me heartburn for years (approaching decades really). You'd think it'd be easy: Kai'us' have four digits on each hand (three fingers and a thumb), so it's always made sense that their numbers would be based on fours and eights instead of our fives and tens.

Wanting to make my life as easy as possible I decided to give them just four numbers: meu, leu, deu & sheu
Written as such:
/ = meu (1)
// = leu (2)
/// = deu (3)
//// = sheu (4)
Not too complicated.

Wanna go past that? Add a dot after the character:
/• = meu'ah (5)
//• = leu'ah (6)
///• = deu'ah (7)
////• = sheu'ah (8)

9-12 have the dot (and the "ah" sound) in front, and 13-16 have a dot in both the front and end of the character (so 16 would be •////• "ah'sheu'ah")

All of that's been the same since college.

Easy-peasy; but what to do from there?

Add prefixes!!

This is where things get flaky 'cause I can do anything from this point (and I have). 

The pattern for the first sixteen numbers was always set to repeat but with lines added to the tops and/or bottoms of the numbers; I just never devised a good system that was easy for me to remember. Also what to call those prefixes proved difficult as I always came up with just random labels that I'd never remember.
Finally though, I came up with a method for identifying and writing out the remaining numbers that I think will actually stick in my brain and make my life easier.
(Keep in mind that these numbers hardly ever show up in the stories, I've just always felt it important to understand thoroughly and completely how Kai-us' handle numbers and math.)
After the first set of sixteen numbers you're going to add a line along the top, and the syllable "Lee" to the beginning of the number.

Yeah, 30 gets to be a mouthful, but this is much higher than most Kai'us' can count. Most only need to get up to sixteen in their day-to-day life; after that there's nouns that translate to things like "many" and "many-many" that change in quantity depending on the context and what you're "counting".
33-48 are going to do the same thing, but the line will be along the bottom. 
The prefix for that set is "Du".
The "final" set (49-64) will have a slash going up from the bottom connecting with the first slash of the actual number:

 The prefix is called "Sha"


So 64 would be "ah'sha'sheu'ah" (sounds like a dance) and it would look like this:

The dot can go inside the triangle if you so choose.

The beauty of all this is the naming convention.
The first set of 16 numbers has no prefix.
The second set has the syllable "Lee", as in "leu", as in the number 2 ("Lee" is also a prefix that goes before a noun to make it plural).
The third set uses "Du"; "deu"; 3. Also "u" is the next vowel in all the base numbers.
Fourth set is "Sha"; "sheu"; 4. The "ah" sound is the next vowel to arrive in the number system.

So nicely and simply we've gotten 64 numbers all named and labeled in a way that I'm sure to remember.
Awesome.
Let's keep going.

The next set of 64 numbers will all be named the same, but will have "O" in the beginning.
"O-" in the Kai'us language is a prefix to denote that something is holy, divine or really big.
As far as Kai'us society goes, we're talking really big numbers now.

The written prefix for the numbers 65-80 is two lines pointing outward, one at the top and one at the bottom. It's more or less a closing bracket ( ] ). So 65 is pronounced "o'meu".
The highest number before this prefix changes is •]|||• and is "ah'o'sheu'ah" (80)
You can also put the "o" in front if you like. 
Doing this starts to sound like "wa" so this set can also be pronounced that way as well once the "ah"s start to get involved.

Set number two (81-96) will have a line coming off the top of the first slash pointing outward (rather like a 7). The Prefix is "o'lee"
The third set (97-112) has the line coming off the bottom. "O'du"
The fourth set is an upside-down "sha" (a "V" in other words) and so is "o'sha". 
This gets us up to 128.

From here you can stop.
Even the Grand Chief rarely needs to count much higher than that.

If for some wild and crazy reason though you need yet another set of sixteen numbers, you're in luck.
129-144 is denoted with a line at the top and a line at the bottom pointing inward (like an opening bracket [ only longer).
This prefix is called "o'shee".

This is going to be a source of humor for those who know the name of my first WoW character which was "Oshemeu". Using pigeon Kai'us this translates to "Great One". "O-" for really big or divine; "she" is the word for "big"; and "meu" is obviously "one".
(Using correct grammar though the name "Great One" would come out as "Mu-o-she" - "One who is Great"; but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely)
Taking this new system into account though, "o'shee'meu" is the number 129.

The interesting thing is this loops around nicely.
Remove those lines and suddenly you're back to the beginning. If you need specific numbers past that you'll just have to start adding numbers together.
The general rule is to start with the highest number that's divisible by 16 (which would be 128 or 144 typically) and add the number that gets you the rest of the way; but a person is welcome to get creative and mash together whatever two numbers will get you there based on their aesthetics.

Two hundred for instance could be broken down in many ways, but would likely be conveyed as "ah'o'she'sheu'ah esh sha'sheu'ah" which translates to "144 and 56".

Name That Precipitation (Weather-related)

We're into that time of year where I'll overhear someone say, "Wow, it was hailing really hard last night!" and I'll mentally note that there were no thunderstorms in the area and it's really the wrong time of year for thunderstorms anyway.  Then I'll realize they're talking about sleet.  Totally different.

I'm rather saddened at how few people seem to know the difference between hail, sleet and freezing rain.  I do understand why it may be hard to keep them straight: all three are forms of precipitation that involve rain and ice, but all three are very unique and occur under very specific conditions. 

What saddens me more is that meteorologists - rather than educating the masses - are dumbing down their terminology.  Intellicast no longer uses the word "sleet" in its forecasts.  They now use the term "ice pellets".  Though this is indeed an accurate description of sleet, it does have a name and it's called "sleet".

So, what is the difference between the three?
Glad you asked for I'm here to answer!

Hail
Conditions - Typically warmer weather; more specifically during thunderstorms.

How's it made - Inside cumulonimbus clouds (the type that produce thunderstorms).
Hail starts as rain or small ice pellets that get kicked around within the towering cloud by wind.
The proto-hail gets thrown high up into the cloud where the air is colder and a layer of ice forms around it.  When it gets too heavy for the winds to hold it aloft it falls to a lower portion of the cloud just to get tossed up again for another coating of ice.
Once it's too heavy for a repeat trip upwards, it falls to the earth as an uneven blob of ice.

Hail can damage crops, vehicles, and structures.  Large hail can hurt people too.

A hail fall doesn't typically last too long and the hail itself tends to melt quickly as it usually occurs in the spring and summer months when the ground temperatures are rather warm.

Hail is an indication of severe weather and its presence can herald a tornado or intense thunderstorm.

Sleet
Conditions - When surface air temperatures temperatures are below freezing, but temperatures aloft (in the clouds) are above freezing. 

How's it made - Sleet starts life in the clouds as rain.  As it falls to the earth it freezes into little ice pellets.  Unlike hail - which looks globular in nature and can be any size, sleet is evenly shaped and small (because it's just rain that turned to ice).

Sleet can fall with just as much intensity as rain and for as long as the temperatures are favorable for it to remain ice.  Sleet though can easily switch over to snow (if the air gets cold enough), or rain/freezing rain (if the air gets warmer).

Freezing Rain
Conditions - When the surface air temperatures are above freezing, but the ground and surfaces touching the ground are below freezing.

How's it made - Freezing rain is liquid rain that...well, freezes as soon as it hits something.
This forms a smooth, even coating of ice on trees, cars, the ground, anything it lands on because those surfaces are colder than the air that's just warm enough to keep it liquid.

This ice build-up can bring down power lines or cause tree limbs to fall across power lines, causing power outages.  The smooth ice can also accumulate on roads making travel difficult.

So those are the three types of frozen precipitation that tend to get mixed up or used interchangeably.
Hopefully this guide will help you keep them straight so that you too can use the correct descriptions for what's falling from the sky.

Looking Back on 2015, Looking Ahead to 2016

Hands down this has been the year of Karate.

I poured a lot of spirit and effort into advancing to my next rank and I couldn't be happier.
I've grown much as a martial artist this year and have even started assistant teaching Tai Chi.

At the start of the year I couldn't understand how to throw a front-snap kick to face-height.  I can do it now, but not with a lot of power behind it.
Roundhouse kick with the ball of the foot? Got it.
I wanted to be able to do a full split: I'm even closer now than I was.
I wanted to be able to do 50 push-ups without stopping...okay, that goal go tweaked.  I decided it was more realistic to do push-ups in smaller bursts; say 12-15.  So I do a bunch of small groupings and that seems to be working well.

Next year with see my beloved Sensei retiring in January.
Though the school will continue under the tutelage of a new head instructor, I'm not sure what that will mean for my practice personally.
Torch-passing aside, my martial arts goals for next year are to:
• Improve my spinning techniques
• Get more power behind all my kicks
• I really need to continue to improve my sparring (the boxing lessons are helping)
• Need to learn more joint locks.  So many more joint locks!!

If I push it, I might be able to test for my 1st Kyu rank at the end of the school year.  If not then, then maybe by the end of next year.  We'll see.

This year was also the year my father-in-law, Dick passed away (ironically on Independence Day).
Caring for him in his final months was a very powerful and empowering experience for me.

After his passing I was able to reclaim my house (he was living with us for a good portion of last year and all this spring, being mostly bed-bound in the last month he was living at the house).
The coming year will see my husband and I cleaning out the camp that Dick had occupied during the summer months for many, many years.

Since Dick was a hoarder, this will not be a quick or easy process; especially since the camp can only be accessed by boat.  Most of our weekends this coming summer will likely be spent on that "little" project.

The other big thing that happened this year was that I participated in my final Sun-Moon Dance. (As in I completed my four-year commitment).
This year's Dance was gentle on me (thankfully) and I was able to really touch and let go of some deep pain I hadn't realized I'd been holding.  It was a truly beautiful experience (as it always is).
If I participate in any Dances in the future, it'll be on the support side and I'm curious and excited to pursue that angle of the Dance.

In other news: my business partner really wants to get back into making products for our crafting business.  We've both been laying low the past couple years since last year we focused on my wedding and this year I was distracted by caring for Dick and getting my next Karate rank.
Though our business (and sales) has actually grown this year, we really want to get sewn products into our inventory and we're hoping to start making bags this winter and spring.

We're also researching larger venues to sell our wares.  It's pretty exciting and scary at the same time!

We both are also very much feeling the itch to belly dance again - another activity that has suffered for the past two years for the same reasons.  We're looking into tumbling or adult gymnastics classes to improve our strength and flexibility and to spice up our duet dance routines even more.

On a personal level I'd like to get back into writing.  I didn't participate in NaNoWriMo this year and I have no regrets on that front; but I have three projects that are languishing in various states of completion that I'd very much like to return to and guide along their way.

I also keep glancing around the edges of going back to school or getting a different job.
Not that I don't like or even love my present employment - I couldn't ask for a better job! But the pay is miserable.  Taking a deep breath and plunging into something new may be in the forecast after the New Year...or not.  Time will tell on that front.

So 2015 has been the year of growth.
2016 is slated to be the year of change.

We'll see what the future brings!

Interview with a Belly Dancer

I've been blogging so much about the martial arts of late that it's easy to forget that I have other hobbies.  Of course I've also not been actively participating in many of those other activities lately, so it's not really something that I bring up in conversation too much either.  Fortunately my brother, Scott hasn't forgotten. 

He's going to school for Communications and one of his class projects involved each student taking turns producing and directing a little ten minute interview-style spot that would stream live on the college's website. 

After many ideas fell through, he finally made it down the list to me.  It wasn't because he didn't think I'd be a good subject or because he didn't think I'd do it (I'm pretty sure he knew I would); it was because it was on a Tuesday (I'd have to take time off from work) and I live about three hours away.

I was more than happy to participate and was even more excited when he said the topic would be about belly dance.

The whole experience was a lot of fun and something I really enjoyed was the interview questions he had come up with.  He got them to me a day or two ahead of time so I could maul them over a little before the show.  I have to admit I was rather impressed with the questions!

Since they're not simple "yes" or "no's" though we were only able to get through three or four of the questions during the broadcast.  As I really liked the questions and I wasn't able to answer them a thoroughly as I would have liked, I asked his permission to let me answer them in a blog post.

He happily agreed!

Q: First, the easy ones: What is belly dancing? Where does it come from?
A: It's actually not as easy as one would think.
Of course the common consensus is that belly dance originated in the Middle East - especially Egypt; but I've found that any culture old enough to have a tribal or nomadic stage to its history develops some form of belly dance.
So, what is belly dance?  You see my costume (a coin bra, baggy harem pants, a long garment called a "ghawazee coat", and a coin belt) and can easily surmise, "Oh, she's a belly dancer." But I can belly dance in sweatpants and a hoodie if I wanted to.
You hear Middle Eastern music and can easily think, "That's belly dance music." But belly dancers love dancing to contemporary music as well because the audience can relate to it more easily.
The movements are very serpentine; either circular or figure-eight in nature; but other styles use similar movements.
To me belly dance is a celebratory art form.  It's not about selling sex, though it's very sensual since women are sensual.  In fact many people believe its origin was as a dance by women for women to celebrate births, weddings, coming of age, whatever.  This holds true today in that many belly dancers actually prefer to perform for other belly dancers.  These types of gatherings are called "hafla's".

Q: Of all the styles of dancing out there, what inspired you to become a belly dancer?
A: Three things really drew me to belly dance.
1) It's a solitary style of dance.
Ballroom dancing requires a partner, but belly dance can be done (and practiced) alone.  Even when belly dancers perform in a group they rarely touch each other.  Each dancer is responsible to know the choreography or to pick up the cues from the leader.  It's all on you.
2) It's a highly feminine form of dance.
This was really important to me in the beginning as I was still exploring my personal femininity (I started belly dance a little over ten years ago).  I grew up in a very masculine environment and went to school for Computer Animation, which doesn't draw a lot of females.  I was also working at a Navy training facility at the time which (understandably so) doesn't have a lot of women present.
Belly dance was one of the girliest activities I could think to do.
3) Who doesn't want to wear pretty, shiny, jingly outfits?

Q: Well and speaking of outfits: where would someone buy something like what you're wearing?
A: The chunky, colorful jewelry that belly dancers love to wear is actually in style at the moment, so I pick up a lot of pieces at department stores.
The garments themselves can be found at local and state fairs as well as Renaissance festivals; but they can also be purchased easily online from places like MissBellyDance.com, TurkishEmporium, and IsisExchange (not a very PC name these days, I know; but remember that Isis is an Egyptian goddess)
For more modern/urban tastes, there's places like TheScarletLounge.
Many dancers make their own garb however.  Apart from the coin belt, I made everything I'm wearing.  Simplicity makes some superb belly dance costume patterns (as well as many other lovely patterns!)

Q: How do you train to be a belly dancer? Is your training common among other dancers?
A: Usually finding an instructor in your area is just a Google search away these days.  You can also check with your local YMCA or yoga studio (for some odd reason yogi's and belly dancers tend to all know each other).
I've studied under three different instructors and have also gone to a handful of workshops, so I can tell you the training is fairly consistent across the board.  Classes are obviously not done in full costume, though most of the time students wear a coin belt (it's just more fun if you're making noise).  Other than that, sweats or whatever you'd wear to do yoga will work for belly dance class.  Typically the teacher stands in front of the class and shows the moves they're teaching that day and everyone follows along.
Some teachers like to teach with mirrors, some don't.
Many teachers with have beginner classes, intermediate/advanced classes as well as troupe/performance classes.  You never have to commit to performing in public when signing up for a belly dance class.  Some instructors don't even have performance troupes and just teach because it's really great exercise!

Q: How big is the belly dancing community? In this state? This country?
A: In my area (the Capital Region of Upstate NY) there's quite the thriving belly dance community.  In a thirty mile radius you have access to no less than three or four teachers of varying styles.
Things may be more sparse or active as one goes through the country though; it's something I don't particularly follow too closely. 
I do know that belly dance is a big deal out in California (and the west coast in general) as that's where American Tribal Style originated. 

Q: Are there any belly dancing tournaments? Do you participate in any?
A: That's actually one I had to look up.
Belly dance isn't really a competitive sport.
There apparently are belly dance competitions, but they're few and far between.  I think they're more of a thing outside of the US.
Certainly you'll find belly dancers performing in local talent shows.  America's Got Talent usually has a couple acts come through during the audition phase; but typically local dancers host performances in their area for entertainment only.

Q: Shakira is probably the most famous belly dancer here in America; what are the general thoughts of the dancing community about her style?
A: Oy, is she really the most well known belly dancer in the States?  Not Rachel Brice or Zoe Jakes? (Some of the biggest names within the American belly dance scene)
Okay, Shakira's got some great moves, I won't lie (see what I did there? tee-hee); but she mixes hip-hop with her belly dance which easily confuses people into thinking that belly dance is far more sexual than it really is.
I assure you than spreading your legs while straddling a chair is not in the belly dance repertoire.  We actually do our best to dance with our legs together thank you very much.

Q: Do you have advice for anyone interested in becoming a belly dancer themselves?
A: Do it.
Do it!
Do it!!!
If you're in an area with several teachers, go find a teacher you like.  (Note that there's many styles too and while one style may not resonate with you, another might.  No teacher should ever get defensive if you ask what style she teaches.)
If your choices are slim or non-existent, you can actually learn a fair bit on youTube or from a DVD; but it's really not a true substitute for learning from a real person.  The posture is very important and a video won't be able to tell you that your hips aren't tucked, your knees are locked, or that your shoulders are slouching.
Belly dance is such an empowering form of feminine expression.  It's also a pretty fun and kick-ass workout.  If you're even remotely interested, I highly recommend giving it a try!

Taking the Next Step (Martial Arts-Related)

I tested for and achieved my next rank in Karate at the end of October.
It was the culmination of a lot of hard work and I feel much better about how I did on this test than the last one.
So now I'm 2nd Kyu.  In the system I'm going through, this is second degree brown belt.  I'm now two ranks away from black belt.  Woo-hoo!

Also at the end of October (the last Friday to be precise) was open sparring at our sister dojo.
Anyone of all levels is welcome to attend and though this has been going on for the last Friday of every month for as long as I've been studying Karate, I'd never attended for various reasons.

What made this one special was the Sensei at that dojo is moving away and is handing it over to another instructor.  The sparring session in October would be the last chance to spar with this incredible martial artist.  Unable to pass up such an opportunity, I made every effort to go and I had fun!

After the sparring, the instructor who'll be taking over had his usual Tai Chi class (which is every Friday).  As Tai Chi is my first martial arts love and he was a fellow classmate when I was learning all those years ago, I asked if I could stay for his class.
Sure.
Great!

And so I was reminded yet again how very much I love Tai Chi.  The slower movements allow for more deliberate breathing and an easier feel of the energy flows (at least for me).  Oh it was great!

It was a smallish class: less than ten people; but they were all at different spots in the form.  This posed (an apparently long-standing) problem for the instructor because after the warm-up he had to split everyone up into groups based on what point they were at.  He'd show one group their next move, then move to the next group and the next group and so on; dividing his time between three or four groups.  If you forgot the move you were supposed to be working on (in part or in full), you'd have to wait till he came back around to your group.

Because I hadn't been in a Tai Chi class for over six years, I couldn't be terribly helpful to the group I was put with.  I remembered some of the form with little to no effort on my part, but other sections were just like they were new.

Still, this situation perked my ears.
I like Tai Chi...a lot.  I'd love to do it again, but I've already learned the short form (and the long form, and the sword form), I've just fallen out of practice.
Coming back as a student would seem silly.  It'd all come back to me in probably a month's worth of classes and that'd be all I'd need.  Though learning is a fractal process and there's always more to learn, my main focus presently is Karate.
However, seeing how he had to divide his time so much made me wonder if maybe I could be part of the solution here!

What if I came on as an assistant instructor?
I'd get my Tai Chi fix and he'd get help with the students.

It sounds rather simple and obvious, but I kid you not, this was a big mental and emotional step for me.
I've always been a student.
Always.
Yoga, belly dance, Tai Chi, whatever activity: I'm always the passive learner.

Yes, I've been an assistant instructor at Karate for well over a year now; but that's just par for the course.  As soon as a brown belt is tied around your waist, no matter your age or how long you've been studying, you're automatically tossed right in and expected to be able to run warm-ups and help the lower ranks with their katas.  Better hope you can count in Japanese by this point (most people can), and that you can break down the first kata into pieces new students can absorb!
Though you're now teaching others (and I'm don't mean to short-change this process, because you really do learn by teaching!), it's still from the passive student perspective: I've been told to do this so I am doing it.

Now I was reaching out and stepping into a more active role.
I honestly struggled with this paradigm shift for over two weeks.
Could I do it?
Could I handle the responsibility?
Was I being too arrogant in wanting to ask in the first place? (Remember I haven't touched Tai Chi in over six years!)

Finally I took the plunge and just asked.
I explained that I obviously wasn't qualified to teach the subtler nuances of the form, but with a little refresher, I'd be more than capable of showing students the correct hand and foot positions.

He was interested and willing to give it a go.
I was on cloud nine!
Holy cow! I was going to (assistant) teach!!
How freaking awesome!

And so for this past week leading up to the class last night I went through the opening moves of the form on my own; trying to dredge up what once had flowed so effortlessly and naturally.
I was happy to find after some trial and error that I could comfortably recall the first eight moves (out of 60).
I showed up last night a little early and he ran me through those eight moves, gently correctly my six years of rust and explaining how he articulates the movements verbally to students.  Then off we went!

I will admit: this first class wasn't pretty.
After warm-ups he handed me over to his newest students who are only five or six moves in.
I bumbled so much - teaching a move in the incorrect order; moving on to the next part of the form a little too quickly for them; forgetting to talk through some of the foot positions.  But the two people I was working with were so understanding and forgiving and just happy to have an instructor with them the whole time to keep repeating with them the same opening moves over and over.  And oh man did I learn so much last night!

I'm humbled, but still excited.
There's still so much to do and learn, but I have at least taken the next step in my martial arts practice and I couldn't be happier!

Being a Female in the Martial Arts (A Practical Guide)

If you count the first time I stepped foot in Tai Chi class, I've been studying martial arts for about eight or nine years.  If you want to put a finer point on it though: I studied Tai Chi for about three years.  I shifted over to Karate when I moved to Galway (NY) and studied that for about a year and a half.
Then I left Karate (and all other martial arts) for nearly three years (for various, varied reasons).  I later returned in March of last year and have been at it ever since.

So though it sounds like I've been studying a while, my practice and training has been varied with a very long break in there.  Still, I feel I've gathered some insights that might be helpful for other ladies out there interested in (but maybe a little nervous) about taking up a martial art.  Hopefully these tips and pointers and "OMG, I never thought of that!" insights will give you a clearer picture of what you're getting into.

First, let's tackle the practical stuff:

Hair, nails and jewelry

Though I will admit I've seen guys in class with longer hair than mine and males can wear jewelry just as much (if not more) than some females I've encountered, it's typically the ladies who have to deal with these three things and any or all of the three can be sticking points for some.

First, your hair: if it's long enough to be pulled back, pull it back.
I just do a low ponytail because a higher one tends to swing more and I don't like that.  Braids can unintentionally become flails and - though potentially humorous - you could hurt someone.
I've never tried wearing my hair in a bun, but I'm assuming it'd work just fine unless you're working on headlock self defenses.

Learn to be okay with your hair getting touched and/or messed up.  Some of the escapes we learn are up close and personal.  Your hair will get mangled.  If this is a problem for you, you'll have to work on it if you want to get far in the martial arts.

You'll also want to skip on the makeup when coming to class.
I assure you no one will judge your lack of lip gloss or mascara.
The dojo isn't the place to look your best.  Be prepared to look your worst actually.  It'll be worth it.

Jewelry: take it off.
All of it.  Earrings, necklaces, watches, bracelets, toe-rings, any and all piercings, etc.
I even take off my wedding ring.  Happily that is really the only thing that won't be pushed on you to remove before class, but mine is solid silver and solid gold.  It's heavy.  It could hurt someone or even me if I don't do a technique correctly.  It comes off every class.

Nails: I fought this one for a long time.
I've worn my fingernails long for most of my life.  I keep them clean and well-trimmed, and for me they're tools just as much as their pretty.  Making the decision to cut them short(er) for class was not taken lightly, but I did it.  If I ever become a midwife, they'd have to go even shorter.
I don't trim them down to the quick - they're just short enough so I don't gouge my palms when making a tight fist.  You'll have to find the right length that works for you.

Layers

For Karate we wear a gi.  It's a cotton canvas uniform that can be tugged and pulled on without easily ripping.  It also provides minimal protection when striking or being struck on the arms and legs.  It can get warm to wear and unfortunately you need to wear clothes under it for modesty purposes.
Guys can get away with being shirtless (though most wear a muscle shirt or a tee-shirt under their gi).  Ladies not only have to wear a top, but most have to wear a bra as well (my bust is small enough so it's not an issue for me) <- don't hate me
I'd highly recommend a comfy sports bra.  Obviously don't wear your every-day bra as you're going to sweat in it plus it might have an underwire (bad idea).

The nice thing though is wearing a bra can be handy for finding your hand positions!
When performing a punching technique, you have the hand doing the punch (obviously), but what does the other hand do?
Just hanging loose at your side isn't going to do you any good.
Your other hand goes up into what's called "home" or "chambered" position.  The hand is closed in a fist with the palm facing up, held tightly to your torso, ready to punch next. This position just happens to be right at the bra-line.
Like I said: handy

Another downside to the uniforms is they're typically white.
In our system, students wear all white until they reach brown belt - then they can wear different colored pants (black is the typical color of choice, but you can wear pink camo if that's your thing).  Black belts can wear any color gi they like.

That bad thing about white is that it's not a terribly opaque color.
As some ladies like to wear pretty underwear (especially teens and young girls), you can easily reveal to the whole class your color/pattern pick of the day.

The solution: I wore white athletic shorts under my gi when I was still wearing all white.  It provided extra modesty coverage so I didn't have to plan my choice of undergarments too carefully.
Now that I wear black pants, it's no longer an issue.  Win!

White of course poses other potential problems for women, which brings me to my next point:

That time of the month

Yes, I'm totally going there because it's a real and legitimate issue.
There's some girls (especially the younger teenagers) who won't even come to class when they're on their period.  I'm bummed about this but I get it.
You've got the cramps, the bloating, the fatigue, the fuzzy brain and the off chance of leaking red fluid all over your clothes if you move wrong (so that white gi becomes a terrifying hazard).

If you don't wear tampons or a cup, things can get trickier.
Try a nighttime pad right before heading out to class.  Make sure you're good and clean too.
If you're a heavy bleeder take it easy, but I still hope you make it to class.

The exercise will ease the cramps (trust me it will!).
The exercise will also help with the fatigue.  It might take a little longer than usual to get into the swing of things, but it really will help.

Bruises

Though no one deliberately tries to hurt anyone else in a martial arts class, given the nature of the activity, you will acquire a bruise here and there.  Fortunately it's not so much of an issue in the beginning.  I don't recall getting them too frequently till I was a brown belt, so this is one you can ease into gently.

Some styles are a little rougher than others.  Because Karate makes use of hard blocks (exerting perpendicular force to stop/deflect a strike or kick), the typical bruise locations are the forearms, knees and shins.

The nice thing is as you learn to put more and more power behind your techniques, you also learn how to control that power.  I'm happy to report that I've been popped in the face several times while sparring, but have not yet gotten a black eye or a fat lip.  In fact sparring injuries are rare - at least in the school I attend because we usually pair up high ranking students (who know how to block and throw a punch without killing someone) with lower ranked ones (who are learning all that).

If you bruise easily you may end up with bruises on your wrists and redness around the neck from some of the escapes we do.  Always let your instructor and training partner know such things so they can compensate accordingly.

I heard a story of a woman who worked her way up through the ranks and got really close to black belt, but her husband asked her to stop because he didn't like that she was always covered in bruises.  Sadly, she dropped out.

Personally, I wear my bruises with pride.  They're a sign of a good class.  They're a sign that I'm tough, that I can take a hit, that I'm becoming physically stronger every day.
I love my bruises!

Other thoughts

Though I don't have the hugest amount of experience in the martial arts, there's a couple differences I've so far noticed between how men and women handle things in class:

1) An injury is far more likely to permanently sideline a woman than a man.
Maybe because guys have been told from a young age to "Suck it up!" "Shake it off!" "Don't be a pussy!"
While women are taught that they're delicate and in need of protecting and saving.

One woman who was coming to class with her husband and children dropped out because she had tweaked her elbow at one point (I don't think it was a class-related injury) and she chose not to return even after the elbow healed.
On the other hand, a young man in class shattered his wrist at work, had surgery on it and will continue healing for a good long time.  Though he's careful, he returned to class as soon as his doctors cleared him.

It's just how things go I guess.
However...

2) Women tend to be more willing and able to admit when they're hurt and that they need to stop.
I badly jammed my toes one day while sparring.  Nothing was broken but it hurt like the dickens.
I bowed off the mat in the middle of the round - I had no desire to stick it out till the round was over.  I hobbled over to my gear bag, grabbed the little ACE bandage I keep there for such occasions and wrapped my foot.
All of this took no more than a few minutes and I was soon back to sparring again; but I took the time to care for myself before continuing.  I think that's something a female would be far more inclined to do than a male.

3) The lack of a strong female presence in the martial arts can be daunting.
I'm often the only adult female in class and girls rarely stick with it far into their teen years.
If they do stay all the way through high school, they often leave for college (as the boys do too), but unlike the boys they rarely return afterwards.

The demands of work, marriage and parenthood seem to keep adult women away more than men.  The prevailing notion that martial arts is more a "guy thing" seems to work against female participation even though in some ways women have a greater advantage.  Their lower center of gravity and natural quickness and agility often make them formidable martial artists.

I can tell from personal experience though that just knowing other women martial artists are out there is so empowering and encouraging.  Finding The Martial Arts Woman blog has been a wonderful morale boost for me.

And my final thoughts on and for female martial artists:

It will change you.

Your body will tone up.  Your flexibility will increase.  Your stamina and endurance will improve.
Those are all great, but you can get that from yoga or a spinning class at your local Y.

It will change your mindset too.
You will become more confident, more empowered, more self-assured.

Oddly enough this change can be frightening.
I do believe it was one of the many plethora of things that drove me away from Karate the first time.  There's an inner self-confidence and responsibility you need to accept to advance in the martial arts.  That shift may be too subtle to notice for some, but when one has a meek and submissive temperament as I do, it can be a difficult challenge to incorporate.

I'm endlessly glad I did.

Face-to-Face with Rape Culture

I was down in New York City this weekend with a small groups of friends.  Since I have family in the City, I've been there several times; for one of the girls attending though, this was her first trip.  I'm happy to report we all had a blast overall.  There was glorious shopping, good food and a general enjoyment of the architecture and mass trasit of New York.

One incident however did cast a shadow over our merry little adventure.  It happened in the subway after we'd swiped through the turnstiles to get to the train platform.  A girl on the other side was accosted by a rather inebriated stranger who was making leering comments at her and standing way too close for anyone's comfort.

Since there was no one else in the vestibule apart from them and us, we lingered; not really sure what to do or say.  She was clearly uncomfortable by his advances, but she stoically ignored him while she fumbled frantically for her Metro Card.  After what felt like forever, she finally found her card and swiped through.

We quickly clustered protectively around her as we all walked to the platform and asked if she was okay.  She was clearly shaken by the incident, but she mumbled "Yes," and quietly tied her jacket around her waist to cover the tight, short skirt she was wearing which had (presumably) "provoked" the whole incident. (Fortunately the drunk dude didn't follow her through the turnstile and he had never touched her.)

As we moved on and got on our train I remember feeling anger towards the girl for bringing it onto herself.  She was clearly a tourist like ourselves but being young and pretty as she was, surely she should have known better than to dress so provocatively to a place like NYC!

These feelings were later followed by being appalled at my own thoughts.

"My God! I'm part of the freaking problem!"
Blaming her for being harassed is exactly the reason why victims of sexual assault don't report incidents and why they end up being shamed by the very same system that's supposed to protect them.  (I'm being gender neutral on this point as I know men can equally be harassed and that's a whole other post.)

I honestly don't know what we could have done different in the situation.  Certainly if he had touched her, all of us would have jumped back over the turnstile to her defense; but verbal abuse is more nebulous and harder to deal with.  Had we spoken up, asking him to leave her alone, it would have drawn his attention on us.  Maybe that would have been better - giving her a chance to escape; but we didn't know he wasn't going to just come on through the turnstile at us either or get violent.  We also didn't know it'd take her so long to get her pass.  In all honesty the whole thing didn't last more than 90 seconds, but it was plenty long enough.

It was an utterly miserable situation, certainly more so for her than us.

I suppose I should cap this with some flowery advice on how we can all change the world for the better.  Frankly I've got nothing here except to say that as bad as that situation was, things are getting better.
Think about it: we were three young, fairly attractive females traveling without a male escort.  That would have been absurdly unsafe in the past.

Think about the workplace: male bosses no longer ask female employees to get them coffee without a second thought.  That's changed since just my mother's generation (I know because it happened to her).

Women can get loans and own property by themselves without raising eyebrows (also something that's changed within just the past 50 or so years).
Men can raise children as a single parent without people looking on with pity at the poor, motherless kids.

Martial rape is now a crime (though it took till 1993 for that to be the case in all 50 states).

Things have improved, are continuing to improve, but there's still the wage gap.  There's still a glass ceiling in some fields.  Women are still casually harassed on the street.
The answer isn't to change how women dress or if we should or shouldn't make eye contact with strangers.  The answer is knowledge, spreading the word as to what is and isn't correct and appropriate behavior; teaching men not to rape instead of instructing females how to not get raped.

Every day, every year the idea that a woman must be "owned" or "controlled" wanes and becomes more quaint.  Incidents like what we witnessed this weekend will become more the exception rather than the rule.  With how quickly things are changing I'm certain this will happen within my lifetime and it warms my heart to think my nieces will be able to wander the streets of a major city, wide-eyed and innocent and never once have to think, "Will that man over there harm me?"