Blind Motivation

Blind Motivation Mike Armstrong — blind athlete, martial arts instructor, drummer, public speaker, and Kilimanjaro climber. 2012-09-28T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/ Mike Armstrong Paralympics 2011-10-11T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2011/10/11/paralympics/ <img src="/images/wpid-IMG_20110730_104932.jpg" alt="image" title="Sensei Phil Brier &amp; Mike Armstrong"> Sensei Phil Brier &amp; Mike Armstrong I am embarking on a new goal (2012 Paralympic Judo Team). As a Martial Artist/Sensei I have felt a strong desire to compete. I have participated in tournaments in the forms/Kata division, but that is non-combative. Standard sparring (Kumite) is rarely open to a blind competitor due to the possibility of injury. After investigating Martial Arts based sports for the blind, I found an international Blind Judo division. My Jujitsu experience gives me a path into the sport. Although Jujitsu has many of the throws used in Judo, I knew that if I wanted to compete I would have to find a Judoka coach. Ben Cane (one of my students) was the first person to talk to me about competing in Judo. Ben has had an interest in Judo for several years himself, so I asked him to help me search for a Judo instructor. This eventually led me to Sensei Phil Brier. Upon speaking to Sensei Phil I immediately knew that I had found a truly passionate Judoka. Our forty minute phone conversation led to a two hour meeting later that same night at my dojo. Our mutual love of martial arts made us immediate friends. I was impressed with his knowledge and experience in competition Judo. I am excited to say that I have found my new Sensei/coach. My first night in Sensei Phil’s class was incredible. His dojo (the Mizu No Michi club) is about fifteen minutes from my house. Unfortunately my last class ended at 6:15 and Judo class starts at 6:30. After finishing teaching my Karate classes I hurried to get ready for Judo. Ben was waiting for me as I ran out of the house. The second I closed the truck door Ben was off. I had informed Sensei Phil at our meeting that I would be a bit late, but we would get there as soon as possible. As Ben and I entered the dojo, I put on my fresh new white belt. The last time I wore a white belt was twenty five years ago. I must say it felt kind of good to start anew. Over the next two hours we covered the fundamentals of Judo. The differences are fascinating. I have a second degree black belt in Aiki Jujitsu, but Judo's method is quite different. I was partnered up with a green belt named Dave. We started with some ground fighting from a back to back position. Dave also trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so we had a blast. This is when I learned that we are not allowed to use leg locks. Oops. As Dave and I were rolling around, Dave went onto his back and put his legs up to put me in the guard. This position is where a student wraps their legs around their opponent from the bottom. This can shut down many attacks from the person on top. As Dave lifted up his legs to trap me, I grabbed his right leg and proceeded to put him in a leg lock. After a short struggle, he tapped out and said nice leg lock. This is when Sensei Phil informed me that it was an illegal move in Judo. With an embarrassed smile, I apologized. The remainder of the class was dedicated to some ground techniques and hip throws (ogoshi). I have now been to three classes and I believe that it has not only helped me in Judo, but also given me a better understanding of my Jujitsu. Only time will tell how I will progress in this sport. I have a lot of ground to make up if I am going to make next year's Paralympic team, but Sensei Phil believes that it is possible. I am not afraid of hard work. My plan is to train hard, listen to my teacher and Practice-Practice-Practice! In the media: Mark Winsor Interviews Mike Armstrong on Arizona Trail 2011-10-11T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2011/10/11/in-the-media-mark-winsor-interviews-mike-armstrong-on-arizona-trail/ While looking around online, I found another interview Mike did with online radio host Mark Winsor. The video gives a good sense of how long and tiring the Arizona Trail hike was. At the time of this interview, we were about four or five days away from Phoenix. <a href="https://markwinsorshow.com/mark-winsor-interviews-mike-armstong-on-arizona-trail/">Mark Winsor Interviews Mike Armstrong on Arizona Trail</a> Adventures in Biking 2012-05-17T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/05/17/adventures-in-biking/ <img src="/images/photo-5.jpg" alt="Mike Armstrong and Scoob on a Tandem" title="Mike Armstrong and Scoob on a Tandem">I have found a new passion for riding. After competing in the 2010 Adventure Team Challenge (a Colorado adventure race), I have felt compelled to get involved in both road and mountain biking. To this end, in July of last year I bought my first tandem road bike. After a few minor mishaps I have developed a love for this amazing sport. On September 25, 2012 I am starting my first long distance ride. The event is called The Blind Ride and is a 390 mile bike-a-thon. The five day trip crosses Arizona starting at the I-10 highway and New Mexico border then finishes where Highway 8 meets the California border. This fundraising event is to benefit the <a href="https://seeitourway.org/">Foundation for Blind Children’s</a> Braille Program. At present my team for the Blind Ride consists of Ben Cane, Scoob Schmidt, Doug Bowden and myself. We are still working out some of the details for our support team. Ben has been on several of my previous endeavors including Kilimanjaro, the Grand Canyon and the Arizona Trail. Scoob is an avid mountain biker and competes in races throughout Arizona. Doug is a passionate Road Biker and participates in road biking events around the world. The Blind Ride will be an incredible experience. To help with this cause, donate at <a href="https://seeitourway.org/">seeitourway.org</a>. Follow our progress here at <a href="https://blindmotivation.com/">blindmotivation.com</a>. Blind Ride 2012-09-17T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/17/blind-ride/ <img src="/images/photo-5.jpg" alt="Mike Armstrong and Scoob on a Tandem" title="Mike Armstrong and Scoob on a Tandem"> It is hard to believe that I am only a few days away from my ride across Arizona. The event is called The Blind Ride and is a charity effort to help the Foundation for Blind Children, a 501c3 charity in Phoenix. The Blind Ride will be an incredible, challenging five day adventure for all of us. This tandem bike ride is 390 miles and starts at the New Mexico border and runs to the California state line. My goal is to raise funds and awareness for the FBC and inspire a few people along the way. In the Media: Mike and Scoob on Channel 12 News 2012-09-22T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/22/in-the-media-mike-and-scoob-on-channel-12-news/ Channel 12 News recently interviewed Mike and Scoob about the Blind Ride, an event to raise $25,000 for the Foundation for Blind Children. To help this charity, use the donate button on the side of this page. In the Media: An Article on Mike from the Elko Daily 2012-09-23T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/23/in-the-media-an-article-on-mike-from-the-elko-daily/ <blockquote> ELKO — Mike Armstrong sat on the edge of his bed in the Red Lion Hotel and felt for his iPhone. He thumbed through the phone’s assorted menus with the aid of a VoiceOver application, which directs the user by way of an automated voice. After a few moments of exploring, Armstrong finally found the song he wanted to play in his iTunes. The music began and Armstrong closed his prosthetic eyes, while his feet tapped in rhythm on the carpeted floor. The song was a single performed by Armstrong’s musical group, the Michael Paul Band. Two of the band members are blind. Armstrong is one of them. He was visiting Elko to present a few workshops and a motivational speech at the Adobe Middle School on Aug. 25. Armstrong was diagnosed with non-diabetic retinopathy after an injury as teenager affected his right retina. Doctors warned him that too much physical activity could be devastating to his eyesight, but Armstrong was already a second degree black belt in the martial arts. “Martial arts was a passion and it really helped me grow through some rough teenage years,” he said. “It helped me become a man and changed my life. As I tried to give up martial arts, I found myself in a huge bout of depression. After three months, I decided that I couldn’t live my life like that.” </blockquote> <a href="https://elkodaily.com/lifestyles/blind-courage/article_992e7242-f6b3-11e1-9bc2-001a4bcf887a.html" title="Read the full story">[ Read the full story ]</a> The Blind Ride – Day 1 Check in 2012-09-25T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/25/the-blind-ride-day-1-check-in/ <a href="https://blindmotivation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/09/Photo-Sep-25-11-22-05-AM-2.jpg"><img src="/images/Photo-Sep-25-11-22-05-AM-2.jpg" alt="Mike, Scoob &amp; Gene riding on Interstate 10" title="Blind Riding"></a>We had an awesome ride today. It was far more challenging than we expected due to heavy headwinds. In all, we made it 99.2 miles, surpassing our original goal by 12 miles. We ran into a little bit of road construction but Scoob was able to maneuver us through the obstacles like a pro. Everyone is sore, even Ben’s right foot is a little tender. But we are looking forward to tearing it up tomorrow!! The Blind Ride – Day 2 Check in 2012-09-26T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/26/the-blind-ride-day-2-check-in/ <img src="/images/Photo-Sep-26-4-29-54-PM-2.jpg" alt="Gene changing a tire" title="Gene changing a tire">Had a lot of fun on the road today. We started with an awesome 20 mile downhill because we climbed 100 miles to get to it the day before. We made it into Tucson by 9:15 am, but then we started having problems with flat tires. We have been picking up leftover tire pieces from other vehicles in the form of steel threads from blown out truck tires. Fortunately we had already planned to go to <a href="https://www.ordinarybikeshop.com/" title="Ordinary Bike Shop">The Ordinary Bike Shop</a>, where they fixed my tire and Gene’s cable for his front derailleur. Then Steve from Channel 13 in Tucson interviewed Scoob and I about our ride for the news tonight. We worked our way through Tucson on several bike routes which worked out to be pretty fast since Steve from Channel 13 couldn’t keep up with us due to Tucson traffic and construction. We connected with a frontage road next to I-10 at Ina and were able to take it through the rest of town. After about 30 miles on the frontage road we connected up with Highway 84, then about 6 miles short of Casa Grande we got another flat on that same tire (a tire that is guaranteed not to go flat). We finished our day in Casa Grande with a total of 98.57 miles, with an average of about 20 miles per hour. This puts us about 40 miles ahead of schedule. We hope to finish on Friday night. We finished off our night with dinner at La Parrillas with Gene’s uncle Dan. Dan’s wife Beverly was a student at the Foundation for Blind Children; this is how Gene first heard of the Blind Ride and became part of the team. Dan treated us to an awesome meal and regaled us with some awesome stories. It was an awesome finish to the day, and I may have a new sailing buddy. The Blind Ride – Day 3 Check in 2012-09-27T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/27/the-blind-ride-day-3-check-in/ <img src="/images/scoob-and-mike.jpg" alt="Scot &quot;Scoob&quot; Schmidt &amp; Mike Armstrong at mile 98" title="Scot &quot;Scoob&quot; Schmidt &amp; Mike Armstrong at mile 98">We had another successful journey today. We started our day with a news interview and an emergency stop for extra bike tubes. This delayed us from starting our ride until 10:30 am. I-8 was far smoother than I-10. However, this did not stop us from getting a leak in the van’s tire and a total blowout on the tandem’s back tire. This delayed us another 2 hours. In spite of these challenges, we were able to finish our day at 103 miles at 6:30 pm. Although we are all pretty sore except for our support driver Ben (who keeps complaining about his right calf), we are looking forward to finishing up The Blind Ride tomorrow afternoon. Special thanks to America’s Choice Inn in Gila Bend for hooking us up with 3 rooms for the night. The Blind Ride – Mission Complete 2012-09-28T00:00:00Z https://blindmotivation.com/2012/09/28/the-blind-ride-mission-complete/ <a href="https://blindmotivation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/09/Photo-Sep-28-2-14-24-PM-2.jpg"><img src="/images/Photo-Sep-28-2-14-24-PM-2.jpg" alt="Scot &quot;Scoob&quot; Schmidt &amp; Mike Armstrong crossing the state line" title="Scot &quot;Scoob&quot; Schmidt &amp; Mike Armstrong crossing the state line"></a>We made it! The final mileage turned out to be 376 miles. We saved a few miles by riding through the City of Tucson and taking Highway 84 through Eloy. This morning went really smoothly. It was nice to hang out with Anthony “Sarge” Herriage, who helped with logistics during the Arizona Trail Hike. We made it out on the road by 8:30 am and had a smooth day. No flat tires and nice road until we hit a huge mountain just outside of Yuma. It dropped us down to our slowest speed of 7 mph. Our descent, however, brought us up to a whopping 35 mph. Our final finish time was about 2:15 pm. At the border we were met by two news stations and a newspaper journalist from Yuma. The entire experience was incredible; the thing I appreciated most about this ride was the time I had in my own head. Self-analysis helps clarify what matters most. For me, first and foremost comes my family. I would never be able to experience these types of adventures without my family's support. I want to give a serious thank you to my team Scot “Scoob” Schmidt (El Capitan), Benjamin Cane (Logistical Engineer), &amp; Gene Longwell (Support Rider/Traffic Cop). These guys were awesome; their positive and comical approach to life made the ride a blast. Also a special thank you to the Foundation for Blind Children for changing my perspective on blindness and enriching the lives of so many blind and visually impaired people in Arizona. Tobin Ernst was like a 5th member of the team, and I’ve got to give him a thumbs up for all his hard work. I received great support from the following hotels and bike shops. <ul> <li>Best Western in Yuma, Tucson, &amp; Benson</li> <li>Comfort Inn in Lordsburg, NM</li> <li>America’s Choice Inn in Gila Bend</li> <li>Sunday Cycles in Phoenix</li> <li>Bicycles of Phoenix</li> </ul> An extra special thanks goes out to Doug Bowden; Doug was supposed to be part of our team but due to an unfortunate injury while participating in a charity ride with Tour de France he was unable to join us. Doug was an incredible supporter and I truly appreciate his gift of the Cannondale Tandem that we used on the ride. Even though you weren’t able to enjoy the heat with us, you were with us in spirit. On our ride we were able to pound out 99.6 miles on day 1, 98.5 miles on day 2, 103 miles on day 3, and 76 miles on the final day. During our ride our average speeds ranged from a low of 17 mph to a high of 23 mph with a total average of 20 mph. It was a great experience, and I recommend it to anybody. Whatever your passion is, step out and make it happen. Ride on!