Karate Chronicles
Thursday, January 31st, 2008In 2006 I was trained in Shotokan, a Japaense karate style, for about a year. The immense amount of understanding and knowledge gained will never outweigh the pain and difficultly I experienced.
As I drove home at 6:15 one morning with aching neck pain and a clear mind, I decided to keep a log of my struggles in learning shotokan karate. Thus far I’d been: ridiculed, mocked, embarassed, and sore. I’d been made to do exercises in front of the rest of the class, not knowing whether my sensei was laughing because I was doing it wrong, or because I was doing it right and better than the black belts. (Both had been true.)
Some people think this way of teaching is degrading, but I disagree. I think its nice to trust someone every so often, and do what they say, knowing it is correct and right. Training was hard on me. Every minute I was breathing “I hate this.” But I felt my body getting stronger, my reflexes getting quicker, and my balance getting more solid.
I was training 3x per week, the only white belt in the school. This is my experience. [read on]
