Karate

[Guitar's Cry]

After 25 years, I took my first Karate class this morning. Different style than my previous, and more traditional, but it felt really good to do it!

I have a stressful job, and lately it's been extra tough due to lack of staff, COVID restrictions, and the general malaise everyone has been going through. My hope is this will be a positive step towards managing stress and self-improvement.

Practicing American Kenpo was one of my favorite activities as a teenager. I grew up in a martial arts household; my dad did some training with John Jenkins: John Jenkins (American politician) - Wikipedia. I stopped when my dojo shut down and money was tight in my family, then came college and my subsequent work towards becoming a teacher.

Then my wife (Gentoo) started a self-defense course and began taking Karate with the instructors. It prompted me to begin relearning what I remembered with American Kenpo, and I realized how much I missed it.

I am feeling energized and looking forward to the classes, especially since this is a more traditional style than American Kenpo. It's like starting over again, which I find cathartic since it's a new beginning.

 

[Rival]

I took Wadō-ryū - Wikipedia as a kid. It was good.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I took Wadō-ryū - Wikipedia as a kid. It was good.

I have a couple of friends who have studied Karate, and they are all different styles. It's pretty interesting comparing them!

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I passed my blue belt test this Saturday. My first rank movement in over 20 years! I made it to purple in my previous dojo, and due to the prior training, my Sensai wanted me to come in as a purple belt.

It's been incredibly helpful as an adult. It's good self-care during stressful times, not only from the exercise, but the camaraderie and the way it is bringing Gentoo and I closer.

What's interesting to me is how much more I enjoy the katas. As a teenager, I preferred the self-defense training and sparring, but now I find the katas relaxing and meditative.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

@Gentoo and I earned our black belts in Karate tonight!

 

[VoidCat]

@Gentoo and I earned our black belts in Karate tonight!

Congrats. Now rest your body after that hard work.

 

[Twilight Hue]

After 25 years, I took my first Karate class this morning. Different style than my previous, and more traditional, but it felt really good to do it!

I have a stressful job, and lately it's been extra tough due to lack of staff, COVID restrictions, and the general malaise everyone has been going through. My hope is this will be a positive step towards managing stress and self-improvement.

Practicing American Kenpo was one of my favorite activities as a teenager. I grew up in a martial arts household; my dad did some training with John Jenkins: John Jenkins (American politician) - Wikipedia. I stopped when my dojo shut down and money was tight in my family, then came college and my subsequent work towards becoming a teacher.

Then my wife (Gentoo) started a self-defense course and began taking Karate with the instructors. It prompted me to begin relearning what I remembered with American Kenpo, and I realized how much I missed it.

I am feeling energized and looking forward to the classes, especially since this is a more traditional style than American Kenpo. It's like starting over again, which I find cathartic since it's a new beginning.

I took up American Karate as a teen it was a great experience. True story, when I first went into the dojo, the very first thing I heard was a loud bang and somebody yelling ow!

I almost walked back out! *grin*

 

[Viker]

I took Karate/Kickboxing back in the day. It was fun and relaxing. I always loved sparring. I didn't know that I was a bit aggressive until then.

 

[Subduction Zone]

@Gentoo and I earned our black belts in Karate tonight!

Congratulations! I hardly slept the night after I got my shodan. I used to train in Minneapolis at Midwest Karate. It is a Shotokan school. I moved out to Washington State and switched to ****o-Ryu (which the censor bot will blot out). That was an interesting switch. The styes are similar, but I had to switch mentally between the two of them as if changing a language that one is speaking.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I took Karate/Kickboxing back in the day. It was fun and relaxing. I always loved sparring. I didn't know that I was a bit aggressive until then.

You know if I have a next life that I could choose, with an exceptional body and mind, I'd probably be a prizefighter.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I took Karate/Kickboxing back in the day. It was fun and relaxing. I always loved sparring. I didn't know that I was a bit aggressive until then.

When I was doing American Kenpo, I preferred sparring and self-defense over kata. Now, I love kata. It's a perfect way to exercise on my own and there's something grounding about it with how the breathing is coordinated with body movements.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Congratulations! I hardly slept the night after I got my shodan. I used to train in Minneapolis at Midwest Karate. It is a Shotokan school. I moved out to Washington State and switched to ****o-Ryu (which the censor bot will blot out). That was an interesting switch. The styes are similar, but I had to switch mentally between the two of them as if changing a language that one is speaking.

Yeah, I had a pretty hard time sleeping last night. I am fairly sore and bruised this morning.

I went from a background in American Kenpo to a style that's a mix of mostly Kyokushin and Okinawan Kenpo. Very different katas!

 

[Subduction Zone]

Yeah, I had a pretty hard time sleeping last night. I am fairly sore and bruised this morning.

I went from a background in American Kenpo to a style that's a mix of mostly Kyokushin and Okinawan Kenpo. Very different katas!

I have never watched Kyokushin sparring, or have done so very little, but it sounds rather intense. I do not think that my body would be able to take that at my age. When you get older stupid injuries take too long to heal.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I have never watched Kyokushin sparring, or have done so very little, but it sounds rather intense. I do not think that my body would be able to take that at my age. When you get older stupid injuries take too long to heal.

Kyokushin sparring has a reputation. It's usually bareknuckled, but they usually don't take head shots for that reason.

We glove, so we can take headshots. It is continuous, endurance sparring: not point. So we keep fighting for whatever time is required no matter how many times you get hit.

 

[JustGeorge]

You know if I have a next life that I could choose, with an exceptional body and mind, I'd probably be a prizefighter.

Same!

Maybe we can compete against each other.