Kicking Butt

Picture by Barbra Haney

Once you are over 35, and had half a dozen children, your body just doesn't seem to be as responsive and flexible as it used to be, sometimes it could even feel creaky. But after a few years in Karate, it is getting much more responsive and less creaky. It can move fast, it can kick high, jump, turn and kick at the same time, it can defend itself. It has become strong, quick, dangerous.
      Exercising naturally brings a high, and I enjoy that too. Post karate class I feel good. My muscles feel moved and well used, blood is flowing fast to all organs of my body and I feel as if I could actually tolerate sitting down and chilling for a few minutes. I am not big at sitting down, I like to always be doing something, but finally, after working so hard my gi is drenched in sweat, I can sit down and just be quiet for a few minutes. It feels well earned.
     As a girl, I wanted to be a dancer. I trained for years, but no serious dance school would take someone who is 5 foot 10 and was a size 12 when she was nothing but skin and bones, and couldn't get her toes to turn out far enough. Ballet dancing has focused upon the perfect body and some hard to describe notion of "talent."
     Luckily for me, karate does not depend upon body shapes, or any notion of talent, but of hard work. It is a martial art, designed to train those who signed up for war (ie, almost all young men). Also lucky for me, the training starts slow enough to get us creaky old 30-somethings into shape bit by bit.
     About one year ago, when I finally reached red belt (advanced level), I learned to do something I hadn't managed before. I learned to give up trying to do karate like ballet and to listen to Master Nelson and just do as he told me. I remember looking in the mirror and being impressed how good I looked, just by doing what he was telling me. So when I boast of how awesome Karate is, I boast like Ammon.