Wrapping up my first month of karate, I’m really enjoying it. A few random thoughts/observations:
- We always start off (and end) with stretching exercises. I’m really surprised by where I’m a lot more limber than I thought (and than some others in the class) — and then those positions where I’m not. Of course, compared to when I see Katherine doing her stretching exercises, I might as well be locked in a body cast.
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Still a white belt, and likely to be until the next examination that I’m eligible for — June, I think. I have a single kata I’ve been expected to learn so far, Heian Shodan, which is the basic beginners kata . I have the basic moves down — now I need to learn to do them right (a constant challenge for everyone in karate, from the lowliest white belt to the most advanced black). The link to the
kata makes it sound terribly complicated and mysterious, but most of what we do doesn’t include the Japanese names for the moves, so it’s a lot “simpler.” - While the class started this month with only about a dozen people (to be sure, it was also the day of a blizzard), last night we had twenty black and brown belts, plus another half-dozen lower belts.
- While we do some simple sparring, most of what we do are basic move practices and kata. While watching folks doing kata looks like people doing a very odd dance and doesn’t seem very “martial,” Sensei has been doing a great job of showing how (if there were one or more opponents) the odd moves in the kata actually would be doing something. (More on the “are kata meaningful?” debate here.)
- Everyone is friendly and encouraging. Sensei is great, and the black belts (and other colored belts) are all helpful in a positive way. That’s nice.
- I’m actually standing up to an hour of fairly vigorous exercise pretty well for a guy of my advanced years. 🙂 I sometimes end a session a bit sore, but rarely too bad.
- My gi is still a bit too big, esp. in the cuffs, even after a hot wash/dry. I’m rolling my cuffs up, but I may see if I can get them hemmed. And, no, no pictures yet. 🙂
There’s a regional spring tournament on the 10th that’s actually being held at our rec center. I’ve decided not to compete in the white belt range, but Katherine has decided to do her kata for it. She’s still enjoying it, sticking to it, and really doing well. Which is pretty darned spiffy.
Hmmm … I might have to start a “karate” category here …
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