...after the sparring: Ok, I told you all about sparring, and my first experience with it. That was the last two thirds of class yesterday. What I didn't tell you about was the first third of the class: drills.
Punching drills, kicking drills, kata, stances, and push ups. Yep, pushups. Sensei was in drill instructor mode for the beginning of class last night, working us hard and fast. It was total rapid fire drilling, high punches, low punches, middle punches, short punches, front kicks, round house kicks, crescent kicks. First kata, second kata, third kata. Ten and twenty punches and kicks, as fast as we could do them, ten to fifteen pushups, jump up, more kicks, more punches, more pushups. I'm a bit sore today - which means I got a very good workout yesterday.
Now, I have to say, nowhere near every class is like this. Many are slow, careful drills trying to perfect form and memorize motions. You don't even break a sweat on days like that. Last night, however, we stretched, drilled our butts off, (hopefully) then sparred, then stretched again.
The point here is that Karate has both a very cerebral logic component and a hard physical component, making it a well-rounded sport and art.
I think for tonight, I'm just going to get in some good stretching to combat the soreness and let my muscles have a day of rest, otherwise. I haven't worked out like this in quite some time, so I can't just go day after day after day yet. I am slowly getting back to speed, but you have to work your way up to things. It's at times like this that I could literally kick my own ass for not keeping up with practicing my Tae Kwon Do after dropping out of class. At least I'd have kept what I did gain.
The moral of the story: if you fall off the wagon, start walking until you can catch another ride. Sitting there in the mud puddle just gets you fat and dirty. (I'm reminding myself as much as my readers here.)
Also, on a side note, one night per week classes have turned into often three nights. Sensei comes in on Saturdays for open extra training for adults and kids for two hours, in two separate classes, so most Saturdays I go in for the extra instruction. He also is letting me attend Tuesdays as well, and where he is teaching things I'm not ready for, he just has me over to one side of the room practicing kata or blocks, kicks, punches, etc.
I find this to be of great benefit, and I'm glad it worked out this way. The extra days in class give me some extra garantee of time to practice and work out. Being a married, full-time employed adult, being at home often gets too busy to allow me to practice, and one day per week just wouldn't do what I need. I gladly take the extra days for this reason alone. Karate is a privilege to learn, and I recognize that clearly after waiting so long in life to have the opportunity to pursue a martial art. I've waited since high school for this. I've also learned over the years that persistence in the face of obstacles of all kinds often pays great dividends.
On another tack, you've seen me mention kata several times now in this journal. I gave the basic explanation of what kata is, but not the real in-depth explanation. Here it is: kata forms were originally dances used to train and stay in practice for karate artists developed when the practice of karate was forbidden. Karate originates on the island of Okinawa, which was once independent. Te was the original Okinawan martial art. After Okinawa became part of Japan, Japan wound up under Chinese control for a time. Chinese martial arts were combined with Te to form early versions of Karate.
After a time, the Chinese forbade the practice or teaching of martial arts in Japan except in the case of practicioners loyal to the Chinese. Dance forms, known as kata, were developed that had Karate moves embedded within them. Disguised as dance, the people maintained their art. Even Tae Kwon Do uses this method of practice, even though it originates from Korea.
There have been many blendings of martial arts in Asia, India, and now the Americas over the centuries. Martial arts are a living, evolving art form, as is any human practice. Some forms are closer to the traditional, and some are radically modified. Most provide the benefits of physical fitness and self-defense. For a decent basic primer on Karate, I am currently reading Tuttle Martial Arts' "Karate Basics" by Robin Reilly. My instructor also has recommended the Idiot's Guide To Karate, which I have ordered through Borders. (I just got the call today that it's in, so will be picking that up sometime tomorrow.)
So, this is it for tonight. I hope you've gained a bit more insight and found this useful. As always, thank you for reading here.
Dan
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