WEEKS 52-53: Shape Yourself

 

This week marks a year of karate for me. Twelve months where I’ve moved from white belt to orange, to red, to yellow and now green. After grading there was a two-week break and with both hands still feeling sore after my daft combat injuries, I was glad of the rest. A year? Crikey. So what have we learnt? Here are 12 facts, one for each month, about karate in your 50s:

• Karate will lift your self-esteem: I even think I might be a bit taller!
• Karate will teach you how to take a punch, so you’re less likely to fold in violent situations in real life (combat training helps with that).
• You might not lose weight despite the exercise; I’m slightly heavier than when I started.
• You’ll feel fitter and shame your lazy kids.
• Nothing will hide the depressing paunch of the “manopause” but you’ll get muscle definition in your arms and have legs as strong as tree trunks.
• You’ll surprise yourself how much exercise you can deal with.
• Karate training might lead to more exercise – I now go to a gym at the weekend and also play tennis.
• I suspect karate will keep your brain sharper for longer – what I do know is that you are pushed regardless of age and learn to fully focus on the task ahead.
• Forget any problems when you enter the dojo – you haven’t the time to think about anything else other than dealing with the next few minutes.
• It is a superb feeling to be part of a community.
• You’ll become accustomed to not being able to move properly the day after a karate session. But as I’ve said a few times in the blog, pain is weakness leaving the body.
• You will feel like a different person, an enhanced version of yourself, someone who is able to deal more effectively with stress. It’s a Redy Brek glow.

Back in the dojo, I had a one-on-one session with Sensei Harris. Everyone else was either on holiday or gallivanting about. After a day on jury service and then a bit of work when I got home, possibly the last thing I wanted to do in the evening was strenuous exercise.

Thankfully during warm-ups I still felt fit. I’d been in the gym twice during our karate lay-off and I’d played a tennis match with Mrs Gale, but I’d also drank and ate too much at Easter. The gi was quickly sweated up.

We started some empi moves – which basically means ‘elbow’. Empi-uchi is an elbow strike. Thus: jodan (face) punch… Upward block to counter; half a step back then lunge forward with elbow “jitterbug” smash, ending with fist to ear like answering a mobile call. Next: chudan (chest) punch… R hand sweep; grab hand and lift it over the attacker to the R; move in, horse-riding stance, fist to the sky like Freddie Mercury and bring the full force of your elbow to the upper back.

I’ve also been doing my yoi incorrectly. I’ve been bringing my hands into yoi position like the tusks of a woolly mammoth. Arms and hands need to be much narrower – like the buffers of a locomotive. And I’ve got to keep up with practice of my preparations. For example, downward block needs a 45-degree arm and you roll a fist down that angle to make the block.

And so to the next kata. I love katas! I also liked the fact that I was given the chance to run through heian yondan before anyone else because I was the only person present. By the end of the hour, I was able to run through yondan extremely rustily on my own. There’s lots of practice to do with this – but I was elated by the time the hometime bell sounded (there isn’t a hometime bell).

My walk home was a trial. My legs were like jelly – I don’t recall which flavour. Maybe lime. Next day in jury service, I knew the familiar muscle stiffness was in the post. Karate postman delivered the stiffness mid-afternoon and when the court’s hometime bell went (again, there isn’t one), it took me around 20 seconds to push my chair back, lift myself to my feet and begin my shuffle from the court room to the juror meeting zone. But I’ll tell you what, it feels good to be back.