WEEK 61: The Gradual Realignment
Since starting karate 14 months ago – twice a week, let’s not forget – I now also go to a gym for an hour on a Saturday, play tennis on Thursday and Sunday and stretch my arms and legs with a bit of Pilates a couple of times a week. I try and incorporate the physio’s resistance band moves and wobble board exercises to this, but, y’know, there are only so many hours in a day. Add to that the gardening (see main image; Mrs Gale pictured) and I walk a lot too. Twenty twenty-one Lee would be astonished by 2023 Lee.
Despite this, I often like a glass of red wine or three in the evening as a surefire stress-buster – and there’s no doubt my job gives me sleepless nights. Any errors are owned solely by yours truly and that carries a weight. Red wine is the sovereign remedy.
Last Saturday I had way too much to drink while watching the FA Cup Final in a pub with pals but I was duty bound to play tennis in a club get-together the following morning. How I won my first match, I’ll never know. The second was a ritual humiliation where even simple returns thwacked the net. This week I instigated a two-night booze ban, to be extended to three nights next week. Limiting amounts (especially nights before karate and tennis) is also on my to-do list.
Four paragraphs in and not a mention of karate. You’ll be cancelling your subscription at this rate.
Admission: I’m awful at karate drills, even after a year, but I’ve reached the stage where I think that’s OK and I shouldn’t worry about it too much. The teenagers will naturally take this in their stride; I’m 35 years older than them. I’ll learn more if I enjoy it rather than sweat the technique (Eric B & Rakim reference – which the teens won’t get).
Monday’s drills, comprising fairly simple blocks and counters, caused me no end of brain freeze moments. It’s like the chain coming off a bike. But as I’ve said from day one, the exercise is priceless. Am I reaching peak belt at green? Maybe. But look, the exercise is priceless! And you suit green!
It always seems to be 6pm on Thursday and I’m gearing up to go to karate. It’s crazy how quickly the weeks are flying by this year and how quickly Thursday comes around. Before Thursday’s session I usually feel apprehension, nerves and stage fright. I’m 51 for crying out loud! Thursday is tougher than Monday; it’s full-on.
This week, summer arrived and I made the shift to shorts. So getting into the gi with its long trousers and long sleeves was a bind. We have a new member so Sensei Amrit focused on his development leaving the belted lads to practise Combination 2 and run through yodan. Then we went through all the katas from shodan to yodan adding a bunkai practice for each as a refresher. I suppose I’d better put together one of my world-famous bunkai charts for yondan from next week.
So my ritual now after karate on Monday and Thursday is to sidestep vitamin W (wine). I get in, take my sopping gi top off and drape it over my office chair so that the sweat can dry, glug a pail of water, fetch myself to the bathroom, shower, put on a T-shirt and shorts, then nip down to the conservatory. Here I’ll find Mrs Gale diligently coding on her laptop. I’ll ask Mrs Gale to thump me in the face and/or chest to show her my latest moves before reaching for my karate notebook. Feet up, scribble down my karate thoughts which will be used in evidence in this blog, then I’ll read a few pages of a book. Bed early.
I tend to feel like a god on Tuesday and Friday morning now – and a bit of a chatterbox. I like it. I think I’m going in the right direction. Karate started all this.