Heyhowru - Karate questions!
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Heyhowru - Karate questions!
| Wed, 06-15-2005 - 5:19pm |
Hi!
I did a search on this board for Karate (I'm attending my very first class next week) and thought it might be good to ask you some questions! How long have you been practicing karate? Is it difficult in the beginning? Were you scared? Any injuries? (My biggest fear is getting hurt!!)
I have many more, but it might be a cool thread to start for others who may be lurking and wondering.
Thanks!
Xavery

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Good for you for starting Karate. What got you interested in the martial arts, or have you always been? As far as the specifics of Karate, I'll leave that to our resident expert Steffy. The discipline in which I train is Korean, taught at a studiio that also teaches Tae Kwon Do. We can spar with the TKD students as well during a Saturday sparring session, we just have to buy (or borrow the studio's) sparring gear. I was nervous when I started. It took a while before I got used to it. I still have a bit of nervous energy when I get there sometimes, not sure why. I guess it's just because I want to do well. That and I don't invest as much time as I should practicing outside of class.
The people at our dojo were so helpful and welcoming. I've made friends there after four years. I'm so glad I got involved. I had wanted to since I was young, but my parents sent my sister and I to a private school so they couldn't really afford extra things like that.
Thanks for your response! It's reassuring to know that you enjoy it so much, and I always love hearing about other people's experiences, thoughts, etc. Judging by your name, I assume you are a red belt? Did it take you long to get to that rank? (Please excuse my ignorance about the sport.)
I recall being very envious of the little boys (don't recall any girls who were involved) in my neighborhood who took martial arts when I was a child. I was kind of obsessed with the idea for some reason. I was already involved in soccer and competitive swimming, and I don't think my parents liked the idea of me being involved in martial arts classes. I remember telling them once that I wanted to do it, and all I got was a horror story from my dad about how he tried a few classes and it was painful (the whole push-ups on the knuckles to build calcium deposits or something like that?) and he quit after a few classes. It's almost as though they assumed that because my dad didn't enjoy it, how and why would their 9 or 10 year old daughter enjoy it? So I recall watching through the window of the local recreation center wishing I was involved, too. (I was a very shy child, so who knows if I would have really even tried it or not.)
As for wanting to take it at the age of 28 (I'm almost 30, so I figured it couldn't hurt to start posting here..LOL!), well, I just really need a new hobby. I need to make some new friends and I need to get involved in something that will push me to be stronger, more self-confident, etc. Of course, it's also a sport I fear (out of level of difficulty that I perceive it to have and just the fact that it's something I have no experience in whatsoever scares the hell out of me!) I like to force myself to go outside of my comfort zone. Anytime I've done that, I've been really surprised and pleased with the sides of my personality that emerge. I love a challenge. As a person who DESPISED running for nearly my entire life (unless I was on the soccer field, and even then it was nice to have some walking time when play was at the other end of the field!), I suddenly decided I would be a runner whether I liked it or not. I was going to run. So I forced myself to do it...hating every single second of it. I felt every pound of my heart, every labored breath, every lift and placement of each foot...it was AWFUL. But within 7 months of forcing myself to run, I had completed 2 half-marathons and even a FULL marathon. It's just my personality. I set goals and I achieve them, and then I look for something new. I figured with karate, there are levels to keep aspiring to, so it might be a hobby that I wouldn't get burned out on as quickly as I got burned out on running. I got to a point where I thought "Okay, I can run 26.2 miles without stopping, what will I do next? An ultra?" With the marathon being my ultimate goal,
I had a hard time aspiring to the next level. I had accomplished what I set out to do, and I no longer felt challenged. I kind of view martial arts as something that would be MUCH more difficult to get so complacent about, if ever.
You probably didn't want a book from me. SORRY! I just haven't had much support for my new idea. I told my parents last night when I visited them for dinner, and from my Mom I got a "Hmmm...what made you decide to do that?" But it wasn't in a friendly way, it was in a 'you're-making-a-big-fat-mistake-and-I-don't-know-why-anyone-on-earth-would-have-the-desire-to-try-something-like-that' kind of way. My dad (a quiet man anyway) just sort of nodded is head in agreement and said "Okay...m-hmm." Oddly enough, his answer sounded more supportive than mom's. My whole point? I'll get the same reaction from my sister, and I'm just really excited to embark on a new adventure and I want to share it with others who can appreciate my enthusiasm! : )
Okay, if anyone is still with me after chapter 3....heehee! Thanks for reading!
Xavery
First of all Xavery, welcome to the board!!
I so understand, both pushing one's self to learn or try new things and the lack of support.
I just started
*** Moderation Is Key ***
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Hi Xavery... I'm a little late in chipping my 2 pennies in, and well I have a whole lot more than 2 probably!
And in conclusion...haha!
That's great, Steffy. You wear it well!
(BTW, our dojo isn't shabby, but yours is pretty big, & sharp)
*** Moderation Is Key ***
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As Paris Hilton would say "that is hot"
As i say you go girl.
Robyn
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