My
stepbrothers were very into martial arts when we were younger, as
were a lot of their friends. Even now, one is in China working with
his Sensei and another is 3 belts away from his black belt, and one
of the friends has his own studio. As a tomboy at heart, I've always
wanted to join them and have that control over your mind and body.
When my
ex-Japanese student told me that he was going to start classes, I
jumped at the chance to participate. I have been taking the classes
since February and I love it. Instead of a traditional style of
martial arts, this is a style of kick-boxing. Many people are very
surprised when I tell them that I am a kick-boxer and they always
comment that maybe they should be careful around me. This is a bit
of a joke, because I haven't actually ever hit anyone (with full
force, outside of the class) and I don't think that I am a very
violent person. Aggressive, yes. Violent, no.
Martin
is taking the class with me and we are a great compliment, he's
better at defense, I'm better at offense. Only problem is that he's
12 inches (30cm) taller than me...this makes a punch to the face very
difficult, a high kick nearly impossible.
I'm the
only female in the class and it can make things interesting. It shows some
of the differences in attitudes towards women in different parts of
the world. I don't know if it's the same in martial art classes in
the States, but here, the guys are always instructed to be gentle
with me. I know in other sports (soccer/softball/triathlons) there
is a bit of a difference, but I've never felt it like this before.
The
classes are on Friday evenings and it's a great time to vent your
frustrations of the week. You can hit a mitt as hard as you want and
imagine someone's face. It's great stress relief. The physical
training is pretty demanding and makes me feel accomplished
afterward. That's what I call a good class. If you're in Prague and
you're interested in learning Shin Karate, check out the website, or
let me know! http://www.shinkarate-czech.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment