How Karate Has Changed My Life
By Sempai Ben Francis
Karate has been one of the most influential aspects in my life, the physical, mental, social and spiritual changes that I have experienced are subtle but significant, I constantly find myself noticing improvements in all aspect of training that continue to surprise me.
When I started karate in 1998 I was seventeen, shy, overweight and lacking any confidence, (I even tripped walking through the door of the dojo). The main reason I started karate lessons at that time for was to lose weight, I was constantly teased at school and this not only increased my problem but it created others as well. Karate was suppose to solve my weigh issues but in doing so helped me solve other problems in my life that I was struggling with at the time.
The most noticeable change that has occurred over the 6 years of training have been the physical changes. I have found my strength has improved 100% over the years, being able to do 20 push-ups with ease is coming a long way for 10 half push-up with major difficulty. My speed and reflexes as well have superseded any expectation I may have had, I've found that not only are my strikes, parries and kicks faster but my mind and reactions as well, I now notice myself able to dodge and counter attack from the black belts and other skill students. The one area of physical change that I am most pleased with however is my fitness. During school I hated the gym classes because I could never keep up with the other student, I would always be the last back from a jog and would always been the first to get tired and exhausted from the games.
Another less obvious area is the mental changes that have evolved through my training, this area I have found to be the most surprising because it is the one area that I didn’t expect to change much at all. I continually amaze myself with how improved my mental reflexes and instinct are and my ability to find the opening in peoples defence. Being able to know without thinking when the attack is coming, where the weakness is and how to counter it in less than a second is one of the reasons I have enjoyed karate so much. This awareness has also affected me outside the dojo as well, even something as simple as walking down the street I am more aware, alert and focused than I have ever been. I notice more of what is going on around me and I find that I'm moving and carrying myself more diligently.
The area of karate that I have enjoyed the most however is the social aspect, the finding of friends, learning from those both from higher and lower grade karate-ka and the giving and receiving of help and instruction. Through the karate dojo I have made friends that have helped me in numerous ways through my training, everything from laughs and enjoyment during the training session to instruction and training on techniques, new ideas, interpretation and philosophy. One of the most satisfying things I enjoy doing is teaching and training the other students on their techniques, showing a student a strike, block or application and watching them learn, struggle, understand and finally overcome and perform their technique with skill is extremely satisfying. Having said that I also find my self learning from them as I teach, as they practice and pick at all the areas that need work I as well think about those same areas and constantly reaffirm that I am performing my application correctly. This is the same for all areas of karate from basic blocks and kicks to self-defence and Kata's.
An aspect of karate that hasn’t changed my greatly, although I would
like to develop further, is the spiritual aspect, the changes and influences
from karate that I have experience spiritually are small and almost remote but
are still there, I find myself calm but determined during training, quiet yet
alert during kumite, powered while controlled during Kata. It is this spirit
of karate that has been a focus for me during the 6 years of training and part
of the reason I come in each lesson. It isn't just the sprit that
I display that encourages me, the discipline, dedication and perseverance of
the other students is also why I continue to train. Many of the other karate-ka
who I've been fortunate enough to train with from the beginning have made enormous
progress from when they started as beginners to their skills and abilities today.
And it is because of their spirit and the progress that they themselves have
made that I feel so honoured to train with them each lesson.
When I first started Karate it was to lose weight and improve fitness now I have a goal to go for my black belt and achieve a certain level of skill and control. But when I passed my grading then what? Do I simply stop where I am because training is all about the "black belt? No. The biggest misconception I had about karate when I started was that you go for your black belt and nothing else. The past 6 years had taught me that a black belt if anything is only one step on the path of martial arts, there are still many more techniques to learn and develop, areas than need focus and improvement, and higher levels of fitness, skill and ability that are still to reach.
My training in the martial art of karate has changed me in more ways than I could have imagined, I am more confident, ambitious, determined and focused than ever before and I can only grow stronger from here. Martial art study is never-ending and there is always something new to learn no matter what belt you have.