I first began karate training at the start of July in 1994. When I entered the dojo my previous martial art experience had been the study of judo. This lasted for a year and a half between 1986 and 1987. I have now been training with Tai Shi Kai for over seven years. In this time I have gained friendships, confidence, fitness, stress relief self-improvement, been introduced to shiatsu and improved my self defence.
FRIENDSHIPS & CONFIDENCE
Interacting with people during my training and the effect of attaining new grades
has helped improve my self-confidence and my ability to interact with people.
The people who train in karate are from all walks of life and train for a variety
of reasons. This diversity means that during class you get to meet people you
otherwise might not have. This has lead to the formation of many friendships.
Even when some of these people have left training they have still remained close
friends.
When I started karate I was relatively shy and lacking in confidence. I was nervous but eventually formed a few friendships with other people in the class. These friendships encouraged me to train harder and more frequently, which brought about several rewards. The first of which was a simple improvement in technique and confidence. This resulted in giving me a sense of progress and helped me feel as though I getting something out of my training. Seeing others I trained with on a regular basis also helped to strengthen these friendships. This combination of improved physical capability and friendship helped me to become more confident. This in turn fed back into the friendships and training.
FITNESS
When I started training I was not a very good athlete and was not very fit.
I can remember my arms and calves aching a lot after each training session,
probably for the first six months or so of my training. As time went by my body
adapted and gradually got used to the training. This adaption was most noticeable
with “the run”, through which I gained a lot of the fitness I currently
enjoy.
SELF IMPROVEMENT
My techniques have improved greatly over the last seven years, though I would
not say that I have perfected any of them. Progression is a never ending process.
There is always room for improvement when it comes to any martial artist’s
understanding or ability to perform a technique. Improving my fitness and physical
body has helped me to cope better with the daily stresses of life.
STRESS RELIEF
I am more relaxed now than when I first started training, despite having a much
busier schedule and social life. Classes have become a form of stress relief
and a good way to block out stressful thoughts. This is due to me learning how
to focus during a lesson, and also part of the effect of the short meditations
that we do at the beginning and end of class. This ability to focus and relax
has helped me to cope better during stressful situations and to react with a
certain “clarity” that might otherwise have not been there.
SHIATSU & KARATE
Karate training has also lead me to study other areas that are associated with
the concept of a “martial art”. It was through karate that I developed
an interest in shiatsu, and sheer good fortune that I found a very good instructor
in this art. My study of shiatsu has complemented my martial training. It has
done this by giving me a better understanding of my body, pressure points and
of many aspects of karate training. In particular my study of shiatsu has lead
to a better understanding of kata, bunkai and self defence techniques, as well
as enhanced my general training. The control over my breathing that I learnt
from the meditations I did as part of my shiatsu training, has helped me to
cope better in classes. For example I am able to control my heart rate through
breathing better during heavy sessions. The knowledge of pressure points has
helped me to understand how certain moves in katas could be used to strike such
points and how such points can also be used for healing.
LEARNING OUTSIDE THE DOJO
During the course of my karate training over the last seven years I have read
many martial art magazines and books. This has helped me to better understand
the art of karate, but also to familiarise me with concepts such as the martial
spirit and martial way. This has helped me to gain a sense of perspective on
my training, and also to understand that it takes many years of hard work to
obtain any of the real benefits of karate training.
It has helped me to understand that earning a black belt, while being an achievement, is only another step along the martial path and not the culmination of training. The concept of the martial way has had a profound impact upon the way I view karate and lead my life. I have found that the concept of Do has been useful in helping me to make karate a part of my life.
SELF DEFENCE
Training over the past seven years has also helped me to improve my self defence
abilities. This has made me feel more confident and safe, and has meant that
I am less likely to react the wrong way in a potential conflict situation. My
training has also strengthened my ability to avoid situations of potential conflict,
and taught me that the best defence is not to be there to begin with. I have
learnt how to fight and to defend myself against many different types of attack.
My natural instincts have altered dramatically since I began training. I react
differently to stimuli now than before I started. I don’t jump as much
or overreact.
CONCLUSION
There have been times when I have not wanted to train or even to give karate
up due to pressure on my availability or for other reasons. However, I have
found that by still turning up to training and persisting through these times,
I have gained far more than by discontinuing going to classes. I have learnt
that hard work brings about rewards, and this is a lesson that has helped me
in many other aspects of my life.
Training in karate for seven years has done more things for me than I have mentioned in this essay. However the main areas of my life that it has impacted on are my friendships, fitness, confidence, study of shiatsu, stress relief, knowledge of karate history and self defence abilities. Therefore, what karate has done for me is not really based on these separate areas of my life, but in fact it has changed my whole life.