Category: Martial Arts

Cobra Kai, Season 4: A Review (Mild Spoilers)

Look, I’ve often written about some of the issues I take with how martial arts are portrayed on the big or small screen. And those opinions still hold true but this doesn’t mean that I don’t fully enjoy watching martial arts on television. Especially when the story is sound and the plot is solid. With that in mind, I thought I would take a few moments to share my thoughts on Season 4 of Cobra Kai, which my wife and I just finished binging this weekend.

First, I’ve provided my opinion on previous seasons of Cobra Kai in previous posts, so even though some of what I’m about to say will be repeated, it’s still relevant. When I first heard about this show, I was beyond excited. After all, the last time a genuine instalment of the Karate Kid came out was 1994, with Hilary Swank playing the delinquent student who couldn’t stay out of trouble. It was an interesting take on the series, considering the original Karate addressed the classic scenario of the new kid being bullied, ten years prior to that.

When I first watched the Karate kid, I recognized a lot of what Daniel Larusso was going through in myself. Although not so much when the film came out, my formative years were chaotic at best, being bullied and considered an outcast (sound familiar?). When Cobra Kai came out, I was happy to see that Larusso had found some success in his life, including a beautiful wife and kids (one of whom is Type-1 Diabetic in real life), lovely house and prosperous business, he overcame the apparent issues of his youth and made life work for him. This resonated with me deeply.

Then, I faced a speed bump in that only the first two episodes were available on YouTube unless one signed up for YouTube’s streaming service. Unfortunately, I wasn’t willing to subscribe to YET another service, since I already have a few on the go. Lucky for me, Netflix picked up the series a short while later. I started watching it and enjoying every episode. I think it was an interesting turn of events to see Johnny Lawrence, big, bad-ass bully in the 80’s having fallen down on his luck and became the one with the struggles.

I would never wish ill on any person but there’s something to be said for karma. I know that some of the guys who used to bully me have gone on to face the same karmic consequences as the show’s anti-hero. But I digress… The concept and the storyline was sound and it only took one or two episodes for my wife to get on board and I started the series over from the beginning so that she would be caught up.

Season 3 left off with some really important cliffhangers, including long-time enemies joining forces to overcome a common foe, something you might not see in reality. It also featured episodes where Larusso returned to Japan and Okinawa and put an old rivalry to rest by sparring with Chozen and acknowledging that their respective karate comes from the same roots.

In making my way through Season 4, I could clearly see the struggle of two teachers with very different philosophies trying to keep their students on the straight and narrow. It would be similar to a plumber and an electrician trying to teach a group of apprentices BOTH sets of skills; it can be done, but the difficulty would be immense. Some students would adapt better than others and both groups would go on to compete in the All Valley Tournament, which I won’t get into detail as it may spoil a bit too much of the storyline for those who haven’t yet seen it.

The season finished on a curious note, with Larusso appearing once again to team up with another old rival. It will be interesting to see how Season 5 plays out. That being said, let’s examine a few of my pros and cons for this show. It stands to reason that it IS a show and total realism can’t and shouldn’t be expected. The storyline is somewhat sound, considering I’ve known dojos that demonstrate similar rivalries as depicted in the show.

One aspect that really gets my hackles up, is the fact that we see a number of newly-minted karate practitioners who had never donned a gi before, learning karate and suddenly getting into these long, drawn out fights with their peers within weeks of starting. Considering karate takes YEARS to become proficient, this is definitely an unrealistic expectation for anyone studying unless they have previous training and experience or have done some other martial art.

We see this effect in Samantha Larusso, the protagonist’s daughter. She had been studying karate with Larusso throughout her childhood before taking it up again. And as I’ve recently realized, it can be very much like riding a bike. Tori, one of Cobra Kai’s top students, had some previous training as well before stepping into the Cobra Kai dojo. But then we see some of the less-athletic students who, just a short while prior, were getting their asses handed to them becoming proficient in a short period of time and holding their own. Right. Okay, moving on…

All in all, it is a fantastic show with some great writing and evokes definite feelings of nostalgia in old dogs like me. Including karate into the mix is simply icing on the cake. If you’ve never seen the show, I highly recommend it as something simple and easy to binge, with the seasons running on only about a dozen episodes. ☯️

A Stroll Down The Dojo Memory Lane…

I was communicating with one of my readers and fellow bloggers yesterday (you know who you are) when I was reminded of my old dojo. Not “my old dojo” as in, where I used to train. No, I mean “my old dojo” as in, where I used to TEACH. That’s right, most of you know I practice karate by virtue of mentioning it in almost every post (did y’all know I practice karate?). But many of you may not have known that for a short time, I actually had my own dojo open. Some may assume that having practiced martial arts for over three decades, it would only make sense that I had a school open. But the reality is that teaching is a very particular beast and one that not every practitioner undertakes. In fact, I’ve known some fellow black belts who have been studying as long or longer than I have and have never taught. It happens.

At some point, a couple of years before I joined the Force, Sensei received an influx of requests for children to join the club. Although we accepted anyone who wished to learn, our teachings were a bit strict and rough for some younger children and Sensei thought that opening a second, separate dojo would be a good idea. With three current black belts (besides Sensei) currently training in the main dojo, it was agreed that I would undertake the project and take in these new students. I would come to understand years later that it might have been more productive to have a younger practitioner attend to the kids’ dojo, since they would “potentially” be more in tune with their students needs. But I was being offered a chance to open my own dojo and I leapt at the chance.

I was pretty excited to get to the dojo that night and even more excited to see how many students I would have coming in the door. More than a dozen children of varying ages were waiting for me with their parents nearby. It was a pretty slow first night, considering I had to cover off the basics and discuss dojo etiquette, as well as get all the kids registered through their parents and get certain forms filed out, etc… I still felt it went well and I was looking forward to the next class. Honestly, that first week flew by without too much difficulty and I thought I had found a niche in the form of teaching these young students. I would discover soon after that I was wrong…

You see, there’s a HUGE difference between the concept of teaching adults and teaching children. I’ve taught adults a LOT in my three decades of karate. For the most part, when an adult walks into a dojo they’re choosing to be there. I mean, I suppose it COULD happen that an adult would join karate because they’re being told to do so but I’ve never seen it. One can also expect that they’ll join for a number fo specific reasons relating to their health, weight-loss, wanting to learn a new skill or defend themselves. With children, they usually fall under two categories: they asked to be join or they are being MADE to be there by their parents. The unfortunate reality is that the majority fall under the latter category.

Another issue that I’ve noticed is that when you get an adult who joins and wants to learn, they’ll usually do everything and anything that’s required of them, even if they consider it boring or stale. Children don’t jive with that concept. In fact, for the majority of kids the curriculum needs to be kept dynamic and exciting. It needs to be fun or their eyes will start glazing over and you’ll “lose the crowd.” This is especially true of those kids whose parents have forced them to join and didn’t want to be there in the first place. It wasn’t my cup of tea but I could have learned and adjusted to this concept, given enough time. It turned out to be the parents who did me in…

After the dojo had been open for a period of time, some of my students were ready to start grading for their yellow stripes. For any non-practitioners out there, my style carries a yellow belt but for most students, the yellow belt is reserved for children and young practitioners who need room on their belt for growth over a number fo years more than their adult counterparts. Long story short, since I had never issued grading before, this was done under the supervision of my Sensei. Unlike many other schools out there, our students don’t have the luxury of testing simply by virtue of the amount of time they’ve been with the dojo. It needs to be a combination of how long you’ve been training, attendance and actual proficiency in the required techniques.

By virtue of this, not all of my newly-acquired white belts were tested for their first yellow stripe that night. While Sensei assisted in grading the students, I kept the ones who wouldn’t be testing busy. I know had a ranking system within my dojo, which should have been a good thing. Seniority can be an important aspect of karate, especially when taught in the Western world. This is because it gives the other students someone to lean on and aspire to besides the Sensei. I thought things were going significantly well for the next couple of weeks despite the fact that I certainly wasn’t made for “having fun” in the dojo. I had fun training, learning karate was fun in and of itself, but playing games and having a loud, boisterous class was weighing on me as it didn’t fit into the neat, compartmentalized image of karate that I had developed in my head.

Then, a cauldron of resentment and jealousy began to rear its ugly head as the parents of a few select students caught me before the start of class to discuss why their child hadn’t received a yellow stripe like many of the others had. I made the mistake of indicating that it was because they hadn’t been tested, which I thought would explain things. Much like a doctor who will explain something medical with the plain idea that it would explain everything, I assumed that provided an adequate answer. Instead, it added fuel to the fire in the form that the parents demanded to know WHY their children hadn’t been tested. Letting them know that they hadn’t yet acquired the level of skill required to grade for their stripe did nothing to assuage their concerns.

Within the next couple of weeks, I had a number of parents basically threaten to remove their child from the dojo if I didn’t give them a yellow stripe. This is actually a phenomenon that happens among child and adult practitioners. Some adults are pretty good at becoming petty and failing to realize that just because one has been training as long as a counterpart, it doesn’t mean you’re ENTITLED to the same belt. I had always made a silent promise to myself that a student would never receive a grading unless they’d earned it. I’m proud to say I’ve kept that promise, but it came at a cost. Once I explained that a student would not be tested for any grading until they had developed skill that would justify the rank, I began losing students. Within the next calendar month, the number of students I held and their dwindling attendance became almost non-existent.

Once it became abundantly clear that it was beginning to cost me more to run the dojo than I was making, I had to make the difficult decision to close my doors. Sensei was understandably not happy with this, but I didn’t feel I could bring myself to compromise my values and the value of the art I practiced JUST to satisfy the parents belief that “I’m paying, so you work for me,” or the jealousy their children may have felt at seeing their peers receive rank where they didn’t. I think it speaks to an ever-increasing concept of self-entitlement that the world has been developing for decades. In traditional karate, there are no participation trophies. You don’t get rewarded JUST for showing up. You want the belt, you gotta do the work.

Ultimately, I closed the doors of my dojo and we were able to absorb some of the kids into the main dojo (the ones who wanted to stick it out to learn and grow). Back then, I had often juggled with whether it was a good experience or a bad one, a good choice or a terrible one. The decision I finally came to was that there really aren’t any BAD experiences; it’s all in how we interpret them and what we learn from them. But I’ve come to learn that this is the direction the world has taken. People feel they’re entitled as opposed to working towards earning. And although I’ll be the first to admit that you gotta show up, you also gotta do the work. I would never attempt or continue to teach someone otherwise.

I never opened another dojo, after that. It was a combination of how the first one had gone down, mixed with the fact that once I joined the Force, I was transferring every few years, which I felt would be unfair to any practitioner who walked into my dojo. How bad would it suck to have someone commit themselves to my style, only to have me say, “Sorry, guys. Duty calls and I’m moving away…” only a few years into their training? That wouldn’t be fair to someone who genuinely wants to learn a style. But it also serves an important lesson to anyone looking to get into karate. If you walk into a dojo and the focus is money and EVERYBODY grades and passes when there’s testing, it may not be the school for you. I prefer to have closed my dojo than teach a watered-down version of my art to accommodate the ones who feel entitled. This is how an art remains true and pure. Food for thought… ☯️

An Update…

It’s a snowy, Saturday morning here in Regina but the good news is the boys actually let my wife and I sleep in until 9:30, this morning. I never thought I’d reach a point in my life where that was considered “sleeping in,” but here we are, hence the lateness of this post going up. Considering we usually try to get the whole family to go out on Saturdays for whatever errands we may need to run, I’ll try to keep this brief.

Since it’s been two weeks and I’ve actually registered, I am now an attending student of Midwest Karate. There, I have begun studying Shotokan, which is also an Okinawan style of karate, featuring many turns, stances and hands positions that I find myself unfamiliar with. It’s a rich style and although I missed a couple of classes last week due to Diabetic difficulties, it’s been challenging and I haven’t had a class yet where I don’t break a sweat.

Since I was actually looking for a challenge, this dojo seems to be a good fit. What’s more, the senior students appear to be interested in learning some of my forms and techniques as well, making for a good exchange of philosophies. So who knows? If we stay in Regina for the next decade or more, I may just get my wish and learn a new style from scratch. Time will tell, I suppose. After all, life rarely cares about ones plan. ☯️

Cookie Cutters Should Stay In The Kitchen

If you look back about fifty years, society had certain expectations from a person. Hell, even just thirty or twenty years back will let you see it. In general, a person was expected to study, work hard, get a job, meet that special someone, buy a house, get married and have kids. Raise those kids to do the same, wash, rinse and repeat ad nauseam.

During my mother’s generation, schooling didn’t need to be completed in order to have a successful life, with many dropping out in early high school in favour of getting a job and starting their lives early. Such a thing isn’t COMPLETELY unheard of now, but it’s discouraged and even frowned upon in most instances, with even the simplest and lowest paying jobs requiring a high school diploma at minimum in order to be hired.

Why is this important and why am I bringing it up? Well, it relates to a phenomenon that’s caused a shift in societal view in recent decades. Although the expectation in the past couple of decades is that a person will not only attend school but see it through to graduation, there was a rising wave of belief that post-secondary education was the most valuable route to a successful life. That wave has crested and fallen in recent years, with many people acknowledging that a college diploma or university degree isn’t the “be all, end all” of a successful life.

Along with this changed perspective comes the enlightened view that not all persons learn in the same way. Some are visual learners, some need to practice and exercise the material themselves while others simply need to hear something once to absorb it. I think we can all admit to being a little jealous of the latter. The point is, that learning institutions are slowly coming around to the fact that one can’t expect to deliver a single curriculum to three dozens individuals and expect that they’ll absorb it the same way. Many schools have started to incorporate some of this forward thinking into adaptive learning for the students who may struggle or show difficulty in certain environments.

This also applies to the martial arts. Over the decades, I’ve come to understand that not all practitioners are created equal and not all students will learn the entire curriculum the same way. If we apply this principal to class in general, we come to realize that one-on-one learning with some personalization becomes necessary in order for the practitioner not only to learn the material but to apply it properly. Depending on the size and style of a given dojo, this presents SOME difficulty, although there are always alternatives.

When I was coming up in the ranks, it was common that most students wanted a piece of Sensei’s time. After all, he was the patriarch of the dojo, had “been there, done that” decades before any of us had, and was the image of the kind of martial artist we all aspired to be. But getting some time with him was usually difficult when held up against actually starting the class, teaching and coaching all the students and the awkward ask of having him stay on after hours for some additional coaching. All things considered, Sensei often did this for me and a number of other students.

Considering I never paid more than $25 for a karate class in my life, it was pretty generous of him when you consider that he was basically teaching us for free and our monthly tuition barely covered the month’s rent on the dojo. But there was one concept he maintained that was sound: I would never be allowed to move on to the next step until I had mastered the current one, which is likely why reaching senior belt levels took well over a decade as opposed to just a few years like some other dojos.

School teachers face an interesting challenge because students are generally MADE to go to school, whereas the majority of students in karate are there by choice. This makes teaching them somewhat easier, despite frustrations faced when dealing with aspects of training a particular students dislikes. If I take myself as an example, I was always more of a forms guy than a sparring guy. I never really enjoyed the fighting aspect, preferring the careful, meditative nature of a well-performed kata. So, Sensei trained me as such.

It’s important to tailor one’s curriculum to how the student will learn, and to help ensure that they absorb it, as opposed to force a cookie cutter curriculum to an entire group, expecting that everyone will learn it. Work on one thing at a time. yes, it’ll be slow as hell, but it ensures the roper progression of a student. It’s better for a practitioner to learn and absorb one technique properly and completely, than to learn very little of the entire art. Food for thought… ☯️

Spectators Have A Role…

As the father of two young boys, nothing would make me prouder than attending a sports event or extra-curricular activity to watch my kids in action. And I know that day is no doubt coming. Although Nathan i 7-years old, he hasn’t actively expressed any interest in sports or outside hobbies beyond playing with me, at home. But I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. It would be all the better if he joined me at karate, but I don’t believe it would be constructive to push him into that.

However, there are a lot of parents who DO attend karate classes to watch their children. And although some of it can appear dry or boring to a non-practitioner, adhering to dojo etiquette is almost as important (if not more so) for the parents and observers as it is for the children and practitioners who are part of the class. After all, those children and practitioners are looking to their parents and visitors as an example of how to behave, right? Here are some key points to remember when visiting a dojo as a non-practicing observer:

1. Remove Your Shoes: Okay, I get it… You’re not participating and the thought of removing your footwear in a public space isn’t for everyone. The takeaway here is that the removal of footwear within a karate dojo is not only a sign of respect but also a matter of cleanliness for the dojo. If it happens to be a rainy or snowy day or you simply drag mud and/or dirt in from outside, your causing an issue for the practitioners who NEED to be barefoot in the dojo environment;
2. No Food Or Drink: Although this one obviously makes sense for the students and practitioners, observers don’t usually give it much thought. But even though the thought of sipping on your favourite mocha-choca-latte with skim milk and non-fat foam while your child trains may seem like a reasonable idea, not only is the potential for spills and messes a bad idea, the smell of food can be incredibly distracting to someone who’s working hard at their training;
3. Get Off Your Device: Look, be in the now! If you’re there to observe your kids, then observe your kids. That game of candy crush can wait until later. Be respectful enough to pay attention and be present for your child or whomever you may be visiting with/for. If it’s a phone call and it’s necessary to answer it immediately, have the respect to excuse yourself out of the dojo to answer it, which brings me to my next point;
4. Keep Noise And Idle Chatter To A Minimum: This one is a personal pet peeve of mine and should go without saying but since I’m here I’m gonna say it, since some folks don’t seem to understand. Quiet while observing a karate class is a must, not only from a respect standpoint but from a training one, as well. Not only does karate require a certain level of focus and concentration, which can be broken by the distraction of a couple of Karens trying to decide who’s voice can reach the highest volume but it can be difficult to properly hear instructions AND is incredibly disrespectful. Conversation among the observers should be saved for outside the dojo, for break periods (if your dojo has them) or for after class; and
5. Be Respectful In All Things: I get it. Even if your kid is in this class or you’re visiting a friend or family member who’s a participant, this world may not be yours and it can be confusing and the rules may not be clear. That’s why it’s not only important to ask but once you know for certain, be respectful and follow those rules. Be seated only where you’re told you can sit and do no more than what you’re told you can do. Respect for the dojo and maintaining the ambiance of the environment can be critical for proper training.

Every school of martial arts is different and even two schools of karate may have different rules and protocols, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s nothing more embarrassing than getting kicked out of your 5-year old’s karate class because you decided to answer the phone and laugh loudly while chatting with someone DURING class. Not that I’m speaking from experience… Jus’ sayin’. But by clarifying the rules from the get-go, you can better ensure that you won’t cause unnecessary distractions or disrespect the rules of an art that holds respect as one of its core values. ☯️

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

No, this isn’t a quote from the Bible as many people are inclined to believe. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume the quote was penned by my late grandmother, who had an intense form of OCD that had her constantly cleaning to the point where she’d walk around her house by sliding her feet on a couple of pieces of paper towel for the following two days. Luckily I’m not THAT bad, but cleanliness is important, which brings me to the point of today’s post…

Maintaining a consistent workout routine can be challenging, especially if you happen to be working a full-time job and handling personal and family responsibilities on a daily basis. For some people, working out can be a very relaxing thing, but many people neglect proper cleanliness AFTER the workouts and this can lead to some smelly and disgusting issues.

If you’ve ever been to a public gym, you’ve noticed that they always (or at least should) provide spray bottles and rags to disinfect and wipe down equipment after each use. The same thing applies to one’s personal workout items. Oh, and one’s body. You gotta wash that body! Nothing worse than someone funking up the immediate area because they hammered out a workout and chose not to shower. Just take the five minutes and wash yourself up. Damn! But I digress…

One of the most well-known issues with sweaty gym gear, specifically clothing, is that leaving them unwashed will make them smell bad. That’s a no-brainer, right? But besides the smell, which no one enjoys, leaving them in this state for long enough can also lead to some nasty staining on your clothes and can even lead to the development of mildew. This is especially problematic if you’re the type to get home or go back to work and drop your gym bag in the corner and ignore it for hours on end.

Picture this: you just finished a wicked run of cardio, you’re coated with sweat and you need to get back to the work day. You go back up to your office and drop your gym bag on the floor by the door. Over the next few hours, that warm, moist sweat (yes, I used the word “moist,” get over it) is contained inside your gym bag where bacteria breeds and mildew can form. Do this often enough and stains that form will become permanent.

Something that most people don’t realize is that sweat itself is inherently odourless. It’s the oils and bacteria on our bodies that cause the smell and when that’s soaked into a fitness garment, it needs to be washed as soon as possible. As do you. Failing to do so can cause blocked pores, rashes, acne in places you don’t want (not that you want acne anywhere, necessarily) and increased chafing if you’re foolish enough to re-wear an unwashed garment.

The ideal scenario is to launder your workout gear as soon as the workout is done. Even removing them from your bag and dropping into the laundry hamper isn’t ideal, as you’re just letting the funk sit there. But I if you find yourself in a position where you CAN’T launder your clothes right away, they should be laid out somewhere with good ventilation and permitted to dry. When you DO launder your garments, it’s best to use hot water to help kill the bacteria. Depending on the garment and your comfort level, a splash of bleach can help, as well.

Also, it’s easy to forget some of the unsung heroes of your workout routine. Namely, your gym bag and your sneakers/shoes. These tend to get neglected and the unfortunate reality is that your sweaty gear gets piled into that bag constantly, so if you don’t wash your gym bag regularly, you’re basically piling clean, pre-workout clothing on top of a bacteria colony. Most canvass/nylon/polyester bags can just be dropped into the washing machine, which is a good practice to observe to keeps things clean and smelling nice.

Sneakers can be a bit more problematic, since putting them in the washing machine can alter their shape, ruin the binding holding them together and potentially damage the machine. you ever sneakers in the wash? It sounds like the bass drum from a marching band booming over and over. One option is to spray an alcohol solution inside and outside the shoes in order to kill bacteria. There are plenty of sources on the web that will explain how many parts of isopropyl alcohol to water you should use. Grab yourself a spray bottle from your local retailer and you’re off to the races. And since alcohol tends to evaporate quickly, your shoes are dry in no time.

Last but certainly not least, never skip a shower if you’ve worked out. Ever. That is all. Seriously, even if you feel you haven’t sweat much and can get away with it, you should still clean yourself up to prevent ALL of the issues I mentioned previously. If you’ve had a light workout and towelled off and returned to work, remember that others are more likely to smell what’s coming off of you than you will. Not the reputation you want and not something others deserve in their work environment. Food for thought… ☯️

Home Is Where You Hang Your Belt

I’ve often written that finding a martial style/school that suits one’s wants, needs and expectation sis a subjective thing and can be a difficult step in the journey towards learning the martial arts. In fact, it can be even worse if you’re experienced in martial arts and are trying to get back into it. this is something I learned the hard way, this week. Since you’re all here reading, allow me to elaborate…

I recently decided that as part of my commitment to better myself overall that I would seek out and join a local karate class. As most of you know, I had been training at a local school for quite some time until they shut down due to COVID-19, something that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, we were doing classes over Zoom for a while, but lo and behold, I logged on one night to discover that it wasn’t happening and it wasn’t until I reached out that I found out that they cancelled them in lieu of starting in-person classes the following week.

I would have been nice to be told but regardless of what the situation may have been, I’ve opted for a closer dojo whose style more closely resembles my own. Located five minutes down the road from my home and boasting three classes a week instead of two, I was pretty excited to try them out and even observed a class the previous week, which proved to be a good idea as it confirmed it would be a positive experience.

I walked into the dojo on Monday night with excitement and great expectation. I changed into my gi, although I was taken aback by its’ “snugness” and walked out to the dojo floor. An advanced youth class was finishing up and I couldn’t help but observe and see the promise of the young students learning something that would stay with them for years to come. In a way, I was a bit jealous, remembering my own youth and how large a role karate had played in it.

I met the instructors and was welcomed with open arms. They included me among their ranks and class opened. We started with what I’ll describe as a “light” cardio workout because in my head, I can’t seem to picture it as anything but. However, my body responded as though I was putting it through military basic training. Everyone was required to wear masks and I thought it would be a fun gimmick to wear my yin yang mask. Big mistake! The cloth began to cling to my face and the harder I tried to breathe, the more the mask clung to my mouth and nose.

This compromised many of my techniques as I repeatedly tried to pull the mask away from my face as I trained. Besides the difficulty breathing, I had the opportunity to see myself in the dojo mirrors facing me and I have to say… I did NOT like what I saw. I’ve often spoken to friends and family members about the state of their health and gaining weight as one gets older. It’s been a significantly long time since I’ve had the opportunity to see myself in a full-length mirror and assess just how far down that rabbit hole I had fallen, myself.

I don’t consider myself out of shape, by any means. I work out consistently, although my diet often leaves something to be desired. But that first class had me feeling as though I was a tired old man. The class was only an hour in length but by the time it was done, I was coated in sweat, struggling to catch my breath and wishing I didn’t have to wear that DAMN mask. But i felt good. I went home that night with a feeling that I had taken a positive step in the right direction towards regaining some of what I lost.

I didn’t help myself by going running for an hour on Tuesday. I like to take advantage of the free access to a gym facility at my work, and since I already have some weights at home, cardio is usually my go-to in that regard. So on Wednesday night, my legs may have been a bit more tender than they COULD have been. As with all things that take effort, the more you push yourself, the more familiar and easy it potentially gets.

Although I won’t say last night was “easy” in the traditional sense, the familiarity made it possible for me to get through the workout with a bit more ease than on the Monday. So, here I am… I’ve been welcomed; in fact, they want me to demonstrate forms of my own and share techniques and learning. Sounds promising. It may have taken some time, work and effort but I may have found a place to hang my hat. Time will tell, I guess. There’s another class tonight, so wish me luck! I don’t know how much more my legs can take, this week… ☯️

Belated Well-Wishes…

Yesterday was Sensei’s birthday. And although I did wish him happy birthday yesterday, it didn’t dawn on me to share the good tidings here. So here we go… Happy Birthday, Sensei. For over three decades, you’ve changed my life, improved my life and motivated my life.

Mechanical Difficulties… (A Long Read)

Last week, as part of my all-encompassing plan to better myself as a whole instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I visited a local karate class to see if the style would suit my wants, needs and expectations. Since I’m not here to endorse any one given school or style, I’ll keep what school I visited to myself until I’ve officially joined and have decided to stay in. Although I HAD been training at a local karate school since 2016, the pandemic put a chink in that when restrictions hit and the school was forced to close its doors. At one point, they compromised by having classes over Zoom, which wasn’t great but it kept us all seeing each other and practicing techniques as a group instead of training alone.

The Zoom classes topped without notice and when i inquired about it, I was told they had halted and we would be returning to classes in September. I was happy but also a bit curious as to why I hadn’t been advised. The school opened back up, albeit in limited numbers and with increased restrictions on paired training and direct contact. Fair enough, I could work with that. We got through about a week’s worth of class before the Provincial association that oversees that dojo decided to shut us down due to increased case numbers in Saskatchewan and further restrictions. That was last September. Now, even with most dojos operating, I haven’t heard anything from the school or even know if classes are happening.

On the one side, I could just suck it up and reach out to them. But there’s something tickling the back of my mind about the fact that I was overlooked on the group email that discussed the end of Zoom classes and the start of in-person training. For years, the head instructor’s wife included me on a group email that went out to all students whenever there were cancellations, plans or events. So, it isn’t as though she simply didn’t have my email address or contacts. It’s left a bit of a sour taste and since the basic fundamentals of that style didn’t mix well with mine, I’ve decided it’s simply easier to seek out a new dojo.

I visited a local karate school with a style that’s closely related to my own. There is a school of Uechi Ryu in Alberta, which would be easier than flying 3,400 kilometres to go home for the possibility that Sensei would accommodate me. But I’d still find myself travelling for about 7 to 8 hours by car, would need to take days off of work and leave my wife and children behind as I do. How often could I do that before the cost and the toll would begin to be too much? So, I’m back to the thought of starting over, somewhere else. With that in mind, last Wednesday, I walked into the dojo and introduced myself to a young black belt who was sitting at the door.

Through our conversation, I was honest about the fact that I held a black belt in another style. My preference would have been to keep that information to myself, but he asked if I had trained before and what rank I had obtained. Given my personal policy of honesty, I answered truthfully. When the head instructor arrived, she asked all the same questions and explained that it was up to me how I chose to train; I could wear my black belt and they would integrate me and within a couple of years I could continue on my black belt voyage. Or, I could start from scratch as a white belt but I was warned of how long it would potentially take for me to once again reach black belt grade. Ultimately, not matter what colour is around my waist, I was there to learn.

I was asked why I didn’t bring a gi, to which I answered I preferred to observe a class to see how well I would potentially fit in to how they trained. I was given a place to sit and class begun. I was a bit concerned over the fact that class was only an hour in length. I was raised with classes no shorter than two hours and I had difficulty picturing how they would cover enough material in that amount of time. The previous school I trained in had classes that lasted an hour and a half but they spent 30 to 40 minutes of that time on stretches and warm-ups (which should be done by the practitioner BEFORE class), which pretty much cripple their available time.

I was impressed to see that they spent a brief 10 minutes of calisthenics and warm-ups before moving on to actual, structured techniques and forms. They focused the majority of their time on forms, doing them slowly, quickly, individually and together by count. So comprehensive were they, that I caught myself leaning forward in my seat in anticipation of getting on the floor with them. I found myself trying to analyze their katas and predict their movements. Without trying and without skipping a beat, I became vested in their training and was suddenly immersed. When the hour was done they closed out the class and they were all breathing hard, which is how practitioners should be, after training.

I was totally sold and I told them I would return for the following night’s class. And then life happened… On the following morning, which was a Thursday, I was driving down the main strip on my way to work when I received a warning message on my dashboard that said “SERVICE STABILITRAK.” What the fuck is Stabilitrak??? This was followed by another message that said “TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED” and “ENGINE POWER REDUCED.” What the hell is going on??? Bearing in mind that it was about -50 degrees Celsius with the wind chill, I wasn’t entirely surprised at the vehicle having difficulties.

But the reduction in power caused the vehicle to be unable to go much faster than about 30 km/h. I was driving in a 50 km/h zone, so you can imagine the plethora of car horns and middle fingers I was subjected to, during this time. Don’t believe all the hype about Canadian friendliness. It ain’t all maple syrup and Timbits! I managed to make it into work, albeit much slower than usual. I took a few moments to search online for the messages I received and confirmed that it could be some significant issues with the accelerator assembly and that I should get it looked at. I managed to book an appointment for 8:45 that morning. The current time was 8:20.

I updated my boss about my short-term absence and drove to the repair shop and dropped off my vehicle. I was told that they had vehicles that were brought in the previous day that they hadn’t looked at yet and that I would need to leave my car with them for the entire day. I was a little pissed about the fact I had scheduled an appointment and now it wasn’t being honoured, but the vehicle needed to be checked over so I took advantage of their shuttle service and made my way home, where I worked remotely for the remainder of the day.

It was a little after 4 pm when they finally called to say the repairs were completed. I asked for their shuttle to come pick me up, which I was told would take upwards of an hour. By the time I reached the repair shop, it was about 5:30 pm and then i had to fill the tank, putting me back home at about 6 pm. Then, supper had to be made to feed the kids and my oldest had a batch of addition flashcards sent home by his teacher since he was apparently unable to perform basic math when asked. Lovely. Where I’m going with this is that I didn’t make karate class, which is unfortunate as I was hoping to see how well my gi fit after gaining my COVID gut.

Here we are on Sunday, and the next class is tomorrow. I’m trusting the fates to make it possible for me to attend without throwing any other monkey wrenches into my gears. After the last few years I’ve had, it would be nice if life would stop kicking me when I’m down. Hopefully, with a bit of effort and luck, I can make it to karate on Monday and start a new leg of my martial arts journey without any further issue. Here’s hoping… ☯️

You Gotta Want It…

It’s a bit ironic that I’m writing this post on a Monday, since I took this week off. While most people tend to focus taking time off during the week of Christmas, my wife and I took this week off, keeping us at home during the week leading up to New Year’s. The reason I say it’s ironic, is because this post was prompted by a conversation I had at work. I was chatting with one of my employees about the fact that everyone is good at SOMETHING, but that the path they walk will ultimately be different. Even if two people train to master the martial arts, the environment, conditions and motivation behind doing so will differ.

This is important because in life, there will be things you will be good at and some things that you’ll basically suck at. And the latter part is okay. No one is meant to be absolutely fantastic at everything and the ones who say they are, are not only lying to themselves, they’re lying to everyone to whom they say it. I’m not saying that there won’t be some people who won’t have a natural tendency to be good at things in general. I’m referring mostly to achieving some mastery over a particular thing. For example, most people don’t know that I tried a variety of martial arts styles before I landed on karate.

Some of those styles were very good, in their own way. But if I based my decision to pursue the martial arts based on the results of those attempts, I never would have gotten to where I am now. I still remember my first visit to a Tae Kwon Do class and realizing that I had neither the skill, ability or motivation to go spinning through the air like a top to land a kick. Even at the young age I was, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just kick in a more straightforward manner instead of trying for all the high-flying fanciness… but I digress…

One can’t be good at everything. And that’s okay but it’s something you have to make your peace with. You have to be okay with it. Because the time you spend pining over what you may have realized you’re not good at, could be time used to pursue and achieve things that you ARE good at. That would be a terrible waste and even the things that you may be good at, need to be pursued and strived for. None of it will ever happen on its own. So push hard and be okay with your failures; they’re al part of the journey. Food for thought… ☯️