Releasing the last inch
When I was younger, as is the want of small boys, I could be found doing mock ninja battles or showing off my martial arts skills in homage to my heroes on TV, more often than not this would usually be “Monkey“.
Although I started karate, a few years back, for very noble reasons; the pursuit of fitness, control, the learning of ancient japanese martial arts, and of course to not be beaten up by my own kids… a little part of me was also the young boy playing Monkey in the playground.
I think it’s fair to say that, at no point in time, did my playground playing include hideously drunk idiots taking wild pot-shots at me.
I’ve had a few people ask me “what exactly did you do?”, but in truth I am not exactly sure.
It wasn’t some long drawn out affair, like you see on television, only about 15 or 20 seconds from first appearance to end whimper. There was a swing of the fist, there was an unthinking reply to that, and it was all over.
Maybe surprisingly I have mixed feelings about the whole episode. Somewhat happy that Sensei’s lesson are, in some form, finally getting through my thick skull; but then again, somewhat embarrassed that I can’t remember what I did, or that it didn’t match entirely what I had been taught… maybe.
We’re taught, within our particular flavour of karate, to control our strikes and to restrain that last inch before making contact with whoever we are sparring. It is somewhat surprising, then, to find out what is within yourself when you release that final inch.
…and mostly somewhat sad that my first proper use of karate was on some drunk and not battling demons and bad guys like in the playground.
Growing up can be such a buggaration sometimes!