Andy's Blog

“Ah“, said the screen, “I think you’re at the ‘Losing my religion’ phase…”

Which is a slightly strange thing to read, especially as I never had ‘religion’ in the first place.  There is a heart dropping moment when you feel that the next bit of advise to come your way is about how God will magically come along and fix things for you if only you believe hard enough, visit his house on a regular basis, put pennies in his coffers, read his biography, and mumble to yourself with your hands clapped reverently in front of you.

Well that did flit through my mind briefly and was then rudely drowned out by a mandolin that started playing in my head and the image of some bloke dancing like he’s had all the bones removed from his body.

Support forums are a strange land to inhabit.  Sitting in front the computer screen talking with someone you’ve never met about where to stick your personal “use by” tag and whether it really should be “best before” (split decision on this between being a physical or mental age requirement) or “display until” (we shan’t dwell on the conclusion as to when and where that sticker should be placed on your person). Continue reading

Sepai, or any kata for that matter, should always be done fully enveloped in a gi or at least with some form of top to go with the leg wear.  That rule, at least, should always apply to myself any-ways.

I’ve been lying back on my backside for way too long getting fatter and, somewhat alarmingly, hairier and it was time to get some practise in – especially after my recent revelation… and I’ve been thinking of timings, etc, to get my Sepai stronger and faster.

Find a room with some space in it and step back into sumo stance and bring the hands round in a nice strong arc, step forward and bring your hands together whilst drawing them in.  Step through and strike with your elbow whilst in sumo stance.  Step through again into an almost backwards long forward stance whilst striking a powerful pose…

…the powerful imagery of that pose, that is in your head at least, is finally broken when you notice the mirror to one side.  The pulling of the arms back is not making your pectoral muscles ripple, as you imagine it should be, but pulling up your flabby stomach and finally letting the belted area of your leg wear see the light of  day.

Worse still, when you bring your arms back and execute the outside shuto you notice that your flabby belly area is still wobbling from a move you completed two steps back in the kata.

I half heartedly did the mae-geri kick which only succeeded in making the devil’s own scrotum that is my footwear (flip-flops) sail out through the open door like an exocet missile.  I think the cat screeching in fright and sounds of a car crash was more my overactive imagination and a product of watching far too many cartoons than anything that actually happened.

Next time I do that kata I must remember; no flip-flops and definitely wear a gi…. oh, and no mirrors!

Yesterday, Sunday, was a mixed day for me, flicking between feeling sick to my stomach, angry at chances lost, quiet, melancholic, happy for others, and more darkly somewhat self-pitying.

…and I hate myself for that.

I’ve been reading Gichin Funakoshi’s books lately; namely ‘The essence of karate’ and ‘The twenty guiding principles of karate’ and have found myself wanting.  I think I’ve been so focused, recently, on the next grade that I’ve forgotten what it entails.

The colour of your belt is not a right based on how long you’ve been practising the art, but the culmination and growth of understanding of the principles underpinning it.  This has been proved by a colleague who has just reached that next level and his karate, which is far better than mine, proves the point.

Time is not the measure, understanding and application is.

I think it’s time to get back to basics for me.  This isn’t a throwing-dummies-out-the-proverbial-pram moment, the karate training will go on.  However I think I need to stop chasing the next belt for the next few years and practise on becoming a black belt rather than just wearing one.

Sometimes having the wind taken from your sails, metaphorically at least, is the best thing if not a little hard on you at the time…. time, at least, will tell if that’s true or not.