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Karate - Part 1
I used to be a shy, easily influenced child and I had very low self esteem...
It feels like a lifetime ago now but I was once a shy, easily influenced child with very low self esteem and no confidence. It wasn’t even a problem for me since I knew no different. I kept my head down in class, I had a small circle of friends and even though I was withdrawn life was okay. Then about seven years ago things began to change. I became more confident. I could look people in the eye when I talked to them. I found I was much more outgoing, much more easygoing and more approachable. I became far happier in my own skin. Now you might be wondering why the sudden and extreme change?! The catalyst that set it all off - I started karate.
At first I was unsure how I felt about it. I decided to go just for one night to see how it went. And straight away I loved it! Immediately I knew I had found a sport I really liked. From the word go my coach raised my confidence by encouraging me and telling me what great potential I had. Here I am seven years later with a black belt, experience in national and international competitions, trophies and medals. Karate really keeps me in shape and I find I need very little other exercise to keep fit. Karate improves the breathing as well as general health and shape! So if you have asthma, for example, it would really benefit you. You will also find that you will become more toned and flexible.
Another thing I gained from karate was a second family! When you train with the same bunch of people a few days every week from a young age, you improve together, you grow together, you encourage and push each other to be better and in the end your lives are inseparably intertwined. The guys and girls I train with are brilliant, and we have great craic in and out of the karate hall (dojo). It’s amazing how many inside jokes and great memories have accumulated over the years. As a matter of fact I even see my coach as more of a second father at this point.
A lot of people don’t really understand what karate is - the word conjures up images from Karate Kid, which isn’t really an accurate representation of what we do. We don’t break blocks of wood or bricks; we don’t “wax on, wax off.” In fact, unless you’ve tried it, your perception of karate is probably really off target! A lot of the training is physical- punches, kicks, blocks and so on - both giving and receiving them. It is important to be able to take what you can give. The stances and combinations can be quite grueling and it does take a lot of effort and determination to really get anywhere in karate. This is why the other aspect of karate is essential- the mental side of it.
By: Zara
Check out Part 2.
Find out more by visiting the Irish Martial Arts Commission.
