Day 45, A resolution

Of sorts. And it’s not even January 1!

So yesterday was Friday which means that it was sparring day at the karate school (ah the very last sparring day at our current location, new building coming on Monday). Sparring day is usually something to look forward to during the otherwise dismal week spent there because, well, first it is Friday so that means no work the next day, that’s always good, but it also means that I get to have some real time to train and get in a great cardiovascular workout all at the same time.

Mostly my time spent there is devoted to teaching all of the other students--that being my job because unfortunately I can’t get paid to just train for a few hours a day...or for reading or watching movies. Monday through Friday from four in the afternoon until nine at night are classes that I teach and very rarely do I get to work out on my own during those times. Hence the reason why I started taking kung fu and judo classes, because I can’t spend five hours a day teaching that stuff and then expect to be fulfilled from it, I’ve got to spend some time developing my own self not just teaching others.

Friday is the one big exception. Granted there are still three other classes during that day that I have to teach but at six o’clock the advanced belt class, my class, rolls along. Sparring class is different from any of the other “kata” classes in that I don’t have to be standing in front of a big group of kids counting numbers and telling them to bend their knees to be able to teach something. In sparring class I am able to get in there and spar the students myself, so I’m able to (hopefully) impart some of my earned knowledge to them while physically interacting and moving with the other person like everyone else in the class.

Like I said before, it gives me a way to train and further develop my abilities in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do any other time of the week due to my obligation to teach. It is also a fantastic cardio workout. For about forty-five minutes there is continuous movement, and when I say continuous movement I mean continuous movement, only stopping about every five minutes to change partners. So every bit of my body gets a thorough workout:arms from punching and blocking and other strikes, hips and core from moving constantly and keeping my balance in those fast and stressful moments when the other person is all over you, and legs from all of the kicks and leg blocks. It’s very intensive and very enjoyable.

Much the same way that the PCP exercise program is.

I realized something at the end of the class yesterday, I had spent the two or three previous sparring classes sitting out due to either a stomach issue or just plain laziness, and now after going through an entire class and getting to move around a lot, I kind of miss it. Even with all of the limitations imposed on the sparring (nothing to the legs or back, it being very “linear”, few acceptable strikes and kicks) I miss the physicality of it all and the interaction that you get with sparring your partner. All that is odd to say because, generally, I try to be and believe I am a very nonviolent person who normally avoids any kind of situation that would involve using what I know, I try to be the definition of “peace” (key word there is “try”). When it comes down to it though I see those sparring classes as a workout with a little training, something like: 90% workout, 10% training.

So my resolution? I resolve to get off my lazy butt and spar every week, every chance I can. I’m missing a great opportunity to really maximize my effort and potential to reach peak condition by sitting out those sparring classes. I enjoy them and they are a great workout, something that I’m used to but ends up being totally different every week because of the wide array of people and their different styles of sparring. I could be doing so much more than I have been these last few Fridays and I’m going to do my best to be my best.