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Walking through the dojo door is the hardest part

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That’s why our Sensei and many other high-ranking black belts said to me last night.  I torn my shoulder in Jan 07, then broke my leg in May 07, spending the entire summer on crutches.  The irony is that we won a world karate tournament back in Oct 2006, but there’s no way you would have known if you saw me last summer driving around conferences in a scooter.  sigh.  argh.  (yes, each link is its own adventure)

For those of you who just tuned into my blog via Tip of the Day, I’ve been practicing shotokan karate since i was 14, including both JKA and FSKA branches.  And as a blogger, i started a karate feed to talk about karate, why i do it (for the art, not the martial), and what i get out of it.

I have to stand during the opening and closing ceremony, something i’ve never had to do before, even.  this is when everyone kneels, does a brief meditation, and listens to the instructor for goals for the class.  But since my leg is only at 60-70%, i still have a long way to go, but just walking through that door was the hardest part.

The most important thing i learned from last year is a saying by the Shotokan style founder (with my personal additions to it) that karate (or any exercise for that matter) is like a pot of warm water.  You don’t want to boil the water, because at some point nothing will be left and you’ll end up with a broken leg and torn shoulder, but you don’t want the water to get cold either.  so you have to train using moderation, something i swear i’ll learn this time.

And now back to the day job…

Comments

  • Anonymous
    February 12, 2008
    PingBack from http://www.biosensorab.org/2008/02/12/walking-through-the-dojo-door-is-the-hardest-part/

  • Anonymous
    February 12, 2008
    "Yes, there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. But the only one that will get you there is your own.  Do not look longingly on the paths of others.  Give yours your undivided attention and keep your focus.  The farther you go on your own path, the more you will understand every other path. At the end, they all converge." Phillip Tosio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  • Anonymous
    February 12, 2008
    very cool.. also studied shotokan for a long time and will again someday.

  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2008
    I greatly respect your dedication.   I can only add that I quit Judo in my teenage years due to continuous ankle sprains (that's what happens when you are 6' 5" tall in a short person's sport).  My wife quit basketball after a shoulder muscle tear that bothers her to this day. I know lots of guys that really injured themselves bad trying to play softball in their late 30s just like they did in their early 20s. We all change over time.  Few of us can afford the right training to remain at the top of our physical game unless it's our career, and even then it's going to hurt.  Maybe that's why most developers I know consider Guitar Hero a strenuous sport?

  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2008
    Funny you should mention Guitar Hero as a "strenuous sport."  I actually get shoulder pain from playing it and can only do it in very small doses.  But give me karate or a mountain to climb, and i'll work out all day long.  =)

  • Anonymous
    March 11, 2008
    Hi Sara, I recognize this story. I'm 42 and have done several Martial Arts since I was 8. I really like Wing Chun Boxing and Escrima (sometimes known as Arnis (de mano)). I have seen my share of injuries and the painfull way back to my old level. Due to my work and travels abroad, combined with the fact that it was pretty far from where I lived (I would come home after midnight after a training, so the next day I had to struggle to keep awake at work...) it was harder and harder to attend classes, so I quit and hoped the trainer would keep his promis to open a Dojo a lot closer to my home. So far it hasn't happened and there is nothing I like in my town. This means I have been training alone for the past 5 years. Advantage: I hardly ever have injuries. The downside: I don't think my level has improved by training on my own. So, what I try to say is, despite the injuries, be happy you have a group of people you can train with, and that can support you on your way to become a satisfied and well balanced karateka.