Martial Arts

Martial Arts – Martial arts have been a major part of my life since my early teens when I started to take Tae Kwon Do in high school.

This persisted through college where I earned a red belt long ago — it is one degree below black belt.

Along the way, I competed in tournaments, smashed my hand to smithereens trying to break a brick — a bad idea — and got to the point where I had some really nice kicks, including my specialty, which was an axe kick to the collarbone.  No, I never actually broke anyone’s collarbone.

There are a bunch of war stories, but the one I will mention is that one summer I started taking Kyokushin Karate.  Two things stand out:

First — this place was 100% full contact — no holds barred.  I got the sh_t beaten out of me, including broken ribs.  But I got the girl!

Second — this is where I met my wife – now of almost forty years.  When I walked in the first day, there she was.  She smiled at me is my recollection.  I long ago gave up martial arts but she continued and is now a sixth degree black belt in Issyn Ryu.

I keep thinking about going back to martial arts — and I am definitely saying yes to that.  So far I am at the limbering up stage stretching out long-since unused muscles — and kicking and punching heavy bags and speed bags and other stuff.  It is so much fun to hit things.  So I am saying yes but — even though I don’t like to think of myself as an Old Guy — at this point in life it is probably best for me to hit things that don’t hit back.