CheekyMusician

My first class was about 5 months ago, so I can remember it very well. I'd always wanted to learn martial arts since I saw one of my dad's friends demonstrate some karate and judo to me when I was about 2 or 3, but my mum would never let me as she thought it was 'for boys' and that it was dangerous. Anyway, beginning of this year I broached the subject and since I'm 17 she agreed that it was time to let go a little and let me give it a go. I got the training times and phone numbers of different clubs and managed to narrow my choice down to Shotokan karate or TKD. I picked karate and got my dad to phone the sensei of the club to grill him. The first week I went I took my friend along and we just went to watch. It was totally horrendous! Everyone just sort of gave us funny looks (or at least that's how we felt!) and we were terrified of the sensei. He just kept shouting, swearing and being pretty damn violent. I almost left in tears because I'd wanted to do martial arts for so long and after that experience I doubted I'd ever have the guts to go and actually participate in a class. Anyway, my dad arranged with the other instructor of the club to bring me and my friend to another class that was on at a different time that he ran. The only problem was it was a kids class for the older kids, so it seemed that me and my friend were in a room full of brown and black belt 11 year olds! The instructor was really nice and encouraging, but we did feel rather out of place and confused. He took us aside seperately and tried to teach us some basics, but that particular class was quite exhausting. He had us running up and down the hall non stop and I kept looking at my watch wondering when it would all be over! I honestly don't know why I went back to karate, because at the time of those first few experiences, I totally hated it. I think I just went back as I'd wanted to be a martial artist for so long that I was reluctant to give up on it quite yet. Or maybe I just went back because the instructor was so nice and friendly! My first 'proper' class with the club's sensei was a few weeks after I'd been going to the kids classes. My friend and I partnered up and we done sparring for the whole night. We were clueless though and we just had to copy everyone else. We also ended up getting quite bruised as we were a wee bit clumsy with each other!

I am a christian who is also a martial artist. I don't believe I am endangering my faith by practicing karate though. Karate promotes such qualities as humbleness and benevolence. That doesn't seem very satanic to me, and I think people who believe martial arts is the work of the devil are extremely misinformed. Grrr. Some people!

I'm not too fond of doing kata. I don't actually dislike them, its just the fact that I am totally clueless with them, and the rest of the class seem to take them in their stride while I'm clumping around like an elephant. Everyone else seems to perform them so gracefully, and I can hardly remember the first few movements of each! ARGH! I also hate it when we've to do free sparring. I've only been doing karate for about 5 months and I've only had to free spar a couple of times, but I really don't know where to start with it. When you ask anyone how to do it they always just tell you to punch and kick randomly and block whatever's coming at you, but I usually end up just standing looking like an extra for Forrest Gump.