This is my first post here, and I really didn't want it to be an unpleasant one, but I thought it was necessary. Before, I'd stuck to browsing as a guest, but then I decided I needed to confront my issue. I'm currently a yellow belt in Shotokan Karate. I've been battling with self-confidence/self-esteem issues. Although I love class, I always dread going because I'm afraid of embarrassing myself in front of the higher belts. I feel defeated when I see the kids my age wearing brown belts and performing perfectly. Starting in highschool, I felt like I was "too old to be a novice," and I'm often embarrassed to tell others that I'm only a yellow belt. I've noticed this in a lot of other things I do as well, not just karate. I see all the people who are so much better than I, and I just shut down and give up. I understand MA is a journey, and I don't expect results right away at all. I just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and possible advice to overcome this adversity that's destroying who I really am. Thanks so much.
