Spouses

[Venrix]

My wife and I met during a 'break' in any serious training. As a result, she finds it quite hard to support what I'm doing (I started training again about 12 months ago). However, I should point out - she really does try to support it.

I train full contact and almost daily which has obvious physical benefits and drawbacks (swings and roundabouts as we like to say in the UK).

On the one hand:

My wife likes the effect on my fitness/stamina levels.

On the other hand:

I have broken 10 bones in the last 9 months of training. I am PERMANENTLY covered in bruises etc. and my body generally looks like it's been worked over by a sledgehammer. I have never missed a day of training (despite the injuries) and I have never walked away from full contact Kumite (at one point, I was training/fighting despite two broken ribs, a broken thumb, two broken bones in my right foot and a torn rotator cuff). This is something that she doesn't like at all.

I have to admit. I completely understand why it's hard for my wife to support my training. No one wants to see someone they love being hurt. Of course, every time she sees the 'small school boy' grin on my face after another totally enjoyable training session, she sees that this is 'just something that I have to do'.

-V-

[tkdBill]

I had been a taekwondo instructor but stopped training before my wife and I met. Three years ago she started training at a nearby school along with our kids, so it wasn't long before I started training again. Now she is a red belt working toward her black belt, and I own a full-time school.

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[UsagiYojimbo]

I recently started doing karate again, after my husband and I got married (we've been married just over a year). He's happy for me, because he knows I'm doing what I love. I don't think he'll ever join me, though; he's more of a master of "couch fu".

[Venrix]

"couch fu"

I really liked that.

-V-