Where the Karatedo Begins

[Harkon72]

Tonight I was tired before going to the Dojo. I had not trained properly this week, had not had sleep that was good for me all week either. In truth I was in no state to train. I bowed at the door to see my Sensei standing there, alone. "It's just you and me tonight Gareth San!" usually I love these sessions but my heart fell, I was dreading it and Sensei Eric could see it. I began my warm up, a long story short, at the end of it my lungs did not have the capacity I required. Then before a second breath, it was straight into Kihon; my Mind was screaming Stop! Stop! my Sensei said "Three more!" then "Three more!" again. He wouldn't let me finish each technique until I showed proper form. Then it was the Kata. "Matsukaze", again and again. My only break was when Sensei started me again after each mistake. Then, I felt no pain; my Spirit brought forth the insight of the Bunkai to each technique. My Sensei showed me the true depth of the Kata, physically showing me each weakness in his and my own body. He showed me positively lethal technique which I absorbed to my Soul. The Spirit can take you further than your Mind can Imagine. Where the Body tells you to stop is where the true Karatedo begins.

[andym]

Well done Harkon72, an excellent post, and another step along the way. To me spirit is everything.

[pittbullJudoka]

Well written Harkon. But those kind of nights are what separates us from the regular guys out there and the one that are there because of another reason other than passion for the arts.

[blacknebula]

Beautiful post!

I hit a similar point at master camp this summer. I had been training 4 hours a day for the past 5 days. I was sleeping on a foam bunk bed in a cabin with 9 other ladies and between the back pain, the general noise level, and my asthma reacting poorly to something in the environment, I was lucky to get a few of hours of sleep a night. I had settled down on my bunk after lunch before the last class on the last afternoon. My alarm went off and it took so long to convince myself to get up and put on my gi that I was almost late for class.

We bowed in and Sensei started us off by sprinting from one end of the dojo to the other, reaching down to touch the floor and returning to the start. After a few times he decided to make it harder by having us lay down on the floor prior to starting. As I was laying there, the thought came through my mind that I just wasn't going to get up - I was going to stay on the floor and if someone didn't like that they could pick me up and throw me out of the dojo. For a few seconds that thought filled my entire brain and the beauty of it consumed me. Then Sensei said "go" and somehow I found myself getting up and doing that damn sprint one more time.

It was at that moment that for the first time I truly believed that one day I will make it to Shodan.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Excellent words harkon72

[mal103]

good post, in our Dan grades we drive them beyond where they want to give up - without trying to kill them!

If they give in too easy they will fight the same way, but definitely stay a Brown belt.

[Kusotare]

As my old sensei once said to me - "the day you feel at your lowest, is the day when you are most vulnerable to attack".

So go to Keiko when you are at a “low ebb” and work through it. This process can only make you stronger in the end.

K.

[CredoTe]

Absolutely great OP, Harkon72! Very deep, introspective, but applicable to all...

[bushido_man96]

Some of the better classes I've had are the ones I felt like I didn't have the steam to get there, let alone get through a class. In the end, I always feel better for going. Kudos to you for pushing through!

[Wastelander]

That sounds like a very intense experience, and I'm sure it is a moment you'll remember for years to come.