Sunday 6 November 2011

Evolving some more :)

Since taking the plunge and learning to drive I have found that it really IS good to face your fears and push yourself into unfamiliar territory...in fact I am finding familiar territory somewhat boring these days...that is most unlike the old me lol...in my quest to leave my old mouse-like persona behind and be the kind of person I want to be, I have taken up a new challenge...

...A couple of weeks ago I started martial arts training...Shotokan karate to be precise. Yes it's true! I've been nagged by certain family members to give it a go for a long time and lately even the instructor started encouraging me to try...so I thought what do I have to lose? Perhaps my teeth and a straight nose? LOL hopefully that won't happen, but I do have much to gain...the martial artists I know all have a certain confidence about them, not cocky or arrogant, just a self confidence that I wouldn't mind myself. I have to say that even though I have only taken 4 lessons I am enjoying it immensely! I ache like anything after a session but I know that will improve once my muscles have got used to being used in a new way. There is a LOT to take in... new words, a new kind of body co-ordination...I've known my left from my right since I was a teeny child but you'd never know if you watched me just lately...My driving instructor discovered that I am not very good at translating mirror images or detecting small changes in a series of movements and that my auditory memory skills are non-existant, in short, I have the attention span of a Goldfish...by the time Sensei has got the end of the sentence I have forgotten the beginning of it. Something else that became apparant when I was learning to drive was that I am slow at processing things...this has again has come to light in my karate class, but I am a lady of a certain age and not a spritely teenager...one of the black belts said to me  " we have no failures here, only people who give up!"  When you think about it, that is a very good saying which you could apply to many areas of life. I do not plan to give up when it gets hard...well gee, it is hard now lol...but if everything was easy where would the challenges lie?...life could be very dull.

I have to wear a uniform, for those of you who don't know, it's a white canvas suit called a gi.They are a bit of a devil to dry but I guess it just means I will have to be very organised in my laundry rota. I have long hair, down to my waist and I have to tie it back for karate which is a bit like being in school lol...You are also not allowed to wear jewelry, just in case you cause yourself or someone else an injury. It's a whole new world to me and it's making me think. Most exercise I have enjoyed in the past has been the type of thing that I do alone, walking swimming, running etc, so this is another way I am being taken out of my comfort zone...I am not looking forward to doing the exam/gradings as you have to do that in front of a hall full of spectators, but it is part of it, so I will have to accept it just like everyone else does!

So there you go, another step forward :)

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