Karate Green Belt!

This past Monday, I passed my test for my green belt. This is still a beginner level belt, of course, but my next belt will move me into the intermediate group.


So far:
- White belt at first class, Aug 17, 2017
- Yellow (gold) belt at first exam, Nov 28, 2017
- Orange belt at second exam, Feb 26, 2018
- Green belt at third exam, May 28, 2018
From this pattern, I expect the next belt exam (blue) will be at the end of August. I also anticipate that progress will become a lot more difficult when I graduate from the beginner levels. Send Aleve.

In each exam, there is a ceremonial breaking of a board. For my first exam, we used a side kick. For my second, I attempted a round kick but failed: I was pulling back because I was afraid of kicking wild and injuring our dear sensei holding the board. Ultimately, I succeeded with a side kick, but I learned I need to either let go of my fear of harming someone, or at least develop the aim & control required to ensure I can use any kick on the board with complete confidence.

In this latest exam, we were to use a palm strike. And that's when I suddenly discovered there was extra material covered during my Amsterdam & Toronto trips which I completely missed. Palm strike? WTF? Fortunately, I was last among eight graduates so I had time to observe the others carefully; one chap needed four hits before he landed the winning blow, so I also had a good counter-example. When it came my turn, I broke the board on my first try. Go me!

We traditionally keep our prior belts, mostly for sentimentality and as a reminder of where we began. Now that I have three retired belts, it's time to get a proper display rack for them (Heavy duty hint to husbands thinking about xmas presents...).

I'm planning to do a double-class this Saturday morning, kick-boxing followed by karate, old body willing.

Building a Better Kick

While a lot of karate has become more comfortable as I've learned more of the basics and grew into the training regimen, there are still some gaps. My balance is much improved but I'm still ungainly doing many of the kicks (side kick, round kick, etc.) in slow motion: fine at full speed, but clumsy and awkward at half speed. I know I can overcome that with practice.

The one which worried me however was the height of my kicks. When I began, I was a threat to kneecaps but not much higher. Now I can left will enough to deliver a solid kick to one's abdomen or kidneys; on a good day, I can plant my foot on the target's chest. But higher than that has eluded me, and I was wondering if it is flatly impossible for me at this stage of my life. I am 51, and some things may simply be beyond the abilities of this aging & abused body.

So while I was in Toronto earlier this month, I made an appointment with an old friend who also happened to be a physiotherapist specializing in geriatric care. Questions:
1. Is that level of flexibility simply not available to me because this body didn't begin this level of stretching & reaching in my more flexible youth?
2. Is there something about my body specifically which will disallow this kind of reach?
3. If there are no age or physical impediments, what would I need to do to get there?

And the good news is that at this point, it's not age but a lack of sufficient practice & training that are the immediate hurdles. I should keep training and while it is possible that some other physical limit may present itself, there are no current blockers.

Chris noted that my balance is above average and will improve with more training. And while I have excellent leg strength kicking forward and backward, I am vastly weaker moving my leg out to the side, and that is the specific problem which is blocking me from a high side kick or round kick. Fix the strength issue, and I'll be good to go!

So on his advice, I've purchased a heavy strength exercise band to place around my ankles, then swing one leg out as far as possible as many times as possible, repeating then on the other side. I haven't been as regular with this as I should lately but I am getting into it and am hopeful of visible results in the next month or so.