Twice a week, I've been heading down to the 'karate church' (my dojo is in a retired church building, although there are still regal Aslan-type pictures of lions here and there). It's such a strange thing, although it's becoming less so. It still smells like a locker room, but it doesn't bother me as much. The 40 minutes of stretching and strengthening at the beginning of class are having a positive effect on my health. Soon, I'll be back up to 50 push-ups. Okay, soon plus a little longer.
So far, there is just the one girl that comes sporadically and refuses to look me in the eye or talk to me. The rest of the people who come are men. There are two or three basic types of guys that come to karate class. The first is the awkward Aspergers type. These fellas are socially a little behind, but they want to toughen up so they keep coming to class. They only look at the floor and it gets weird when we have to do the pairing up for sit-ups and arm stretching. Some are a little round, some a little scrawny. I feel like one of them half the time.
Then there are the Mixed Martial Arts dudes. These guys have spent a lot of time watching fights on TV. They actually think they already know how to fight, and like to spar with the heavy bags before class and wear tank tops. The black belts have to stop them and correct their form a lot because they are trying too hard and doing things way above their level.
Then there are the well adjusted instructors. A few guys that know what they are doing, and are helpful to the new comers. They don't talk just to hear themselves talk or spend a lot of time telling stories about fights they almost got in. I have gravitated to their company, because I don't have any other options, really.
I'm getting better at the actual karate. I've been allowed to join the regular class upstairs now instead of going downstairs with the kids. I've also started doing the sparing when we do that. It's fun to poke and swat at a black belt, who could kill me in 2.5 seconds, and have him just deflect and bait me into taking a swing. I have to be careful not to get cocky. I'm kind of hooked. There is so much to learn, plus putting the structured moves into practice combined with my own instincts and abilities. It seems a lot like sailing - something you can always improve at. And hopefully in the meantime, I will be able to defend myself if I need to, or make a career switch to the Octagon when landscape architecture slows down again.
