Karate cold turkey

It's holiday time, which means karate-ka are freed for one week, to roam, to eat chocolate and to commune with loved ones.

It really is great to spend time with my loved one. He is a marvel. A human wonder and the best one I've ever known. Also, our dogs are splendid. However, I confess that I miss training. Yes, I've done kata in the garden, and practised uchi-uke in shiko dachi up and down my galley kitchen, but I do this anyway, everyday.

I cleaned the frog pond in kiba-dachi


But it's not enough.





Practising karate / martial arts has become part of the rhythm of my life ... tax, death and martial arts. Physicality is very important to me, so it is natural that my body misses the challenges of a session, whether sparring or using my bo or just breathing correctly through press-ups. There is an energy generated in body and mind, a kind of space and focus. Maybe it's the balance of force and kime (and other ideas I'm just beginning to understand), the control of force and respect between two sparring partners, and the learning that happens at every - every - session. Oh - more on that soon... I'm waffling.

So, come on, Wednesday. Wednesday is my session with helpful and experienced teachers ... and mirrors. I learn a lot on Wednesdays (not much of it immediately positive ... so plenty humility).

Having said all that, I must say again, that it has been wonderful to spend time with my time-off-work husband : ) and cleaner frogs