woman in a karate gi in fighting stance.

Keep Climbing that Mountain

Bodily Intimidation

Last night I went to karate in glacier-mode. A glacier is a good analogy for times when I look like I have great potential to move, but I feel slow-moving and rigid. I tried to push through by jumping around and attempting various basic moves in the dance studio where we have taken to warming up in before class proper begins. But just before the class, while logging in the brown belt students in our attendance app, Sensei called ‘line up!’, and I made a snap decision to bail. It was the thought of limping past the young, fit and strong brown belts that put me off. And of potentially having to explain myself in front of them!

 

I do have a goal of one day joining the brown belt ranks. When I started karate that felt like an impossible dream, and yet every day I inch closer and closer. In spite of the odd set back (like what happened last night) I’m still working towards it. Along the way it is important that I don’t believe the thoughts and feelings that try to convince me I should give up. That I should be so upset at bailing on training that in future I should just stay at home and not try.

 

people doing karate
They're moving, but not like we do...

Something that has occurred to me recently that the reason karate is such a good option for someone like me, is that the level of difficulty keeps increasing. When I began doing LSVT BIG exercises they were super challenging. It took a while, but I eventually reached a point where I could do them well, and the repetition of the same thing was getting boring.

I can’t imagine ever reaching a point in karate where there is no new challenge, nothing more to learn. There is a lifetime of possibilities in the amount of things you can learn in karate. In no way am I aiming to conquer that entire mountain. Just the fact that I’m progressing in the journey up its foothills is more than enough!

In fact, even though I’m not brown belt yet, I’m starting to feel like I want to start working on the next level kata, even though I’ve still got a lot of work-ons for all the kata (not to mention everything else!) I’ve learned so far.

woman in a karate gi in fighting stance.
Only Emma could grin at you while she contemplates kicking you in the shins.

 

So there’s this constant curiosity about what is next, which is super-fun to explore! At the same time you can’t ignore all the basics that you should be able to do well. These need to be constantly practiced and improved as well – if you do them all the time your muscle memory becomes habitual and ingrained. If you don’t, you forget quite quickly.

 

Continuing to learn new things is very important, and helps your brain out a lot. With karate I don’t have to search all the time for challenge and stretch. As long as we can all weather the odd ‘Parky’ moment along the way!

 

 

kitty laughing into camera
Kiity Fitton - usually up to mischief.

Kitty Fitton is a motivational speaker, MC and comedian. She is also a full-time blogger and writer. She is mother to four small people and was very cross to discover she had Parkinson’s Disease.

Find out more at her personal site below. 

emma_k
Emma Kyriacou. Quite good at hitting things.

Emma Kyriacou is a real-life ninja. Taking up Karate to help fight her Parkinson’s Disease, she’s co-founder of Good Moves and is passionate about promoting exercise to improve mobility and neuroplasticity. (Is that a word? It should be.)

Find out more at her personal site below. 

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