Almost by accident
I have been practising karate for almost 30 years now, having discovered my first karate club almost by accident. I’d always been active and involved in various sports as a young person. Martial arts were something I had seen in movies and thought they looked cool, but I was always too busy doing something else to give them a try. Then one day, I was cut from the school volleyball team, and was feeling dejected. Nothing to do, I was watching television when I saw an ad for a karate club. So rather than pouting, I decided that not making the volleyball team was the opportunity I needed to try karate.
I didn’t know it at the time, but starting karate would be profoundly important in shaping the rest of my life.
“Changed the way I move through the world”
Through karate, I learned about perseverance and hard work, and that I can keep striving even when I am tired or in pain. I developed a deeper understanding of how my body moves (you may think you know your left from your right, but your first karate class will show you that you really don’t) and changed the way I move through the world. Being required to perform in front of others meant that I had to confront my natural performance anxiety (now I’m a good public speaker).
Practising karate has broadened my horizons. As a kid growing up in northern Canada, I never expected to travel to exotic places like Japan, or live in other countries. Now I’ve done both. Almost anywhere you go in the world, you will find a network of people practising karate. Wherever you go, people who do karate are good people. You will find lifelong friends.
Whether you are interested in improving your fitness, sport competition, self-defence or a new cultural experience, you will find it by practising karate. I hope you will give it a try.
Jeremy Anderson 3 Dan JKA
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