Mike waxes on and off about martial arts

Like many in my generation, I discovered the martial arts, specifically karate, thanks to a wise old master named Mr. Miyagi.

The hit film “The Karate Kid” showed us that anyone could learn the basic skills of karate simply by doing an old man’s chores. In fact, one could become a black belt and dispatch tough and mean black belt students within a few months of learning said skills.

I was a 10 year-old who wanted to know those skills, so I signed up for karate.

I made it to yellow belt, which is one level above white, which, of course, is the belt that everyone starts with. They give you that belt simply for signing up and mainly so those loose, white pants don’t fall down while you are running around the dojo, doing jumping jacks and stretching.

I learned some stances, a few forms, which is a combination of moves, and I learned a kick and a punch or two. I never broke boards with my fists and I never learned to kick a black belt’s butt, crane kick or not.

Since working as the sports editor at The Citizen, I have come across several martial arts studios, with Oh Do Kwan and Tiger Martial Arts being two of the most active and willing to share their news. Both have classes aimed at the younger students, while also teaching and allowing a few adults to compete. They each have a dedicated and successful group of students and both schools do very well at competitions, mainly because they are seemingly always in training.

When I decided to try and take as many classes as I could this summer, so I could write first- hand about my experiences, I chose Fayette Academy of Martial Arts, because they are located at the gym that I go to and many of their classes are aimed at ages 16 and up, and, well, I am up.

The first class I took was kali/escrima, which is the Fillipino art of stick-fighting. I was given two sticks and shown a series of strikes based on different angles. Soon, I was hitting the sticks of a fellow student and soon after that I was accidentally rapping his knuckles. Lucky for me, this guy had just finished a tai-chi class and was very relaxed. I enjoyed the class and really got into the sound of the sticks hitting together and the rhythm they created.

Next was karate, and with a few students sick and several more on vacation, I got a private lesson. I didn’t learn how to defeat a black belt with one crane kick this time either, but I did learn some stances and why they are used ,and I learned how to properly punch and kick. I can see why parents sign their kids up for karate, because if they stick with it they learn a lot of great things like discipline and respect.

The last class I took was also my favorite. Kickboxing was a workout that nearly equaled the workout I got earlier this summer at Velocity Sports. After going over the proper stances and how to punch and kick, the class paired off. One person would wear the focus mitts and the other would wear a pair of gloves, and each would perform four combinations of strikes for a minute or so each for what was considered three rounds.

It was awesome. I liked hitting the focus mitts, and I liked the concentration it took to do longer and longer combinations.

What I’m looking for these days is a good workout that will help me get rid of my gut (which is getting trimmer by the day, by the way) and with this class I know I was getting a good workout. Like the adult fitness class at Velocity, I could feel it.

Most people are like I was at 10 years old when they first try out the martial arts - they want instant results, and they typically want those results to be violent. There is no doubt that higher level students in karate or taekwondo could handle themselves in a fight, but the goal isn’t to get in fights, it is to be in a position to avoid them. If you’re training in a dojo a few times a week, you’re not just hanging around getting into trouble, and if you have something to shoot for, like a black belt or making the junior olympic team (and a lot of these local kids will have a shot) you aren’t likely to throw it all away on a rumble. Knowing that you are working towards a goal and seeing the results also gives you confidence, and that often translates into more positive things in other aspects of your life. Maybe you give more of an effort in your schoolwork or at your job because now you know that when you work hard towards something, you can achieve it.

I want to thank the teachers at the local martial arts schools that I have met for showing me what I missed when I dropped out of karate.
Now, who will show me how to break boards with my head?