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About The Following Blog

The following blog has been written purely for those wanting a first hand knowledge of what it is like to step into the dojo for the first time as a complete beginner as a Martial Artist. Through practising a Martial Art, you will gain many things such as self-confidence, self-respect and life-long and good friends. I hope this helps you to see into an amazing world of which you have never seen before and that I have had the privilege of belonging to and knowing.
Although I have not put my name or any name to this blog, it does deserve a dedication- a dedication to those who help people to train, who teach, reassure and most important of all- those who never give up, no matter how many times they hit the ground or a mental brick wall, with themselves or others. But above all- those who are ready to begin their own journey, it begins with one step….

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Sunday 10 February 2008

Chapter 30: Help!...I want my white belt back!

I'm not kidding...I really do want my white belt back! I realised that green belt would be extremely tough, I just didn't twig that the training steps up AFTER Christmas.
The last session started off well. We lined up me, a Dan grade, blue belt and a yellow belt ( all guys apart from me) and we got told run up and down the mat until told to stop. Okay, thinks I, pace myself as I'm with three guys here, should be fine. Then we were told to go faster! Faster? I can't go any faster! But okay, body don't fail me now! Then finally, after what seemed like 100 laps of the mat...we were told to do five more laps (each one faster than the last) and THEN we could stop.
We then stretched off, which wasn't too bad as the preparations for a dance show I was doing were going well, so I wasn't too stiff. Next were 10 sit ups. This wasn't too bad for some reason...but maybe it was because I was ignoring my skeletal muscle system begining to scream at me.
So warm-up finished and we paired off to work on grasps. Okay, scratch that, it was more like, hey, you've done these before, figure them out. But I've slept since then! I wanted to cry. But alright I'll do as I'm told.
Just when I was nicely tired, you know, not too tired but had a reasonable workout...we were told to pair off and do some what I call 'floor wrestling'. This involves kneeling either face to face or back to back and trying to pin the other person on the floor. (no hair pulling, kicking, punching or biting allowed).
Now, when there are only two women in a class of four men...testosterone takes over BIG style (no offence, but floor wrestling does get a bit competitive). As the other female student can't kneel for too long due to a knee injury...that left me to the mercy of three guys. I say mercy as I'm not too good at floor wrestling, and usually end up getting squashed! But in a strange way...I really enjoy it (apart from the friction burns from the Gi of course). Its good clean fun...but I can imagine the conversation at work on Monday morning. So, what did you get up to at the weekend? Me? I was wrestling with guys....Queue strange looks and the usual following question, Why do you enjoy Aikido again? Hmmm....maybe because I can't get this much fun elsewhere and keep fit without too much embrassment?