I never knew how much of a pounding I could actually take until I started karate.
I mean, I was 41. I wasn’t totally inexperienced. But I’d never been through anything like THAT before. Me, the only white belt, surrounded by black belts. They all knew what they were doing.
I was so sore those first few weeks. I could only handle 3 nights a week of that, tops. …At first.
You do toughen up after awhile. And you get used to it. You have to.
And sure, I didn’t have the experience that those black belts had. But what I did have was stamina. Far more than I ever thought possible.
Realizing I could go in there with more experienced martial artists and get destroyed again and again, and be willing (even grateful!) to go back for more—that really has been the biggest gift karate has given me.
The truth is, getting pummeled like that feels pretty good. I quickly came… to love it.
For anyone wanting to try karate: those black belts will be all over your ass. But they’ll teach you everything you need to know. And you will get so strong from it. Karate really is such a great way to get jacked.
And one day that might be you. One of those black belts, showing the new white belt how it’s done. Teaching them that they, too, are strong enough to take it.
What was it like for you, starting martial arts? Do you have any stories you’d like to share?
Recommended Resources
Check out some of my articles on performance and competition:
- Nervous About Your Belt Test?
- My Dialogue With Fear: Prep for Sparring
- A Powerful Tool to Improve Confidence, Focus & Performance
- Testing for Black Belt in Karate… at Age 45
- Karate Belt Tests, Anxiety and Control
- Sparring Matches, Safety, Opinions, & Entitlement
- Achieving Black Belt in Karate
- Dealing With Defeat at a Karate Tournament
Check out these articles to improve your strength, mobility, and flexibility:
- Bo Staff Mobility Warm-Up for Karate & Kobudo
- A Fun Way to Strengthen Your Core & Glutes for Karate
- How to Improve Shoulder & Thoracic Spine Mobility for Karate
- How to Improve Hip Mobility for Karate
- How to Strengthen Your Feet for Karate (and Prevent Ankle Sprains)
- How to Improve Foot & Ankle Mobility for Karate
- Foam Rolling Can Keep You Warmed Up at Karate Tournaments
You’re reading The TRUTH About Starting Karate by Sabrina Bliem, originally posted on The Karate Shrimp. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow The Karate Shrimp on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
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