Karate
Karate class was good tonight. Friday nights is the basic kata class, which I first went to two weeks ago because I'd forgotten all my katas in the 7 years I'd been out of training and needed (still need) a refresher course, and I figured I'd be training with mostly beginners and intermediates but when I got there, I saw that most of the brown belts and some of the black belts go to that class every week. I like the sensei that teaches the kata classes, Sensei Marty. He's kind of a small, soft spoken guy, and he's a third or fourth degree black belt. I like him because he works you pretty hard, but he's also very understanding. For example, he knows I havn't relearned all my katas yet, so whenever we do something I don't know, he takes us through it slowly a couple times and he does it with us, making sure to stand where I can see him. Class ran a little long tonight and I'm very tired, but I'm starting to feel like a brown belt again.
On a related note, as I may have written before (or maybe not) the dojo has started offering samurai sword classes. That's something I realy want to do. (eventualy. Right now I'm just focusing on getting back in practice with my karate.) I have a friend who shares my intrest in swords and other ancient weapons and also wants to learn how to use the sword, so I asked my shihan (ouner of the dojo and head instructor) about it and he said you don't even have to be enrolled in the normal karate classes to take the sword class, so maybe my friend and I will be able to take it together. That would be cool.
On a related note, as I may have written before (or maybe not) the dojo has started offering samurai sword classes. That's something I realy want to do. (eventualy. Right now I'm just focusing on getting back in practice with my karate.) I have a friend who shares my intrest in swords and other ancient weapons and also wants to learn how to use the sword, so I asked my shihan (ouner of the dojo and head instructor) about it and he said you don't even have to be enrolled in the normal karate classes to take the sword class, so maybe my friend and I will be able to take it together. That would be cool.