Well here it is, the weekend of Hanshi's seminar. Most of you that read this are not martial artists and probably don't know who the hell I am talking about. That is okay. The most you need to know is that he is something of a great grand father in terms of teachers and is a 10th degree in karate. He does a seminar every year and I need two of them for black belt. I did one half of the seminar today and the other half tomorrow which will bring me up to speed on that requirement. This is a good thing.
Hanshi's seminars are always a mixed affair for me. I like them in a lot of ways and hate going to them in a lot of others. They are not, in the stirctest definition, fun things but at the same time they are tremendous oppertunities to learn. They are something of a testament to the notion that something doesn't have to be fun to be a positive, good experience. As for why they aren't the most fun in the world, Hanshi talks. A lot. It isn't as though he isn't one of the most interesting people to hear talk. He really is. I love his lectures to no end. It is the sitting that is a real bitch. I don't know if anyone has tried sitting in a cross legged posture without being able to put your hands on the ground( that would be roughly like giving Hanshi the finger, which no one who values their moving parts should probably ever do), but it really hurts. I come home sore not from the workout, but from the sitting. The active parts of the seminar are wonderful and a great relief from having your behind go to sleep while your back is screaming at you.
I suppose the point is that I love Hanshi's seminars in retrospect, I love the knowledge and the new skills he has to teach, I love being able to train with one of the most able and brilliant men in martial arts, but I tend to dread the things before hand. The first day being over, I am excited and exillerated by what I have learned and eager to train and practice but at the same time somewhat reluctant to look forward to the next session. As it is I am very fortunate to be able to train with a man of his caliber and I thank God that I am a memeber of such a wonderful martial arts organization and that they make me do things that I probably wouldn't do on my own, but that improve not only my martial arts but all aspects of my life emmensely.
You must forgive my endless prattle about martial arts. Most of my friends tend to get irritated at the length and frequency of my ramblings but it is an intergal part of my life with out which I simply don't know what I would do. As depressed as I tend to get(as you who read this section all know by now-even if you call my a 'whiny bitch' instead of 'depressed, although devestatingly hansome, guy who needs a date), it would be 100 times worse without karate and the support network that I am fortunate to have there. Truely, I feel blessed to have all of them around. Often I forget that not everyone has that foundation and outlet to aid them and I am thankful that I was led to the dojo.
Oh and I am not depressed today and I am not going to try to be. Thanks.
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