At age 45 (~2004), my life took an unexpected turn...into a dojo! I took my son to his karate class and found that I wanted to be more than a spectator. By 50, I was wearing a black belt. I added a 2nd stripe before my 55th birthday, when due to hip problems, I sadly quit. Now in my 60s and with a new hip, I explore sports and wrestle with food, fitness, flexibility, and health.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Another Fresh Set of BlackBelts
Over the last few months, culminating in the Power Weekend two weekends ago, I've watched another set of blackbelts come to fruition. It's exciting to watch every time because in most cases, I know a handful of the stories well. For many of them, it is a huge life event, the realization of a major challenge met for them.
For some, who had let their weight slip out of control, its a public display of their new discipline. And body! For others, its facing their fear of physical exercise and public performance. For others, it's just plain hard and they've not had the habit of meeting challenges so it represents a massive turnaround in their life.
If you have pictures, want to write something, or videos to contribute, please comment below or just email me at gmaail. I'm bbat50@.. I'd love some fresh writing and other input,
For almost everybody, earning the blackbelt a challenge. There's always a hiccup or special circumstances. Since I didn't get great shots or videos of this round, I'll repost one of the most dramatic videos that I do have, the one of people dealing with the board breaking. And I quote:
I'm in the red gi top in the center at the start of the video. This video starts out fun but then it takes a surprising turn. Two Candidates have trouble breaking their boards. But there's no escape. In front of everyone, these ladies show the concentration and persistent that got them this far. I found the tension and drama at the time very emotional. In rewatching the video, I'm so impressed by their calm and focus. There's no silliness or embarrassment, just work to be done and a focus on doing it. Congratulations to Agnes and Sylvia.