I'm On My Way To Becoming A Taekwondo Black Belt

As I said, I'm on my way to becoming a taekwondo black belt. Okay, so I started on Monday. Four years after taking The Boy two/three times a week to his lessons I've decided that I should give it a go. There are a few reasons why.

1. I'm there anyway.
2. I have some time on my hands.
3. I need to get a bit fitter not having done a regular sport since about late 2002.
4. The Boy needs his arse kicked occasionally.

My first lesson was on Monday. Strangely I was the only student in the class as it was later at night but my instructor is a seventh dan and world champion at poomsae (patterns). So, I was in good hands. No time to feel self conscious as she kept me busy. Last night I had my second lesson and the time was spent between a group of 11 and a group of 40. It was meant to go for an hour but almost reached an hour and a half. On a quite warm night it was a bit killer for someone as unfit as me. Ok, I swim once a week for an hour or so but jumping around trying to kick somebody or throwing them on the ground just using your hands takes a bit more out of you. Give me a couple more weeks and I should feel much more in shape.

It is a strange feeling being in the class with The Boy's classmates too. Well, Friday's class will be featuring The Boy so he'd better watch out. Maybe I need to too. There's some frighteningly good exponents of this martial art on show. Currently we are at different clubs, because I'm just starting but I'll be in his class before long.

And what did my chiropractor have to say when I asked him for his opinion? He checked the space between my ears and announced that I didn't have any brains. Then I explained that it was for fitness and learning self defence and that I wasn't going to enter any competition. That was ok by him.

Link to taeguk patterns on YouTube.

Wish me luck.