38 Year Old Starts Karate

If you had read read my previous hub on Karate Karate-For-Self-Defence you will see that my eldest was now keen on a sport, but this was now denied him due to a bad business or logistical decision.

As there was several Dojos that allowed for the various factors that were covered in the non continuing of the venture.

We had one which was in walking distance from our house, which covered most of those inhibiting factors.

The style was Gojo Rui, one of the firmest in discipline and hardest styles or forms of all of the Karate styles. The local Sensie outside of the Orient ( he was 6th or 7th Dan,) and at that stage, was the only Gajun Sensie (Foreign Master) who was allowed to grade students from Yellow through to 2nd Dan.

This style was excluded from local champion ships in South African Karate Championships.

This was mainly that they would always win the Kumite sections of the competions, which allowed allowed actual light contact. Gojo Rui was a light contact style, in both training and competitions, so the basicaly foughr an inter regional championship, there where a few other Karate styles avalable then.

Remember this was 22 years ago, and Strteet Fighting was not recognised as a sport, but one of those backyard type of activities. Much like Bare knuckle Boxing wititjout Queensbury Rules iin Byrons's time.

Well, I go and have a look see and feel that it is something that the eldest could benifit from, so I discuss this with him, and say he can do it so long as he works at improving his maths marks.

He decides that blackmail works both ways and then opens up the negotiations. "Well if you want me to work harder at my maths. As when you had, all those days off while working those funny shifts, you took my brother around to take photographs."

"Whats that got to do with the discussion?" A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I knew what was coming.

"You will come with me, or no deal!"

I had to capitulate.

The next day, we joined and that night, in freshly washed new karate Gi, we entered the Dojo.