For 4 years I sat in the waiting room at my daughter’s dojo while she was being taught how to defend and protect herself.  For some reason I just never made the connection between her defending herself and growing as a skilled female Martial Artist and me defending myself and growing as a skilled female Martial Artist.   

I always attended the belt testing sessions and I watched many adults and children progressing through the ranks of the belt system.  I was always happy for them but I still didn’t see any relation to their skills and my life.  It happened to me after one particular belt testing session.  I watched a woman who had been in the dojo for perhaps 2 years as she earned another belt plus she had lost a significant amount of weight since she started training in Shotokan karate.  I caught a glimpse of the deep satisfaction she was experiencing and I suddenly realized this was not simply for my daughter but it was for me too. 

I signed up immediately and began an incredible journey.   I knew little about dojos or karate etiquette but I found myself enjoying and appreciating the required rules of respect.  So seldom in our society do we experience the kind of respect we are all entitled to receive and we are seldom held to a standard where we must exhibit rules of respect. 

I have been training for 5 years and I can proudly say that I, a woman of 47 years of age, am a 3^rd degree brown belt.  I have shed some tears and experienced more physical injuries than I care to remember, however, the physical and mental benefits that I have experienced cannot be replaced.  The sense of satisfaction I feel is beyond measure.

I feel physically and mentally capable of defending myself should I ever have too.  I have learned from my Martial Arts training to be aware of my surroundings and I carry this into my life every day.   I did experience a level of fear in my life prior to my training.  This fear has been replaced by confidence.  I know that if ever I am attacked I have an extremely good chance of prevailing.  

I really enjoy the physical benefits that have come along as a bonus.  With the physical demands of training comes the ability to eat and enjoy food without much worry of weight gain. To look at me you wouldn’t know that my body has become extremely muscular providing me with a great deal of strength. 

If you are feeling stuck in a rut and you are bored with the gym and pilates and yoga classes and you think you are too old to learn a new skill like Shotokan karate then please  think again and give it a try.  I have friends at the dojo that are in their 50s and have never felt better.  Watch for my next blog titled “Women and Empowerment with Martial Arts”.