Love this post!
I’ve been in Seattle for the past few months, and due to limited space, have been unable to complete full kata. This being said, I often practice many of my moves in my small hotel room, and I’m finding it helps my balance/coordination tremendously! I’m back home in Montana, right now, and am beginning to make more time for my training. I was in a car accident when I was 17– the result of which was impaired balance and coordination. Making time every day, even if that’s just in my room practicing a few of the moves, seems to be helping. Kata helps me in a lot of ways other than just the next belt test. It is a form of meditation and simply emptying my mind, important in all aspects of life, and helps balance all kinds of aspects in everyday life. Even when I can’t do anything else, practicing a few moves here and there (I’ve even done it in the back seat of my car!) often re-centers me and helps me empty my mind and refocus. I will be in Seattle again for much of next month, and plan on continuing this discipline. Kata– and martial arts as a whole– is a wonderful tool to balance one’s life around. The goal isn’t to get the next belt. I can order a belt online, post it on Fb, and have that be and ends in and of itself. Having a tool to center around all I do, and let that manifest and become my goal, is a much better means to base my time and effort around. Thank you for your help in what’s becoming more than just self-defense! Letting my life be testimony to what I’ve learned is much more important than what rank I am.
