After thinking and toying with the idea for quite some time, I've decided to try returning to Kenpo. I've not been active in the martial arts for many years. In my mid-twenties through my early thirties, I studied Kenpo and managed to attain my First Degree Brown Belt, Ikkyu. Thanks to work in my career, my enlistment in the National Guard, marriage and kids, it took me a significant amount of effort to get as far as I did.
As I began working toward my Black Belt, those same issues, along with physical ailments caused my progress to stall. I reached a point where practice was painful, and I was sure I needed knee surgery. I stopped training, which eased my knee pain to the point where I could continue in the Guard, but I finally went to my doctor and... Needed orthotics. I was far enough out of my training, and dealing with increased operations tempo in the National Guard and getting ready for deployments, that I never returned to training, but always kept it in the back of my mind. I've continued to stalk here, and to be a "student," if only from the academic standpoint.
I did spend a brief period of time trying out aiki-jutsu, as well as my Army Combatives training, but my military career has left my shoulders in less than ideal condition, and the aiki just exacerbated the problem.
So, a couple of months back, I ended up "friending" a guy who had earned his Black Belt under my old instructor, Dan, recently, and he encouraged me to get back to it. I went in and talked with Dan, and called today to start lessons again. I'm nervous, even scared, but excited too. I know I have so much to re-learn that I will face frustration and a long road. I've mentioned my physical maladies to Dan, and he assures me we'll work around them. I'm in my early 50's, retired from the military, and aside from a bit too much weight, I'm relatively healthy, other than the shoulder pain I deal with.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but I tried to keep it short as a "re-introduction." If you've read this far, thanks for indulging me, and please, wish me luck! Now, to try to find my old notes and that darn brown belt. I wonder if my gi still fits.
As I began working toward my Black Belt, those same issues, along with physical ailments caused my progress to stall. I reached a point where practice was painful, and I was sure I needed knee surgery. I stopped training, which eased my knee pain to the point where I could continue in the Guard, but I finally went to my doctor and... Needed orthotics. I was far enough out of my training, and dealing with increased operations tempo in the National Guard and getting ready for deployments, that I never returned to training, but always kept it in the back of my mind. I've continued to stalk here, and to be a "student," if only from the academic standpoint.
I did spend a brief period of time trying out aiki-jutsu, as well as my Army Combatives training, but my military career has left my shoulders in less than ideal condition, and the aiki just exacerbated the problem.
So, a couple of months back, I ended up "friending" a guy who had earned his Black Belt under my old instructor, Dan, recently, and he encouraged me to get back to it. I went in and talked with Dan, and called today to start lessons again. I'm nervous, even scared, but excited too. I know I have so much to re-learn that I will face frustration and a long road. I've mentioned my physical maladies to Dan, and he assures me we'll work around them. I'm in my early 50's, retired from the military, and aside from a bit too much weight, I'm relatively healthy, other than the shoulder pain I deal with.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but I tried to keep it short as a "re-introduction." If you've read this far, thanks for indulging me, and please, wish me luck! Now, to try to find my old notes and that darn brown belt. I wonder if my gi still fits.
