Back in black (belt)

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch… it hurts to type.

I started Tae Kwon Do last night. I hyper extended both elbows and my butt hurts. Badly. My arms hurt because I haven’t really done anything strenuous involving my upper body in nearly a decade. My butt hurts because I played Blazer Lazer Tag on Wednesday. When you have to bend your legs to shrink yourself to five feet (average size of pre-pubescent male competition) while dodging invisible beams of light, you find that you have muscles you’ve never known of.

Anyway, my first class back in TKD – It was great. It was riveting. Invigorating. An action packed adventure so chock full of action that you won’t need to see another action packed adventure this entire action packed summer. But really – it was a lot of fun. I felt great after class. Stretching was a little difficult. I really think I would be a lot worse had I not been riding seven miles a day on my bicycle.

After warming up, we did some kicking and punching drills. I haven’t really forgotten anything, I’m just a little rusty. In need of a little honing. After drills, we worked on patterns. Clyde (my instructor) taught me approximately the first half of Ge-Baek (again). Ge-Baek is traditional black belt pattern (sequential combination of strikes and blocks). I was surprised at how quickly I remembered the moves.

After everyone worked on patterns, we sparred. I sparred Clyde first. Clyde is a second degree black belt. I’m a first degree black belt who’s been out of practice for almost nine years. I did quite well. I still have it in me. I still have my rhythm. I’m not as limber or as quick as I once was, but that will come with time. Grasshopper.

I sparred the other three students that were in class. I had a handicap. My pants kept coming down. Nine years will take its toll on a pair of elastic waist Tae Kwon Do pants. Crouching Tiger Dropping Trou. I bought a new uniform after class.

안녕히 가세요. (That reads “Good Bye”)

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