… not quite got the “fast as lightning” bit down yet, though!

I’ve now been going to kung fu for coming up to four months. If anything, I’m coming home after class even more psyched and enthusiastic that I was when I started. I am making clear progress (though every week I find new challenges and my understanding of just how much I don’t know/can’t do expands exponentially the more I learn). I haven’t come home as bruised since that one time, but ice packs are still the best invention ever.

What’s interesting, though, is how much martial arts are permeating other aspects of my life. Some, are not totally unexpected. I’ve been working hard on my upper body strength training just to keep up in class; when I started out I could only manage about 2 push-ups, I can now get up to around 12 before my form goes a bit awry and regularly do around 50 in sets of 10. I bought a chin-up bar and couldn’t even get an inch off the ground, I can now do 7 with a minute’s rest in between. The subtle benefits in life of being that little bit stronger and fitter are definitely a major perk.

I’m becoming quite nicely toned and my body confidence and self-esteem are probably at the highest they’ve ever been. I’m walking taller, sitting straighter and have had far less back problems as a result. I’m particularly interested to see how well I cope with the winter blues this year – will the extra adrenaline and endorphins help combat SAD?

An unexpected bonus has been the way I’m starting to deal with irrational fears. I’ve found that “oh fgs, if you can do kung fu then you can cope with… a spider/the dark/awkward social event/looking like a twunt” is a fine motto, suitable for all sorts of circumstances. Still working on the less irrational fears though: I’ve got another grading coming up, but I’m bottling it on one aspect of the test – still not quite certain whether I should feel the fear and get on with it, or just see it as a sign that I’m not ready yet.

Not bad for something I pretty much started on a whim.