Day 108: Writing About...

I just wrote this nice post about Savageman and how much I have enjoyed having him around so much, but it embarrassed him so I took it down. 

In addition to his other numerous qualities, he's humble too.

I try not to blog much about the younger Savages.

So that leaves... karate!  (What a surprise...)

I arrived at 5 tonight and left at 10.  Which actually isn't that uncommon these days for a Monday or a Wednesday. 

Arriving at 5 gives me a whole hour to warm up and practice my forms with a room practically to myself before people begin to arrive for kickboxing.  Depending on whom else is around, I might also get extra help with whatever I'm practicing.

After an hour of kickboxing class, I change out of clothes so wet you could wring them out into a fresh, dry gi. 

Tonight, I was ready to wring that out as well after the first 30 minutes of class.  We worked on hapkido for the remainder of the hour, and when class ended at 8:15, a bunch of us stayed and continued to work on weapons and forms.  (I was happy to have brought a third change of clothes.) Savageman came for a while to hang out and watch.

By 9:15, most people had cleared out, leaving only us die-hards, who were still trying things out and asking The Master questions, occasionally breaking into spontaneous sparring and grappling matches. 

We didn't leave until 10.  As usual. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are different.  There is class from 10 - 11:30 a.m. and we try to get to that because it's small and a very good opportunity for one-on-one time with The Master to work on material.  We're back at 4 for another class and kickboxing.  Then I'm off to baseball or childbirth class.  I come back later to clean and hang out at the cafe with the ninja buddies.  Savageman often joins us too, as this is always a good time.  These can be late nights as well, especially if we clean after the cafe closes.

Of course, Friday is sparring and pizza and sometimes a movie.  And we've been meeting to practice for 1-3 hours on Saturdays and Sundays as well. 

It's a lot, I will admit.  But to spend this amount of time engaged in a "flow" activity - to be learning and improving and exercising and concentrating - it's probably the healthiest expenditure of time I can imagine.  There have been periods of my life in which I spent at least that many hours per day watching television or surfing the web. 

There is no comparison.

The effects of this activity - and this heavy-duty schedule - on my body, my mental and emotional health, and my social life are immeasurable. 

I wouldn't trade these hours for anything.