KAK

My body is, now, a temple...an ancient one. The graffiti of bruises, the cracked pillars of bone, the infallible construction of muscle, all a testament to the grueling devotion I have undertaken for the last year. I am passionate about very few things, mostly because things don't hold my interest for more than my six year old's ability to do math (2 minutes, yeah, she's good!). But to find an art form, a science, a skill that has me enthralled and coming back for more is truly inspirational.

It has been a year, almost to the day, that I embarked on what I thought would be an activity that would, if nothing else, keep me engaged with my children for an hour, three times a week. Well, I was wrong! The kids have found it tiresome, sometimes down right irritating to see my growing enthusiasm for an activity that was meant for their learning. To add to their woes, I also introduced a reluctant friend to the fun, who in turn, dragged her child in. Now a year later, the not so lush grounds of our apartment complex are taken over by 10 children (preteen) and 2 women, past their mid-thirties, engaged in a cacophony of Hoos and Has, dedicated to improving their skills in Karate.

Yes, you read right! Karate! We have all traversed the mediocre to the not so bad levels, achieving accolades on the way. Every class is a schedule made for a mortal combat training movie, with the main character (me) being beaten up just enough to survive the stretcher. The kids love that, especially mine. But I have come to realize that with each punch, block and kick I become more enthusiastic, many a times, to my own detriment. I have watched the other participants for signs of 'throwing in the belt', but most are just as crazed as me.

My partner in karate, in all honesty, was expected to drop out first, months ago, but has been nothing but the Great Wall of China. Her unwavering determination to regularly attend class and also ensure her daughter learns, finally paid off, when she punched a man for misbehaving with her children. The fact that she punched the miscreant isn't really worth the mention. The feeling of being in command, fearless, and showing her protective prowess, however, have made her a hero in my eyes. I am not a fighter by nature, and I know for a fact that neither is she, but to take a step in that direction for the right cause and not back down, is commendable. Her action has encouraged her daughter to take up Karate more seriously, and I think, that is reward enough.

So, as I start my second year of strengthening not just my body but also my mind, in an endeavor which was first ill received, I know for sure that even when I move on from this place to my next abode, there will be those who carry the torch forward. Now I just have to figure out why I pay to get my ass kicked in public on a regular basis, and still love it. Oh! because it's Kick Ass Karate.