Thwack, thwack, thwack. Thwack, thwack, thwack. The dull sound of flesh hitting flesh as forearms collide in waltz time pulses through the karate dojo, accompanied by low conversation. Nearby I hear a faster tempo as two of the guys with muscular arms go at it twice as fast as everyone else. Next we go to […]
Thoughts
Karate and the Kingdom Part 3: Respect Authority
I stood at the edge of the mat at my first karate class, observing the flurry of action before me. There were about twelve people out on the mat, all performing the same movements of a kata (a choreographed series of blocks, strikes, and kicks), all at the same time, yet at different speeds and […]
Karate and the Kingdom Part Two: Accept the Terms
Read Part One: Girl in Black here. I couldn’t quite believe I was there, sitting across the desk from the owner of the dojo, signing up for karate lessons. I had no great, specific reason why I was doing this; I only knew I had enjoyed my free month of classes, I could use some […]
Karate and the Kingdom Part 1: Girl in Black
My coworker approached me where I sat at one of the computers at work. “Next month, I get to bring a friend to karate for free, and I’m inviting you,” she said. “You can come two times a week for the whole month, or you can come to one class and if you don’t like […]
To All Who Have Fought For Freedom
I see you. You are more than a small face in a grainy photograph. You are more than the blue or gold star they hung in the window. You are more than the helmet peeking above the bushes. You are more than nimble fingers and agile eyes aiming and firing. You are more than bloody […]
2016 in Review
The wayward writer has returned yet again. It’s been a coon’s age since I last posted (although I can’t say I actually know how long a coon’s age is – I assume it could be quite a while), so as a way of saying hello again, I’ll share my review of the past year as […]