Gaijin says

After my second karate class, here are the gaijin's comments:

The second class was less intense than the first because this time, it wasn't a mix of beginners and advanced, we were all beginners. So I might survive after all.

In the so-called warm-up, we do excruciating stretches on cold leg muscles…??? This does not feel good and once or twice, I felt a shooting burning sensation that speaks more of injury then stretching. I really don't get this.

We practiced self-defence moves. Cool! I enjoyed it.

I find myself once again in a class full of... healthy young men. I must have done something right in another life! They all use the "vous/usted" polite form with me though, which I hate -err, excuse me John- highly dislike.

The dojo is something of a farce, a smallish, dingy space in a commercial building, with low suspended ceilings in bad shape and walls not much better. Only the tatami is good quality. All around the room are framed pictures of old Kyokushin masters. From what I can see from the pictures and the sensei, in order to become a master in Kyokushin karate, you must be stocky and develop a solidly rotund belly. Even at my son's school, all the black belts have a rotund belly. May be I won't stick with karate after all.

Stay tuned!