Women and Karate

What is karate?

Say the words and you think of mean looking men pounding away at each other. Possibly an image of children learning this art. You might think of women as the gentle race ...

Karate is for all, even at "that time off month". Remember we are all built to be athletes.

Where is a women's place in karate? You may well ask.

It is natural for women to feel the need for femininity, gentleness, tenderness, a way life women show everyday in their manner and actions. This will not be lost by taking up karate, not if you don't let it.

It will change other people's perception of you.

Women often excel in the fluid art of Kata which allows expression of movement.

Having trained over the years women will encounter sparring, something I do struggle with. What a test of femininity! It is much more natural to find women nursing injuries rather causing them! Have you ever got so frustrated with yourself and found the tears following? This is common thing when sparring, it may be a punch has landed and not been properly blocked. Maybe you know what to do but it doesn't work out and the tears flow. Crying is not really acceptable in karate.

What does a woman do with her time? This question is often posed to the house wife who supposedly has nothing to do except watch television. Oh how wrong, what we really do is washing, cleaning, running the household. Then there may be a partner and/or parents/in laws to keep happy. Of course, there may be children which involves lots of things (depending on the child's age) from doing the school run, after school activities, running to and fro friends, brownies, football, sickness cover and a whole host of other things. You may well ask what the relevance of this is?

In life, we need discipline to ensure jobs are done. We need confidence to know we can master them all. We need a lot of patience to endure life's hardships. We need an outlet for frustrations and a place to focus them into whatever your sex or nature.

I have found all this relevant to my life. I certainly know when I have not been training. First and foremost my weight piles on and fitness levels drop, life motivation goes a little off track. I am not so able to deal with difficult people when not training - I get frustrated with them, and that goes for children too. Karate is my release. With karate, while it is not good to have a stop-start relationship, as a mum this is what is needed, and a good club will understand that and have patience, whatever level you are.

I remember my first class many years ago. My jaw dropped when a young Sensei said "you will be expected to do a head level kick at some stage". Oh dear, I could barely manage to kick to the knee! But after a long time flexibility sets in, and now and again I just manage that kick. Now after time taken out for varying reasons this single mum of two is now a black belt.

Enjoy the sport, activity, and support.

Ann Holmes. Black Belt

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