Resolve to Get a Life: Week #2

Seize every day to get out and have more fun with Amanda, Onlineshoes.com’s Rehabilitated Recluse.

As the first activity in my pursuit of getting a life, I enrolled in a martial arts/self defense course. Upon signing up for the class, I was confident that it was the perfect way to start out my resolution. Not only would I be doing something I have always wanted to, I would also be learning useful skills and maybe even meeting people along the way.

However, as time went on, I couldn’t shake this overwhelming feeling of fear and self-doubt. When the first day of class finally arrived and I was packing up my gym bag, I felt my stomach turn to knots, my cheeks begin to flush, and anxiety settle in. Images of me kicking the air and falling on my backside in the front of a room full of chuckling black belts loomed in my brain. I began to question if it was even a good idea to attend or if I should just back out. And then as I was trying to decide if I should be packing or unpacking, I was reminded of the great words of Mr. Miyagi: “Okay, to lose to opponent. Not okay to lose to fear.” As his words of wisdom played over and over again, the doubt that had once weighed me down was obliterated by optimism. And so I finished packing, threw on my ASICS®, and bounded off to class. I swear I could hear “Eye of the Tiger” playing off in the distance.

When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of attendants. Unlike the pictures I had envisioned of intimidating chiseled warriors, everyone looked normal and acted friendly. A short, stocky man with a huge smile and enormous biceps, introduced himself as the instructor for the course, and asked that we call him “Bahi”.

Over the course of 3 classes, Bahi has taught us how to avoid a frontal attack, disarm an attacker, protect ourselves using kick and jab combinations, as well as several fancy escape moves. And despite my lack of natural athleticism, I’m finding that I kind of have knack for it! Although, I do partly attribute this to my ASICS® Ultimate 81 Vegan, which I fondly refer to as my “Ninja Shoes”. Their weightlessness makes me as light as a feather so I can quickly align myself with my opponent as I prepare to strike, and the soft sole gives me just the right amount of bounce I need to pull off my sweet kicks. You can call me “Leaping Squirrel”.

All in all, I have to say that my first activity has been a success! Every time I leave class I notice I walk a little taller knowing that I am capable of getting out there and trying something new. Once I got over my own mental hurtle, it’s been smooth sailing and I’ve achieved what I wanted to: I’ve checked something off my To Do List, and even became friends with my sparring partner, Liz (who would have thought, that kicking someone in the groin could initiate a friendship?).

And so, as I prepare for my first flag football practice, I am no longer questioning if I will be able to do it. Instead I just wonder, what shoes will I wear?