So here I was sitting cross-legged with the 4-10 years old, ready to test for promotion board. My embarassed 33 years notwithstanding, I put up a smile and waited patiently for my turn. For today was not about me, it was about us and about you.
It all began about three months back when I took Sehar to the karate class. She loved it the very first day. And as if on a whim, I thought of joining the adult class as well. So here we were sharing a dojo and as I saw Sehar's little bows to the dojo every time she entered and left her class, I saw myself bowing to the spirit in her. Sehar almost always finished her classes with hugs and "Mom, did you see how I did that?, Mom, did you see my cute push-up?, Mom, did you see my kick?" Thresholds were broken and achievements were small but nevertheless, they were always celebrated with a hug or a kiss. The dojo brought the best in both of us and to me made a better person out of both of us. Here we were in that little space, ready to throw away all our prejudices and ready to take on "ourselves" and the "limits we put on us".
It all began about three months back when I took Sehar to the karate class. She loved it the very first day. And as if on a whim, I thought of joining the adult class as well. So here we were sharing a dojo and as I saw Sehar's little bows to the dojo every time she entered and left her class, I saw myself bowing to the spirit in her. Sehar almost always finished her classes with hugs and "Mom, did you see how I did that?, Mom, did you see my cute push-up?, Mom, did you see my kick?" Thresholds were broken and achievements were small but nevertheless, they were always celebrated with a hug or a kiss. The dojo brought the best in both of us and to me made a better person out of both of us. Here we were in that little space, ready to throw away all our prejudices and ready to take on "ourselves" and the "limits we put on us".The dojo's transcendence lies in its amazing ability to cross over to any place you want it to be. Soon our little drawing room turned into a dojo where the sounds of 1 Sir and 2 sir resonated in the air. As we practiced together and did high fives in the air and cheered and taught each other, we were two friends unabated by the differences in our generation or our age.
And between 5'o and 9o' classes and drives to and from the martial arts school, quick dinners, bike rides and play dates we completed our 3 months and here we were testing for our yellow belts sitting together, she in the front and I, the last in the row (being the oldest in the class) .
A quote from Mac dojo Karateka resonated in my mind - "Kia is a meeting of the spirits. To me, this implies a focusing of energy or simultaneously focusing the mind and body for one purpose". And as we ended our session with the board breaking and a loud "Kia", we were officially one in spirit, body and mind in that moment and our distance was only a perception of space and time.
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