How often do you practice?

'How often do you practice karate then?' asked Dale. 

It had been a long a long morning, tattooing my client. During that time the conversation had flowed, from music, to TV, to holidays, favourite foods and hobbies. I might have mentioned that I do karate, once or twice. Now we had stopped for a long overdue lunch break. I'd offered him an apple, he had politely accepted. 

'How often do I practice karate?' I repeated, ' Every day.'

'EVERY day?' He sounded surprised. 

'Every single day. In fact, I'm practicing karate right now.' 

Dale looked at me with a smirk, like he was waiting for the punchline. There wasn't one.

'No you're not'

'What am I doing then?

'Eating an apple, same as me' 

'No,' I protested playfully, 'you're just eating an apple. I'm practicing karate!'

Dale's smirk took on a quizzical look, as he looked at me through narrowed eyes. 

I let him stew for a minute.

'Okay' I said, breaking the tension 'let me ask you a few questions...'

Dale threw his apple core in the bin and sat back to indulge me. 

'If I'm in a dojo, wearing a white karate suit and a black belt, doing katas, punching and kicking other people also wearing karate suits, am I not practicing karate?' 

'Yeah, I'd say so...'

'And if I'm in my garden, wearing tracksuit bottoms and a Blitz Karate tee shirt, perfecting my katas, am I not practicing karate?'

'I suppose so'

'And if I'm in the gym, practicing punches, kicks, and karate chops on a punch bag, am I not practicing karate?'

'Well, I mean...'

'And if I'm in the gym, doing a workout tailored specifically to support the muscle groups that I need to be able to perform katas, to deepen my stances, increase flexibility, move faster and strengthen my blocks and strikes, am I not practicing karate?

'Well, when you put it like that...'

And if I change my diet to further support my lifestyle, a diet that gives me enough carbohydrates to fuel my training sessions, enough protein to recover, enough calcium to keep my bones strong, and the right balance of calories so I stay lean enough to be able to move fast, so that I am efficient as a fighter, am I not practicing karate?

The last one was, admittedly, tenuous, but Dale let that one through.

'So,' I added in closing, 'by choosing to eat an apple with my lunch, rather than a slice of cake, I am, therefore, practicing karate!' 

Okay, so the above conversation never actually took place, apart from in my head, and I would almost always choose a slice of cake over an apple, but I thought it was a good way to get the point across that if you do martial arts (in my case Karate, but the same applies if you practice Jiu Jitsu, Wing Chun, Boxing, Aikido, any martial art) then it becomes a part of everything you do. From the way you turn a light on, or close a door, the exercise and activities you do outside the dojo, your diet, the way you treat people, your work ethic, relationships and how you apply yourself to new challenges and situations. I have a friend, a 4th Dan called Charley who, when trying on a new pair of jeans in a shop, will bust out a few high kicks to see how they feel when kicking! 

When I first started training in martial arts, I trained in traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu under Sensei Steve Barnett, who taught me a lot about keeping on, never quitting and staying the course. He taught me that once I commit to training, it then becomes my DUTY to train. Tired? Train. Under the weather? Train. Broken your left hand? Train with your right hand. Is anybody making you train? No. Is anybody going to penalise you for missing training? No. It is all down to self discipline and self motivation. When I went self employed in 2011, it was this ethos that carried over into my work ethic. I don't have a boss that will tell me off if I don't go into work each day, I am responsible for my own discipline, that I have learned through doing martial arts. When business was slow, when times were hard, I kept on, weathered the storm. Resilience that I'd taken from years of training in martial arts. Success can only come from consistently showing up every day, applying yourself, working hard and doing your best.

When it comes to learning a martial art, and coming up through the belt system, there are no short cuts.  It takes patience, resilience and humility. It involves learning, respect for others and problem solving. There same qualities shine through in the relationships you have with your friends, family and work colleagues. Good martial artists tend to be patient, show respect to those around them, be able to admit when they're wrong, and be good at conflict resolution. Getting angry or frustrated in the dojo doesn't solve anything, it only leads to mistakes. Only by keeping a cool head and staying focused on the techniques that will get you out of the situation can the situation be resolved. The same applies to resolving problems in the home, at work, fixing the car or with a problematic neighbour.  

In 2010, whilst training in Shotokan under Sensei Mick Burnand, I cycled coast-to-coast for charity, a gruelling 220 miles over 3 days, over the Pennines. At numerous times over the journey I wanted to quit. My legs hurt, my back hurt, I was exhausted, my left knee was strapped up in a makeshift bandage I'd made from cutting up my socks, and I was still only halfway there. The 'never give up' mentality I'd gained from training in martial arts kept me going and helped my stay positive right until the last mile. The same mentality helped me complete a triathlon and the Yorkshire Three Peaks well into my forties. 

The people who I have met through martial arts will be my lifelong friends. The mentality I have learned through martial arts helps me every single day. The skills I have learned through martial arts might one day save my life. The spirit of martial arts is in me always, and in everything I do. In this way, I practice karate every single day. 

Now, anyone for cake?