Traveling

So I'm out of state for the next week and I'm foiled in my BJJ.  In the past I've usually been able to find an aikido dojo that's been very happy to have me visit for a time or two (being a black belt does make a difference), but there isn't one near me.

There's a mixed martial arts academy that wanted to charge me $50 for going to two classes (um, nope, too expensive and it's not my thing).

There's a BJJ dojo that I was going to go to until I found that the only classes I was eligible as a white belt were the women's classes...um, nope...besides, those were a schedule conflict with my nephews.

So, Saturday I hit a yoga class with my friend in Virginia.  This morning ad probably W-F as well I went to a kickboxing class.  It's at the same studio where my eldest nephew took Tae Kwon Do for 1.5 years so they probably won't charge me a mat fee (I'll still make a donation) and they completely kicked my butt this morning.  Yikes, those push ups were hard!  Jumping rope after your arms are blown from regular, wide, narrow, and fisted push ups (with your feet elevated) is very difficult...I did wimp out on the fisted and narrow push ups and do the few I could from my knees.

do you have any kickoxing background? how fun to visit another art! how did you like it aside from the physical training?

Kickboxing is completely new to me.  I did take a karate class for about about a month a decade (or more) ago, but it just didn't have the same appeal.  The warm up is completely kicking my butt which is a good thing I think...different routines help keep you from stagnating.  I could do kickboxing if it were all that were available (like it is this week), given that it's just a nice group of people and they do train hard.  Interestingly enough, there were three women in the class and only one man.  Apparently the sensei (Master Steve) couldn't make this morning's class although I'll most likely run into him later on this week.

Truly, Aikido is my first love in combination with judo.  I started so young (~9) and have such good memories from over the years that I will always have a place in my heart for it.  The gentle philosophy is one that seems to fit my personality so well as a general rule (okay, I can be bloodthirsty, but only if you go after me or mine).  Also aikido can be done at almost any age that you can move and with so many physical disabilities that adapting it works reasonably well (except for my knees darn it).  Judo, I know why they call it a youngster's sport, it's much more physically demanding although you can do it even as you get older.  BJJ (my second love), is both more and less physically demanding.  Because it's mostly mat work, good knees just aren't crucial to the classes.  In competitions you would certainly want to be in as good of shape as possible, but competitions are not necessary to pursue the art.