Why Karate, but particularly my style, is right for me

I think I have been lucky in finding a style of Karate that suits my needs first time. I think any style of Karate would be good for Cardio-Vascular exercise, provided the person's limitations are taken into account.   However from my journey so far, I can honestly say sports Karate would not have been for me.   Finding out I had COPD later this year was also a big downer, but at the stage it was caught, the exercise we do in the Dojo is highly recommended by my doctor.

The luck started with trying to find my son an activity to make him confident when transferring between schools.  The centre where we looked had both JuJitsu and Karate:  He preferred Karate and in taking him to the lessons I became interested as well.  Not only did it work out for him, it has worked for me, and we now share a common interest 😊 .  Who would have believed we would end up competing and winning medals together?

Where I live has become much rougher in recent years due to police cuts, amongst other things.  I need to learn self defence as well as work out; some of the other styles may well have worked, but Shorin-Ryu seems to meet my needs perfectly.  Of course, having Sensei I both like and respect is a great starting point.

The basic advice to all people wanting to learn self defence is, hopefully, always try to avoid, or avoid conflict or escape if at all possible.  I can try the avoids, and escape if it is at a sane pace.  But for me, it would take a massive amount for me to try running away.  My speed is definitely not a strong point, and younger chasers are always likely to have more stamina.

So for me, learning to hit, kick, forearm strike, knee strike,  etc. to vulnerable parts is an absolute must.  If I have do defend myself, it needs to be done as quickly and effectively as possible and  need to make sure the opponent stays down.

I understand the idea that the sports style of Karate is good for controlling the distance, but for me if I have to engage, I think the only option I would have is to step inside before my attacker expected, so the style I am studying works just fine for me.😊 

That said, the nerd in me loves to see how other styles of Karate do things, and hear other people's stories.  A beginner like me needs to learn one style well, but there is nothing wrong with an open mind or inquisitive personality either.  😊  Also I have always been a lover of history, and Karate offers a wonderful insight into all sorts of aspects, from medieval to modern day.   😊 

Hopefully the journey will continue for a long time, with many more eye opening and positively challenging times to come. 😊