"You do this to open your hearts"

The Master was back! You could tell the Master was back....
"He's working us hard today," I whispered to Mistress Dance. as up and down the hall we did our kicking and punching routines following the um, arduous run (Mistress Ha Ha ran back to join me so I wouldn't be last...)

Later we got on the mats to practice more defence techniques.. tripping up our assailant..Not so easy to co-ordinate the arms and legs, so a godsend we do it all slowly.

"You are doing this in order to get to know your bodies," said the Master at one point.
"To learn how to defend ourselves," I said.
"No, that's a by product. You are doing this for yourselves, your children, your brothers, uncles, sisters..You do this to open up your hearts. It's not easy, you go to dark places, you have to go through those dark places so that you can begin to open your hearts and let in some light."

You can imagine, I go to class for mental health reasons, I liked this very much.
"Maybe you've noticed," he continued, "if you've met people at the top of their field, be it martial arts, any sport, soldiers at the front line, they are kind people, they've been through tough experiences and they've come out the other end. This is not about fighting, this training is about getting to know yourself."

It was an incredible class despite my Nico Teen/Double Expresso breakfast that made me so dizzy. Power; you can sense your own power.

I deliberately had a cigarette when I came out, so I could tell myself the last time. Last time buddy! Mistress La Francaise wants to quit smoking too, I told her the method I was using.

We need more people. We have no funding for next term. To think, in 2004 when I first started going, SureStart funded it all including the creche. I was in a low place and I went because I missed kickboxing and this was free. It gives you confidence. Shy people should definitely do it!

It's a fiver now, cheap for what you get but not enough of us to cover the whole thing (only 4 of us today, we used to be more than a dozen) so....
There's talk of inviting men! Two male road sweepers asked me if it was 'women only' on the run. "Yes!" I panted to their dismay!

"There's definitely a market," I laughed later. "Unemployed guys depressed at being so,"
"Guys who work shifts," added Mistress Dance. All very positive stuff!

This morning when I couldn't find my kit, I thought it a good excuse not to go. So glad I made myself!

There's nought so good as opening up your heart!