In the past month or so, I’ve received a flurry of inquiries, all from the same karate club. Apparently, the sensei of the dojo is planning to retire and close up shop for good – Kind of sad as they have been running for quite some time, however, no senior has the desire to take over. So, this instructor in charge, we all know him as the strong, powerful, energetic force of nature - always go, go, go! Literally, only "Go," and almost no "Jyu." Training and always moving like Cyclone Alfred, the poor gentleman’s body was probably begging for a long holiday to Okinawa after all those years of intense action. There’s only so much the body can handle, which is why it’s so critical to incorporate the true principles of Goju from the beginning. Then again, many people who practice 'Goju' probably never had, nor will they ever have, a 'real' teacher to guide them. Instead, they may follow a path of self-destruction or self-doubt, eventually giving up or exploring a different martial art, forever wondering and searching for more. Heck, it only took us a decade or two before we finally found someone who wasn’t a bullshit artist with only money symbols flashing in their eyes.
Now, check out this gentleman below. His name is Miyagi - yep, Mr. Miyagi, I kid ya not. An Okinawan name kind of the equivalent of "Smith" in the West. He’s also part of the Minei Dojo Okinawa, and you’ll love this, he only started karate because... wait for it... RETIREMENT! Yes, you read that right. Can you even imagine that in the Western world? People starting karate in their mid-60’s because they’ve hit retirement age, rather than the other way around - retiring because they’ve been karate chopping and ossssssing (sorry - couldn't resist) so damn hard that their bodies just cave in?
Practising Okinawan Goju Karate certainly shouldn’t be something that forces us to retire from. Instead of breaking the body down, it should empower us to move with greater ease and agility through constant repetition, ensuring that we can continue to train and live a healthy life as we grow older. It definitely isn’t and shouldn’t be about wearing you down to the point where you even have to consider 'retiring' from karate. If it is, however, what kind of karate are you really practicing or think you're practicing....better still, why?
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