BURN

It must have been 98 degrees outside; inside the dojang, it was at least 110—the air conditioning wasn’t working that day. We were sweating so badly, it was hard to make a fist without the fingers sliding apart! When we paused for a water break, I walked up to the big plate glass windows and looked out at the street. To my surprise, a man was jogging past, staring straight ahead with determination. How could anyone exercise in this heat? I wondered, amazed at his dedication.

Then I realized that I was in the middle of a Taekwondo class in an overheated, overcrowded dojang… and there wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. I certainly wouldn’t have traded places with that jogger.

What is it about Taekwondo that makes me forget I’m working out? It’s not for everybody, I’m sure, but I love it. When you find that form of exercise that you really enjoy, it becomes something more than just a way to burn calories. I have to admit, though, there are times when that’s the only motivator to get me off the couch and into class.

Burn out is something that hits all of us at one time or another, and maybe more often than not when there’s too much going on. Sometimes Taekwondo class just feels like another obligation when I’m already tired and feel like I’ve got nothing left to offer anybody. So what to do?
As silly as it sounds, watching a movie with martial arts stunts in it can be all it takes to fire me up again. I watch Jackie Chan execute a jumping, spinning wheel kick, and I find myself fantasizing about what I could do if I just practice harder. A person can dream, right?

Yet another way to spark my interest is to watch shows on TV that cover martial arts, like “Mind, Body, and Kickin’ Moves” or “Fight Quest.” There was a fantastic Discovery Channel program called “Extreme Martial Arts” that had some mesmerizing computerized effects showing what the bones and muscles of the body were doing as an expert practiced. The show also demonstrated that a front kick could strike with as much force as a speeding car.

My favorite part, though, was when they explained a phenomenon the Chinese call the “body shield,” but in Chinese, of course. This is how it works: when one gets kicked and hit frequently in training, the body develops an interesting reflex: the force of a blow is dispersed in waves that travel over the entire torso. So it isn’t just our imagination telling us that it hurts less to get hit these days than it did when we were white belts. Muscle tone helps, too. So if you’ve ever wondered about those crunches that Master Carothers makes you do—the ones where you hit yourself in the stomach each time— this helps develop that reflex.

Finally, reading a book on martial arts or exploring informative websites can also fire up flagging interest. And this applies to anything you’re doing that becomes boring: do some research! The more you learn, the more your interest increases. I suppose my relationship to my sport is like any relationship—it needs nurturing. I think I’ll go surf the net looking for articles on martial arts. I never know what I’ll learn next.