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I started doing Taekwondo .... at 53

Well, there you have it, I have started doing Taekwondo, at 53! I suppose it is about time. With my wife and son doing it, I did not realy have a choice to get involved.  I was thoroughly challenged when I posted photos of myself running the Comrades maraton back in 1993. But it was also a warning from my body to stop being a couch potato and get fit.

 For the first time in my life I am doing a sport that involves coordination. I played tennis at school but 75% of the time I missed the ball. I tried rugby once or twice at school, but the notion that I have to run after an egg shaped ball that most of the time I cant even catch, did not appeal to me at all. I resigned myself to the fact that I have no ball sence and left it at that. However, after I started working I kept fit, being in the military did not really gave me a choice and I enjoyed it, I especially enjoyed running, because it tested my endurance and stamina. I enjoyed it so much that I started running marathons and ulta-marathons. When I left the military, I fell into the work rut, not leaving much time for practice, so over time I gained about 20kg, had close encounters with heart attacks (due to stress), and generally lost my energy. 

So, enter Taekwondo, and my wife being an avid student, member of the National Team and all, and my son, nagging me to start practicing. For the first part of 2015 we concentrated on fund-raising for my wife's World Championships Tour. And I promised my son that I will start going with them to practice AFTER the World Championships. Don't ever make such a promise (joke)!

Long story short, I started doing Taekwondo a bit more than a month ago and I am dying with every practice session. But my fitness is picking up, I am not as short of breath as I used to be, and I can punch and sort of kick, but oh my, the coordination! My first attempt at performing the White Belt form at our club's Development Tournament was a disaster. I could not remember the full form sequence, and my arms and legs are not responding to brain commands. I actually found it frustratingly hillarious! My arms and legs are going all over the place, and my left arm and leg just refuses to cooperate. (this for one that is left handed). 

So if you ever get to a competition and you see someone in the Biltong Category, flailing around like one that it drowning, it will most likely be me. 

Off course I am also starting to feel the injuries of my youth, a dislocated hip of 35 years ago, torn ankle ligaments of 30 years ago, all adding up, all making themselves felt, slowing me down.

So what posessed me, at age 53,getting fit, learing intricate movements that require a decent level of coordination, and generally making a fool of myself in front of the spectators at a tournament?  Well, everything I described above. 


A desire to get fit and live a more healthy,a balanced lifestyle, maybe loose some weight, and if I can, run the Comrades again. 

And to challenge my brain! 

To force it to make the connection between left brain and right brain, To get controll over my left and right side of my body and get it to work together on command without thinking about it... like driving a car. 

That requires focus, and practise, and controll, and practice. 

And it is a family sport, I enjoyed supporting my wife and son when they participated, but I enjoy it even more practicing and participating with them. It is becoming a family affair, a family activity. Just to get Wehan to participate as well.

The bottom line is, I want to get my life back and not just let it happen anymore, get a proper work-life balance, and get fit with my family. 







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