There is No Try

In the attempt to get fit and maximize my nearly free karate lessons, I did another class today after work. We did some really good stretches and standard calesthenics to warm up. Then they paired us up M-M, F-F and we choked each other. Some moves were fairly easy, but some were above my third lesson abilities. (Picture Ferris Bueller saying "never had one lesson".) People were still really nice to me, as they generally are to new people. I cracked one guy up by introducing myself as the "FNG".

I did notice a difference between how seriously I tried to do the holds vs. the other ladies I was working with. One did some things very well, and the other was pretty hesitant and kind of limp. On one hand, it's unnerving to grab a stranger by the throat after a pleasant greeting, and not hurt them while learning to hurt them. My thought on doing the exercise was that I don't want to practice doing the moves so wrong that it would be worse than not knowing. But I also don't want to hurt someone accidentally either. I can't claim any great skill, but I tried to stay focused and do the moves properly but gently. I'm not sure I'm great at gently.

Grabbing someone by the neck was very freaky. I don't really know my own strength generally. We played with a standing choke with thumbs on the throat (above and below the adam's apple) by swallowing to feel the throat parts move and it was an odd sensation. I abstained from doing a takedown from upright to floor with my arm wrapped around someone's neck. I did do the other ones. They got complicated and a little silly. There was throwing a leg up and over a shoulder then neck. There was tickling.