I am a Martial Artist

I did a thing.

The last few years have been full of life changes. More and more of my time was spent reacting instead of living intentionally. I was incapable of telling you what I do for fun because me-time was a thing of the past. Becoming a mother, a homeowner, working 2 jobs, and living through a pandemic was tough.

With the encouragement of my loved ones, I started prioritizing myself. Both my mental health and my physical health have become things I work on daily. A few months ago, I started taking a martial arts class through Self Discovery Self Defense. With Sifu Marcie I have been working on becoming stronger, more aware, confident, and more capable. She has been the perfect teacher for this journey.

I will not mislead you – I joined a martial arts class on accident. My friend asked me to come to her class on Sunday and I, mistakenly, thought it was for her two-session self-defense course. Next thing I knew, I was attending a class focused on Jeet Kune Do twice a week. This was easily the best way to get me to try something new. As an anxious person, change upsets me when I don’t see it coming.

For those who don’t know, Jeet Kune Do is a martial arts philosophy created by Bruce Lee, based on his personal experience with unarmed fighting and self-defense. It is a freeform style of fighting that takes from all the forms that came before it: Wing Chun, Boxing, Fencing, Escrima, Judo, Jujutsu, Savate, Taekwondo, Tai Chi, Wresting, etc. There are twelve levels toward mastery in Jeet Kune Do.

Now I train twice a week in unarmed and armed combat. I have a dedicated solo lesson with my Sifu to learn new skills both physically and mentally. Then I have 2 dedicated group classes I attend to spar and rep with other individuals, some at my introductory skill level and some much higher.

Leveling in anything was not something I set out to do but I am so proud of this accomplishment. Challenge Day was a test in endurance and pushing myself to the limit. Could I still maintain form when under duress? Turns out the answer is yes, and I was awarded level 1!

I am so proud that I’ve made space for this and keeping a boundary to protect this space. Time spent in this class brings me joy. Continuing my training, honing my skills, and working toward level 2 is going to be great adventure.

Here’s to trying something new! And here’s to continuing the work!