Returning to Taekwondo After 40 Years

   Anyway will I was tired and was not up for the class I went and it was a good class.    I was the only one there - Master Kai informed me that the other people were out with Covid-19 (in fact 5 of her young students were also out today).   For the class, she give me more correction of my kicks informing me that I needed to keep my hip in.   Also had to do slow motion kicks trying to strengthen my kicks.   We did our normal stretches which focused on the hip.   I was a good work out.   

Tonight was my second class, and this time there was three women there besides me.  Having a bigger class meant that the shared time doing the exercises was divided so it was a bit easier.   I don't think I did any better then the first night.  I struggled with the stretching (a lot of hip stretching, and a stretching which make you look like a frog.   The kicking involved the front kick, and jumping front kick in sequence, and the round house kick from one to a triple sequence.   At one point she had us do a running front kick with the right leg, jumping front kick with the left leg, and finish with a flying front kick with our right leg.  None of us did well on the exercise.   I was 35 minutes into the class I looked down and my foot and it was covered in blood.  I must have seriously scraped my toe - during one of the exercises.  So I had to take a break to get the bleeding under control, and I rejoined the class.    I like, the class - but I'm not loving it because I'm

I was introduced to Tae kwon Do back in 1977 when I was only 15 years old.  I spent close to 5-6 years studying TKD in three different dojangs.  One in Whippany which was bought by another instructor in Parsippany, and then later by Ki Chung Kim in Orange, NJ. So today was my return back into a dojang.  While the class which I've started attending is not a traditional Tae Kwon Do class - it's a fitness class ran by a Tae Kwon Do master which incorporate TDK into the workout.  The instructor said when there's time instructions would be provided for me to learn the Taeguek forms 1-8 (which is my ultimate goal).    The class tonight (my first) was tough for someone that is closing in on 60-year-old.  The good news is that I did not quit, and I did not strain or tear any ligaments.  But honestly it was as tough as running at least a 10 km race, leaving me be drenched in sweat.    Anyway, this blog is my journey back to TKD.