About 20 years ago I had a blog. It feels strange to be able to write that. I remember when blogs were new and people had to say something like “weblogs, or blogs as they’re also known”. I studied software development back in the very early 2000s and one of my projects for my degree was a content management system for blogging. I remember having to explain to a panel of tech-savvy lecturers that “no, I don’t mean server logs, a weblog is like an online journal”.
Anyway, my blog was called “Hot Anorak”. I do not, and have never, considered myself hot. “Hot Anorak” was a pun; part of an anagram:
“Hot anoraks do take / Shotokan karate-do”.
Get it? The first line is… Never mind. In certain parts of the world “anorak”, a type of coat, also means “nerd”, and while the “hot” part of the name might not have fit, you can probably tell that the “anorak” bit wasn’t too far off the mark.
I wrote about karate and my experiences as a humble beginner. I started writing as a 9th kyu white-belt, then 8th kyu, working my way up to 5th kyu with a blue belt. Then I just stopped.
I injured my back, not from karate, but still it made everything hurt and training was not possible. My lower back is still not great and I’m careful with it to this day, but I remember those days back in my early 20s and the constant pain I was in. The karate stopped and by the time I was able to move without pain again I was well and truly off the wagon. Momentum was gone. Being in my early 20s life was really just taking off and a lot was changing both in me and around me. Karate got left behind.
Cut to this year: A middle-aged dad looking for something for his son. We looked at my old dogi, my old belts, my books, my mitts, my trophies, my grading book complete with picture of 22-year-old me. Nostalgia turned into “what if…? nah!”, turned into “maybe…”. Then one sensei I wrote to, trying find a spot for my son, told me that although she didn’t do kids classes I’d be more than welcome to come back myself.
So, now. Mō Ichido. Once more.
Mō Ichido 
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