Black and Blue

It is a rainy weekend,one that makes for a challenge to find the enthusiasm to take our dog Yara for a walk, and hang up the new Christmas lights my husband and son brought home so proudly yesterday. We watched "Legend of the Fist", a 2010 Donny Yen movie. He is quickly becoming our favorite martial artist in movies. He is amazing. His endurance, his stamina, stunning speed and technique are exhilarating to watch. He also seems to possess a warm heart, a welcome quality in a martial art world dominated by huge egos that often come across as vain and cold. I like the fact that Donny Yen's mother was a Grandmaster and that he was trained at the same martial arts school in Beijing as Jet Li. Donny Yen has a 6th degree black belt, among other accolades and disciplines, in Tae Kwon Do. My husband and I are both 1st degree black belts in Tae Kwon Do, and were trained by a 9th degree black belt Grandmaster. I miss the black belt classes the most. As a rule, there was about 75% men, versus 25% women. I often preferred sparring and learning with the men in the classes, as they fought fairly. Some of the women were desperate to impress our Grandmaster, as narcissism and jealous egos unfortunately are a part of the martial arts world. The intense training required to become a black belt can be hard on your knee joints,shoulders and back after 50, and I decided to walk away before my right knee required surgery. I was just shy of 45 when our Grandmaster handed me my black belt in the beautiful award ceremony and my husband was 53. For Michael, it became painful for his shoulders. I do miss the adrenalin and camaraderie.We would come home sweating, bruised, exhausted, reaching for the Aleve and tigertbalm, and couldn't wait to do it all again the next day. There is a time and space for all things, and those 7 years we were very active in the world of martial arts were unique, culturally, physically and also politically, as there never was any shortage of melodrama surrounding the Grandmaster and his female entourage, some of whom were desperate for his attention and favor, something he was quite crafty at appreciating. Those were the days of risk and adventure! Watching Donny Yen 's skills is very satisfying because I have a good appreciation for the enormous effort and relentless drive that made him a superstar in the world of martial arts. It is no surprise that he is the highest paid martial artist in all of Asia. I think he is probably the most skilled as well. It is nice when things make sense. Black and blue, skill and endurance. Unique in beauty and history, the world of martial arts holds a continuing mystique that is well deserved. I am glad that I became a part of it. It changed my vision, my determination, as it pushed me beyond what I thought I could endure both mentally and physically.