Thursday, April 12, 2018

Teaching Old Men New Kicks

When you are older and disabled
learning martial arts is a delicate
balance
between getting your body
in shape and not destroying it
in the process

the teacher says ideally, this
kick he is showing us should land
upside my opponent's head. I smile
at his optimism. My hips don't.

I try anyways & maybe that
is the whole point. to keep trying,
stay in motion, but don't mistake
the map for the territory (translated:
a picture of something is not
the thing
itself     or; a map is no good if you stare at it
so hard that you walk off a cliff

so, I respect the map of the kick
the instructor asks of me
but do not confuse it with the territory
that is my hips. I try
and keep my balance while
I try
to aim
every punch, every kick
at a map
of my opponent's head
but will settle for the territory
of their kneecap.



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