106573104256073888

I am learning Taekwondo. Tuesday was my first class, and as I tied my white belt on for the first time, I had that old Suzuki quote in my mind:

I have forgotten what it is like to learn something about which I know nothing. As I have moved through my life, I realize that I have focused on learning things for which there is at least some foundation. More often I find myself in learning situations where I don’t challenge my ignorance, as my ego intrudes in my ability to learn something. We all have a need to seem like we know what we are doing.

So it is with some glee that I have abandoned myself to taekwondo. I know nothing of fighting, have only flirted with martial arts in the past through an introduction to ta’i chi, and my body is, at 35, becoming stiff and less supple as I enter middle age. Today, as I get ready for my second ever class, my hamstrings are tight, my back is aching and there are sore ligaments in my arms that I never knew I had. And yet, the activity is exhilarating.

What I cherished from my first class is the focus that reminds me of what it’s like to play music and be in the groove, the workout, and the teaching. My teacher, Master Kook, is a former Canadian team member and a brilliant teacher. He is young, kind and demanding, and he teaches with care and precision.

I think now that the real value in all of this is both the physical exercise and the mental challenge of doing something completely strange to me. It’s good practice for the ego, letting go of having to be an expert, and surrendering to the joy of being a beginner.