100 Kata for Karate day- Year 4!

The day before I came to live in Okinawa we completed the first 100 Kata Challenge.

100 Kata Challenge 2014- Year 1

100 Kata Challenge 2015- Year 2

100 Kata Challenge 2016- Year 3

100 Kata Challenge 2017- Year 4

The 100 Kata Challenge and Karate day also marks a special time for me, because it was the 25th October 2014 that we got on the plane to come to Okinawa. I didn't know whether i would be on Okinawa for one Karate day and now I've been here for 3! There's no atmosphere quite like it.

Completing the 100 kata has phases, just like my journey here:

-The first few kata are so new, fun and exciting. You do them with enthusiasm and energy.  woohoo, go go go.

-Once you reach about 20, you start to slow down and pace yourself, you see the journey ahead and realise you have to settle in or you wont make it to the end.

-When you hit about halfway you begin to wonder why you're doing this. 'only halfway?!' then you tell yourself with a glass half full kinda head- half is done, drink some water- keep going.

-You reach 70 and your muscles are aching and sore, you're sweating a lot and beginning to wonder if it will ever end. I'm never doing this again.

-At 80, it's like zen, you're on autopilot almost. It's therapeutic. There's only you and the kata. Nothing else matters, you're there in the moment. It feels great.

-90! You actually almost did it! Now everyone's energy comes back. Yahoooo, here's where you become a team and are doing this together. 91, 92, 93.....

-100. We did it. Tired, Sweaty, Achy, Dirty....

But, that was great.

When can we do it again?