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Last night we had our first Women's Class for the Fall Schedule. We had three beginners. One who kept giggling nervously during the class, the second it turned out had taken some karate but never graded, and the third is a sandan in Shotokan Karate but stopped training a couple of years ago.
It was a bit hard to concentrate as the house next door to the dojo was blaring reggae music. This has only happened once before and so kind of threw me at first.
The first lady had a hard time doing the basic back rolls, so I worked right next to her and talked her through it. At first it tried my patience because she'd do one and then stop, sit there and just watch. And then do the same side again. Stop. Sit. Watch. Understandable. She did make some progress. She marveled at how uncoordinated she was. I said that she was learning to make her body do things that just don't seem natural right now and just try to do her best.
Oh and when we were paired together doing a cross hand grab ikkyo she would grab me and try to do the technique.
After class I said to the first two that they were probably wondering what any of the basic movements had to do with martial arts, that it all must look so strange, but to give it a chance and if they enjoy it to keep coming. I said that they might want to come and observe a regular class so that they can see where it leads up to. Hopefully, it won't put them off.