By Aisha Espinosa
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Laura Murray.
For eight years, one of the constants in my life has been karate.
I grew up with the sport as well as with the people. I have spent more time with the people at the dojo than some of my closest friends, but it was not until these past three weeks I learned the true lesson that stem from years of training and dedication.
Over the weekend of April 4, we had our annual three day “Gasshuku,” which is similar to a church retreat. We eat, sleep and train with the older members of the karate school -the seniors (anyone 13 or older) – from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon at Camp Summit in Argyle.
This time around, our designated weekend was equally cold, rainy and windy, but that did not stop us. I gave, as we repeatedly say in karate, my 200 percent. I trained as hard as I could, making up for the time I missed while I was at school on Friday.
And it paid off. After a long training session Friday night, we had a campfire. We made each other laugh and joked around; a very “kumbaya” moment as we shared jokes and told a couple of stories. We even made s’mores. Saturday, after a day of cold wind and rain, we were able to laugh as we held our own version of Saturday night live. Sunday, as we recounted our favorite parts of the weekend, I realized I had learned a different lesson that weekend.
Karate has shaped me to welcome people of all different types and ages. It has allowed me to be accepting of the fact that I have close friends ranging from the age of 11 to 23, that I have friends who are married, have kids or train with my dad.
But more importantly, karate now serves as a reminder that family is not just those who are related to you by blood. Family is who you choose to surround yourself with. It is who makes you laugh the most, makes you cherish every moment you spend together because you know time is limited.
Admittedly, we make an odd group. But in retrospect, that is what makes us so close. That is what lets us get away from the world together, even if it is just three measly days in April.
