Sarlie Drakos Watch Me Kick Butt
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PHOTOGRAPHY: MOSTFASA PHOTOGRAPHY 22 I am always surprised by the reactions that I receive when I tell someone for the first time that I do karate. Much to my annoyance, one of the most common responses involves the person that I am speaking to attempting to mimic an elaborate kick that they saw in a Kung Fu movie or pretending to ‘karate- chop’ my arm off. After continuing to laugh hysterically as if it were the most original and witty joke that has ever been created, they then tend to ask a bunch of annoying questions like “can you break wood with your hands?” or “does that mean you can bash me?” I’m not sure if it has always been this way but, these days, it seems as though Martial Arts is viewed by the vast majority of people as a type of showmanship rather than a sport or art form that takes years of dedication to master. The fact that Karate and other types of Martial Arts are being seen in this superficial light saddens me. And, even though I know that this can be said for practically any sport, it feels almost unfair that unless a person actually does karate themselves, they are unable to understand what it is all about. When I asked a few students at the University of Wollongong why they think people do karate, they mentioned things such as: improving your health and fitness, learning self-defence and making new friends. While these things are all true, the factors mentioned above should be viewed merely as the surface values of karate rather than the core values of the sport or art form. By this I mean that they are not the only benefits that a person can gain from doing karate and, in my opinion anyway, should not be viewed with any more weight than other less-obvious benefits such as improving mental wellbeing, increasing a person’s ability to concentrate and focus, instilling determination, improving coordination and flexibility, and educating people about respect through offering a valuable insight into traditional Japanese culture. These are just some of the positive traits that the style of karate that I practice has to offer. Believe me when I say that there are many, many, many more positive outcomes from doing Karate but, as I do not wish to bore you with an arduous list, I will get back to the main point of the article… Karate is so much more than just throwing a few punches around or proving that you are the best at fighting. After speaking to a few members of different karate clubs, I was shocked to discover that some of the men who practice karate have experienced occasions where other males have tried to coax them into a fight after hearing that they are training in the sport. Adam, a twenty-one-year-old male, even stated that during his time at high school, the other boys in his year sometimes saw him as a “challenge” and would bait him or pick on him so that they could test their ability to fight against someone who was professionally trained in self-defence. As a female, I am fortunate that I have not had to encounter the same challenges as some of my male counterparts. But, I would be lying if I said that I haven’t endured my fair share of egotistical behaviour as a result of people learning that I do karate. I am not trying to communicate that this is true of every male, but, in more than one instance, I have had to bite my tongue while being told by men who have no real insight into karate other than what they have seen on movies tell me that they would be better at the sport than myself. Though I would like to believe otherwise, it seems that there is still a misconception that only certain people can be good at karate and, because I am a young woman who may appear quite feminine or delicate, apparently I don’t fit the brief. Because what does over eight years of training matter when you have seen every Jackie-Chan movie anyway? I AM WOMAN, WATCH ME KICK BUTT! BY SARLIE DRAKOS THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE 23 @sarlie14
Transcript of Sarlie Drakos Watch Me Kick Butt
PHOTOGRAPHY : MOSTFASA PHOTOGRAPHY22
I am always surprised by the reactions that I receive when I tell someone for the first time that I do karate. Much to my annoyance, one of the most common responses involves the person that I am speaking to attempting to mimic an elaborate kick that they saw in a Kung Fu movie or pretending to ‘karate-chop’ my arm off. After continuing to laugh hysterically as if it were the most original and witty joke that has ever been created, they then tend to ask a bunch of annoying questions like “can you break wood with your hands?” or “does that mean you can bash me?”
I’m not sure if it has always been this way but, these days, it seems as though Martial Arts is viewed by the vast majority of people as a type of showmanship rather than a sport or art form that takes years of dedication to master. The fact that Karate and other types of Martial Arts are being seen in this superficial light saddens me. And, even though I know that this can be said for practically any sport, it feels almost unfair that unless a person actually does karate themselves, they are unable to understand what it is all about.
When I asked a few students at the University of Wollongong why they think people do karate, they mentioned things such as: improving your health and fitness, learning self-defence and making new friends. While these things are all true, the factors mentioned above should be viewed merely as the surface values of karate rather than the core values of the sport or art form.
By this I mean that they are not the only benefits that a person can gain from doing karate and, in my opinion anyway, should not be viewed with any more weight than other less-obvious benefits such as improving mental wellbeing, increasing a person’s ability to concentrate and focus, instilling determination, improving coordination and flexibility, and educating people about respect through offering a valuable
insight into traditional Japanese culture. These are just some of the positive traits that the style of karate that I practice has to offer. Believe me when I say that there are many, many, many more positive outcomes from doing Karate but, as I do not wish to bore you with an arduous list, I will get back to the main point of the article…
Karate is so much more than just throwing a few punches around or proving that you are the best at fighting. After speaking to a few members of different karate clubs, I was shocked to discover that some of the men who practice karate have experienced occasions where other males have tried to coax them into a fight after hearing that they are training in the sport. Adam, a twenty-one-year-old male, even stated that during his time at high school, the other boys in his year sometimes saw him as a “challenge” and would bait him or pick on him so that they could test their ability to fight against someone who was professionally trained in self-defence.
As a female, I am fortunate that I have not had to encounter the same challenges as some of my male counterparts. But, I would be lying if I said that I haven’t endured my fair share of egotistical behaviour as a result of people learning that I do karate. I am not trying to communicate that this is true of every male, but, in more than one instance, I have had to bite my tongue while being told by men who have no real insight into karate other than what they have seen on movies tell me that they would be better at the sport than myself.
Though I would like to believe otherwise, it seems that there is still a misconception that only certain people can be good at karate and, because I am a young woman who may appear quite feminine or delicate, apparently I don’t fit the brief. Because what does over eight years of training matter when you have seen every Jackie-Chan movie anyway?
I AM WOMAN, WATCH ME KICK BUTT!
BY SARLIE DRAKOS
THE UOW L I FESTYLE I SSUE 23
@sarlie14
The notion that karate can only or should only be done by certain people is a myth. Karate can be taught at almost any age as long as children are old enough to remain somewhat focused or interested during training sessions. People can also continue to do karate as they reach the older stages of their lives with some of the Shotokan JKA instructors being well over seventy-years-old.
The perception that boys are better at karate than girls is also untrue. In fact, during my interview with Christopher McKechnie, a well-regarded Shotokan JKA instructor, he told me that “girls are usually easier to teach than boys”. “With boys, their egos can sometimes get in the way; they start Karate with the attitude that they already know everything. Girls are usually a lot more relaxed and willing to learn. They can often be faster and more flexible as they are not constantly focusing on trying to be strong when they are training, which counts for a lot in karate.”
McKenchnie is not the only person that has noticed the potential of women in the sport. There are numerous women on the Australian team for Shotokan Karate and, at local karate clubs; some male members have stated that they feel as though the women are out-performing them at a technical level. Women are therefore not viewed as being disadvantaged because they’re weaker than the men that do karate but, in some cases, they are seen to have an advantage over the men because, as anyone who does karate knows, it’s all about repeating the same movements over and over again in order to perfect technique.
Though some people view the repetitive nature of Shotokan Karate as tedious or frustrating, McKenchnie says, attempting to master technique is what makes karate great. “There are always new things to learn which keeps it interesting” he states. The sport is continuing to evolve as time passes and more people decide to join. There are now countless different types of Martial Arts so it would be quite hard not to find a style that suits you. So, if you are considering trying it out I urge you to give it a go, it’s the best thing that I’ve ever done!
WHILE WE’RE On THE TOPIc, WHY nOT TRY HAPKIDO?
Hapkido is a style of martial arts that originated from Korea which integrates kicks, blocks, pressure points, joint locks, throwing and much more. The University of Wollongong Hapkido Club was formed in 2012 by Genevieve Steiner and her fiancé after they discovered that there wasn’t anything which offered a similar experience at the University. When speaking to Steiner she stated that “Hapkido is a really practical style. It improves overall fitness, flexibility, strength, and discipline. It’s lots of fun and you learn in a cool way how to defend yourself.”
The University of Wollongong Hapkido Club now has around twenty members and trains every Monday and Friday at 6pm at URAC.
The Hapkido club also trains in seminars and competitions outside of the University with a member of the club recently winning two silver medals at the National All Styles competition. Members of the UOW Hapkido club gain access to affiliated clubs in Heathcote and Cronulla at no added cost.
The first session at the Wollongong University campus is free and people can join at any time during the year including the training sessions that continue during university holidays.
For more information about the UOW Hapkido club check out their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/UOW-Hapkido-Club/303034409742940), website (www.clubs.uow.edu.au/clubs/hapkido-club/home) or email ([email protected]) for an enquiry.
THE UOW L I FESTYLE I SSUE24
