Singing the white belt blues

Catchy tune isn’t it… “The White Belt Blues.” Since we are practicing Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karate we wear full head gear and chest gear. On our hands during competition we are not allowed to wear hands nor feet protection. During practice we are allowed to wear hand and feet protection if we choose. I have chosen not too. This neither makes me brave nor stupid, it is just a decision I made. So, when the bear fist makes contact with a chest guard or plexiglass face protection, well, it can hurt a bit. As ones hands are not used to this sort of behaviour, it tends to cause bruising and swelling. I am told this condition goes away after awhile. In the mean time, I’ll just keep singing the white belt blues and waiting for my hands to return to normal.