1 May 2006 - Late to start, but hooked for life! CLICK for full article
Janet Sleigh, 1st Dan and Club Instructor. (Janet is also Jin Sei Kai's Press Officer).
I started practising karate at the age of 47. I had delivered my second son at 44, and three years later I was in pretty bad shape with no stomach muscles and a lot more weight than I wanted. I was also beginning to experience menopausal symptoms. I was not a happy woman by any means. Because of my "irritable" attitude, a dear friend of mine mentioned Sensei Perry to me. My friend had had private lessons with Sensei in the past and suggested that I call him. So I did. Five years on I am in better shape than I have ever been in my life. Not just physically, which to me is a bonus, but I am emotionally and spiritually free - a state that I have been struggling with my entire life. These are the biggies that Sensei Perry and Jin Sei Kai have to offer. I am one of the lucky ones who are honoured by having Sensei all to ourselves for a lesson. He is truly in a category all his own.
I would not have begun practising karate had it not been for my private lessons. The thought of going into a class primarily full of men was not attractive to me. And in fact it took me until brown belt to get up enough courage to participate in a higher grade class with Sensei teaching it. If I remember correctly, I was not the only women in that class. There were three others, two of whom were in their 60s! After meeting other Jin Sei Kai members, I realised what a warm and friendly organisation it is and I have had numerous experiences of higher grades helping me out.
I realised a few years ago that there was a need for ladies only karate classes. So I approached Sensei Michelle Garner Perry, and asked if she could teach a ladies class during the day. After two years and a slow start with three students, we are now 10 ladies and we are working on the prospects of offering another ladies class but in the evening so that working women will also have the opportunity of joining us.
Karate is fun, fun, fun. Anyone can practise it and because the philosophy of Jin Sei Kai is that you work towards being the best that you can be, anyone can participate. I love practising karate and the ladies in our class love it as well. The more we challenge ourselves, the more we want to do it. I thought I would never get to the point where I was seeking male partners to spar with. I understand now, through my experience and practise of karate, that it is a natural progression. I want to test my speed and accuracy - my calm and creativity in my movements. And all of this filters into my every day life. I have never been so confident or felt such self-esteem, I am happy to "go with the flow" of things. I no longer have a need to control my world - and it is a pretty hectic world - finding myself at 52 years with a 20 year old and an 8 year old.
I think that this confidence and self-esteem and inner freedom is the key to Jin Sei Kai. Sensei Perry is a man ahead of his time. He came through the bloody ranks of karate in the 60s and 70s. Not many women would have wanted to train in those days and from what I am told women were not very welcome. Sensei Perry's ideas of karate have changed with the time. We are now a club based on health and fitness and personal freedom and therefore more people are attracted to us and that is why women are happy to train with us as well.
It is obvious that women train in a different way to men and therefore it is obvious to offer women only classes. Women are not used to being physical, to rough and tumble, to grab, punch or strike. We certainly don?t like to shout out our Kiai's! Women are very technical in their approach to movement and we seem to have far more feeling in our bodies than men do. Therefore we like to take our time to feel the movement and the way that it is executed. We also like movement taught slowly and repeatedly. And we love to talk!!! Our ladies classes are not overly formal although we show a very high level of respect to our Sensei and to each other. It seems that men much prefer a more rigid almost militaristic approach - and why not. I trust that the impression that I am giving is not that we are soft on women. It seems to be that we are more nurturing and that the inner will to express and explore oneself through karate takes hold by around about brown belt and then women are happier in a mixed dojo.
Sensei Michelle Garner Perry teaches us loads about our bodies and movement and the mechanics of the Jin Sei Kai style. We feel secure that we will not hurt ourselves and because she is so highly experienced we trust ourselves and each other completely. We work hard and we laugh hard as well. I would encourage any woman of any age to come along and have a session with us. I am sure you will find yourself as hooked as the rest of us.
Janet Sleigh
I would not have begun practising karate had it not been for my private lessons. The thought of going into a class primarily full of men was not attractive to me. And in fact it took me until brown belt to get up enough courage to participate in a higher grade class with Sensei teaching it. If I remember correctly, I was not the only women in that class. There were three others, two of whom were in their 60s! After meeting other Jin Sei Kai members, I realised what a warm and friendly organisation it is and I have had numerous experiences of higher grades helping me out.
I realised a few years ago that there was a need for ladies only karate classes. So I approached Sensei Michelle Garner Perry, and asked if she could teach a ladies class during the day. After two years and a slow start with three students, we are now 10 ladies and we are working on the prospects of offering another ladies class but in the evening so that working women will also have the opportunity of joining us.
Karate is fun, fun, fun. Anyone can practise it and because the philosophy of Jin Sei Kai is that you work towards being the best that you can be, anyone can participate. I love practising karate and the ladies in our class love it as well. The more we challenge ourselves, the more we want to do it. I thought I would never get to the point where I was seeking male partners to spar with. I understand now, through my experience and practise of karate, that it is a natural progression. I want to test my speed and accuracy - my calm and creativity in my movements. And all of this filters into my every day life. I have never been so confident or felt such self-esteem, I am happy to "go with the flow" of things. I no longer have a need to control my world - and it is a pretty hectic world - finding myself at 52 years with a 20 year old and an 8 year old.
I think that this confidence and self-esteem and inner freedom is the key to Jin Sei Kai. Sensei Perry is a man ahead of his time. He came through the bloody ranks of karate in the 60s and 70s. Not many women would have wanted to train in those days and from what I am told women were not very welcome. Sensei Perry's ideas of karate have changed with the time. We are now a club based on health and fitness and personal freedom and therefore more people are attracted to us and that is why women are happy to train with us as well.
It is obvious that women train in a different way to men and therefore it is obvious to offer women only classes. Women are not used to being physical, to rough and tumble, to grab, punch or strike. We certainly don?t like to shout out our Kiai's! Women are very technical in their approach to movement and we seem to have far more feeling in our bodies than men do. Therefore we like to take our time to feel the movement and the way that it is executed. We also like movement taught slowly and repeatedly. And we love to talk!!! Our ladies classes are not overly formal although we show a very high level of respect to our Sensei and to each other. It seems that men much prefer a more rigid almost militaristic approach - and why not. I trust that the impression that I am giving is not that we are soft on women. It seems to be that we are more nurturing and that the inner will to express and explore oneself through karate takes hold by around about brown belt and then women are happier in a mixed dojo.
Sensei Michelle Garner Perry teaches us loads about our bodies and movement and the mechanics of the Jin Sei Kai style. We feel secure that we will not hurt ourselves and because she is so highly experienced we trust ourselves and each other completely. We work hard and we laugh hard as well. I would encourage any woman of any age to come along and have a session with us. I am sure you will find yourself as hooked as the rest of us.
Janet Sleigh