A martial art for a programmer
bjelkeman-again: I went back to classic karate after a really long brake, Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate, and it is really making a big difference to my life. Goju-Ryu is quite physical in the training, which means that most training passes give you a really good workout.There are a number of things which I find particularly beneficial to my work (I am not programmer as such, but a founder of an internet services startup), some fairly obvious:- It is great to be forced to use another part of the brain regularly, my body may be tired but my head is less tired after each training pass, it is like an energy injection- I am physically much fitter now, 15 months after I started, this may be obvious, but it makes a big difference to how much work I can do and how well I feel- my wife tells me I don't stall or give up so easily anymore when I have more work to do, particularly stuff at home- I am forced to leave work on training days (I work from home) and not stay and, ineffectively, trying to get more done. I feel like I am more effective, despite the hours that go to training and commuting back and forth to the dojo- I have no back problems or issues with circulation in my legs anymore, I tend to spend a lot of time sitting working, this is greatMy club and the particular style I practise doesn't put much emphasis on competition (it is actually discouraged) which means that there is a really helpful, non-macho, atmosphere at the dojo. Everybody is very helpful and the training really becomes about self improvement rather than trying to be better than the others. It helps that we have some really excellent trainers as well. The head of the club is well respected internationally for his work. http://www.iogkf.se/