OBSERVATIONS

Observations:

1) The blue and white parking lot striping that matches the color of the building and the same color patterns carried throughout the inside.

2) The tiger painted on the wall over the counter. The tiger itself is not too mean looking but still tough.

3) The onslaught of young kids arriving at 6 O’clock

4) The change in scenery from the kids to the adults.

5) The way the instructors relax as their work day is done, and the fighters make their way to the larger of the two mats.

6) The sound of the fan blowing, drowning out the sounds of kicks and punches coming from the gym next door.

7) The interesting part that as it gets dark the crowds slow and the adults come in. (this says a lot about our society and the way that grown up have longer hour at work rather that children who require earlier times).

8) The way the mats smell of sweat and rubber.

9) The energy in the room shifts from the times of intense training (how you want to be with the other person doing the hard training or fighting)

10) As the night slows down and I am left alone I realize that the intense feeling of competitive brotherhood is gone. Left is a peaceful calm. I feel like when it is training time you find your weaknesses and holes and work to repair them. When I am alone in this space I feel like I know who I am (or feel like myself more than anywhere else. It is a place where you can reflect on yourself.

11) At this point you notice the mirrors surrounding the main gym. Maybe it’s because you think more but every noise seems to stand out.

12) the people bring their own atmosphere with them. Most of the people early in the day are parents bringing their children to Karate. The kids pile in to the small mats as the parents talk or read in the lobby. VERY chaotic!

13) When it gets later, most of the people who come are in shape, adults or older teens. No one is left in the lobby. Even the few people who observe are drawn to the happenings on the mat. I believe this is that energy taking hold of everyone in the space.

14) The sounds:

            *The punching bags

            *The chains swaying

            *The air being forced out after every blow of a punch

            * The slam and movement of the bodies on the mat

15) The smell

            *The sweat

            *The mats rubber

            *The cleaner

16) The Feel

            *The hot air in the room with the occasional blow of the circulating fan

            * The breeze from the open side door.

17) POINT: although observations are normally described by using your 5 senses, one can “feel” the energy with something other than those most obvious. The energy is sensed with a 6^th intuition.

18) the walls have mats on them – blue to match the color of gym theme.

19) the careful planning of the fighters- almost like a constant chess game

20) the way you are invited in to the gym from the moment you step in, with the painted image of a black belt and the word written underneath it stating: INTEGRITY.