I am really not a ‘natural’ martial artist. I’m 46 years old and a mother of three boisterous boys. I have one of those office based jobs where I sit at a computer for a lot of the day. I sometimes get to walk to a meeting, or stand up to teach students. But there’s not much exercise in my day, if I’m honest.  But then I am not a sporty type - I hated PE at school as Miss MacNally my teacher could confirm. The boys say I am a bit of a hippy because I am a pacifist and prefer a world in which people don’t fight (but then doesn’t everyone?).  And yet here I am writing a testimonial for Choi Kwang Do – a martial art that I have been doing now for a couple of years at Hampshire CKD clubs run by Karen and Derek Bicknell. And I love it and think it’s brilliant. If I can’t go to a class miss it. I even believe that one day I will get my Black Belt!

So how can I persuade you that Choi Kwang do might be the class for you? Well here are just three of the reasons I like learning Choi.

• Choi is fun and a great workout (based on sensible principles so you won’t get hurt), but so varied that you don’t get bored:  there’s always something new to learn.  I have to concentrate – being middle aged it takes a while for things to stick in my brain - so it’s a great stress buster after a busy day at work.

• The people who do Choi are friendly - and that includes the instructors.  We are mixed ages, different ethnicities, men and women, boys and girls and with varying abilities but everyone is supported and helped to progress up the grades.

• Choi is something we can do together as a family – yes all three of those boisterous boys join me in class - the youngest is the highest grade of us all. So we have fun together and it wears them out (which is a bonus for me).

So there you go. Three reasons why you’ll find me at a Choi Kwang Do class this week. Maybe I’ll see you there?

Cathy Pope