Teeth

Here's a news flash from a guy who has been in Karate for decades.

Punching hurts.

Betcha didn't expect that.

Practice punching doesn't hurt. Hitting empty air is perfectly painless.

Hitting stuff hurts. Stuff like punching bags, focus targets, kicking shields. It all hurts.

Not right away. Not the first hit, or even the tenth. Do a hundred and you'll see what I mean. This is assuming, of course, that you are hitting with enough force to simulate decking an opponent.

Good old Newton taught the world that hitting something means that something is hitting you back. The impact is equal, and goes both ways.

Hit the bag really, really hard, and it hits you back.

You can get used to it, just like you can get used to the dentist. I have crappy teeth, and go to the dentist more than most. I'm pretty used to it. I tend to fall asleep while the dentist is working away. I've gotten used to hitting stuff, too.

I don't like dentist visits, but I've got bitchin' teeth because of it. I don't like the feeling of hitting stuff hard, but I like being able to do it.

You can put up with a lot to get good teeth, or to gain a skill.