Promotion and Urban Legends

I passed my test on Saturday, though it was more of a group demonstration. Turns out Sensei and the other black belts pretty much have been testing us on and off for the last several weeks. The one test where they really do it as a test is the black belt testing as I found it can go anywhere from 3-5 hours just for the solid black belt. Pretty much if you did not get a letter saying you were eligible for the test, you were not going to promoted.

Now that I have my orange belt I want to start learning the katas for orange 2nd stripe and blue solid. Next promotion cycle requirements tell me I need all of one kata that I have know for over 3 months. I'll see what I can pick up from videos online and then ask one of the other students to help me out. There is no way I can stick to the first 2 katas of the system for another 3 months, I'll want to kill some video game character repeatedly if I have to. The fun thing is when I go to the all ages classes, I have to get used to being stuck with the little kids. Now, I see why the adult novice belts try to avoid the class as much as possible, but I want to get my next requirements down perfect so I can learn new and more interesting material. Either way, though, I do need to learn patience, so being stuck with the little kids is quite humbling as it forces me to be stuck in the same stance for 5 or more minutes, so it builds endurance. If I make it to my black belt, I will need to deal with childern and now is as good as any time.

Urban Legends of Karate Belts

This article on urban legends was really interesting, such as why you should or should not wash your belt. Silly things as how they got black, brown, green, or other belts. The dogma that goes with the whole respect of the belt is also talked about. I figured I'd share this all with you for not only information purposes, but also for all of us to take a step back and realize how silly we all get over a piece of material.

-Paula

Testing

I'm nervous. I admit I'm very nervous. I test for my orange belt on Saturday. I know back when I was younger, Hosler-sensei would tell me that if I was not nervous that I did not care, and that being a bit nervous was a good thing. Thing is, If I screw up, I won't be able to test for a few months, as a promotion grade can change at the drop of a hat. Heh, when I was younger I was always uber excited over getting a new belt. Now, that I am older, I am excited, but nervous. I guess it has to do with getting this rank for what would be the second/third time in my life.

Funny thing with starting over after doing this in my youth, I feel like I am also being tested with somethings as an adult. Almost as if I am on a new path or a turning point in life. I do wonder if most black belts and below feel this way before the big test, such as a brown belt going for his black belt or a third degree black belt about ready to test to become a master/fourth degree black belt. It is like being on a journey where there is no turning back.

Then again, maybe I finally am seeing growth and changes that others could see and I could not. Who knows? I'll try and figure out the answers at some point. Otherwise, I am tired and I am going back to bed.

-Paula

Grappling and other things.

Today in class we worked on final preliminary stuff needed for rank advancements. Looks like I will be able to test for my orange belt soon. I'll know more next week. We did grappling in class, and silly me, I figured the last few weeks my knee was good to go with no brace. Well, did a take down on one of the black belts and I was getting ready to set up to grapple and counter the other attacker, my knee decided it wanted to go snap, crackle, and pop. Hurt like a Motel Foxtrot and had to gimp off the floor and put my brace on. Doesn't feel like I hyper-extended, but all the tension that had been in my knee decided it wanted to pop and just hurt. I am favoring it a little bit, but not enough to gimp. Thankfully my knee feels strong now than when I did start back. Sensei gave me a small lecture about wearing my brace. So now, just to give Sensei peace of mind while in class, I have to wear the freaking brace. I hate wearing it. Then again, the last thing I want to do is destory my knee or even take an ACL injury and have to do surgery even at my age. I'm not 17 like I was years ago and could bounce back quickly after an injury. Just thank God that I didn't do worse in class.

Well, I need a shower and some asprin. Maybe bed if I can sleep otherwise, back to the usual work grind.

-Paula

Around, just busy...

Hi all,

I am around, but have had work out the wazhoo. Training has been decent. I've been doing considerably better without wearing my knee brace in class. Seems also the one black belt in my class is doing better with her ACL as well. She just has to wear it if she does break falls, kicking, and sword work. I'm glad to see her doing well. Her surgery was over a year ago. She's 28 with 2 kids and seems to handle it well. She had torn her ACL a few weeks right after she had gotten her 2nd degree black belt. So for those of you who are afraid of not being the same after ACL surgery, sure recovery is a lot of the psychical, but it is also alot of it mental it seems. Then, again, I can only relate from hurting my knee. I do admit after my knee has recovered a bit, I am afraid to do some standing and kneeling break falls. Just the thought of coming up into a fighting stance and hyper-extending the knee again scares the daylights right out of me. I know I will get the hang of my body again, but it is that hesitation of re-injury that scares me.

Also, finally had a chance to talk to my sensei as well about how to deal with the fun older ladies who mean well, but don't get it. Nothing like being happy about taking karate, and the ladies think that karate is of the devil. My sensei has similar beliefs to what I hold as well, and explained to me that he has had to deal with many a religious person. As he puts it, it is that the people who say it is of the devil have no understanding or concept of what martial arts are like today. It is for self-improvement and not religious practice. If one wants religious aspects of martial arts, one would want to go to a temple to study with monks. I wish people would not base what think martial arts are like from movies, video games, comics, books or tv. It gets frustrating.

well off to nurse a few bruises from break falls and getting used to them again,
Paula

Classes and life

Well,

Started taking the brace off a little in class. Seems I can get through katas without it on. Been swamped with work so had to do some hiking to make up for class time. Also, as a late, be careful, when in class, at time: Don't slip curse words in when things get heated or you will royally tick off some senseis... (Sparring in class and let a few not so great words slip out in Japanese... Must find other words to use next time.) I know it happens once in a blue moon, but self control is a must for the old remnants of my temper. Seems when it comes to aggressive moments I still slip once in a while when it comes to swear words.

Well, tired and need to go make so ramen to kill the hunger for after training.
Good night,
Paula

Training, Thoughts, and Spirituality

Training: Training as been going alright as of late. I can pull off doing a short 20 minute workout without having my brace on, but can go 40-50 minutes working out with my brace. So in a few weeks I will test out and see how long I can handle another work out without my brace. At least I can finally pull off the following kicks without my brace and at normal speed: front, side, and back.
Roundhouse, hook, and wheel kick are a little to much without the brace. I am sure in a few weeks I will be able to pull it off without the brace soon.

Thoughts: It is a battle to tell myself not to give up. It has hard to battle myself and my mind when it comes to deal with my knee and being motivated to get back in shape. It is like learning to make sushi cones and sushi rolls the correct way: practice, practice, practice, and then trial and error. I've started to far and to long to give up now.

Spirituality: The more I go through katas, defense routines, and training, the more I realize that I understand the spiritual aspects of life and even my own faith in God. I always keep getting reminded of this verse:

"Blessed be the Lord My Rock, who traineth my hands for war, and my fingers for battle." - Psalm 144:1

I train not only for myself, but for spiritual warfare of the mind, faith, beliefs, thoughts, and understanding. The more I train the more certain desires no longer linger. For me, karate is a part of the way live and life. Though, God and church do come first, my family and friends second, art and work third on my list, and the finally karate. I maybe a karateka, but first and fore most I am all of these and yet each aspect is separate. I still have alot to learn in my life's journey I guess. I understand better than what I used to at least.

-Paula

Ichi, ni, kiai-ow!

So today in class Sensei just had to go and want to teach us (well those of us who are not familar) a spinning round house and spinning hook kick. No way, I can pull those two kick off super fast. I can do them slow, if not off balance. Just seems that once again 2 more kicks I am going to have a time with attempting to pull off. I am still relying on basics for kumite: standard kicks, punches, strikes, and blocks. There is just no way in all of serenity right now for me to pull off those types of kicks for the next few weeks / months. Right now even a basic side kick is giving me a bit of trouble, and I need that kick to be perfect for both side for Heian Nidan Kata (A Shotokan kata which translates as the Second Level of the Peaceful Mind).

I do admit starting over from where I was a brown 3rd degree in Goju-Ryu karate is a bit hard. I had left off in Hinode-Ryu Karate (Shotokan is the base style for Hinode-Ryu) as yellow 1st. I've only been back a month, but I feel like I have two left feet. Ironically, I had hyper-extended my knee doing a kicking drill when I was 17/18 at the time of having my brown 3rd. For about 3 years after from ages: 19-22 I had been in out of Goju-Ryu due to college, work, life, and some conflicts with the instructor who would not modify the requirements of black belt that required board and brick breaking. I was studying to become a Multimedia Design (PC Term: Interactive media dealing with Flash, Photoshop, Web Design, Programming, video, sound, and basic Graphic Design). I could not afford to have my hand broken with that type of work. So I left.
I orginally left the style of Hinode-Ryu at the age of 15, and to study Goju-Ryu more due to personal conflict with myself and someone about 2 years old than me that was a black belt for the school. Out of interest to the school and the black belt, I left. I look back at it years later and realize we all do stupid stuff as kids. I'm older now and grown up. Karate now for me is to get back in shape and find a piece of myself that I feel I had lost.

-Paula