All done

My grading is all over – for another six months, phew!

It was a funny grading. Just nine karateka lining up to be tested. We have had low numbers attending the dojo over the last few months and many that should have been grading this time just didn’t have the class numbers. Great attendance by the higher grades – who must be bored silly watching the lowly kyu grades go agonizingly slowly though the basics. I can almost feel them wince at times, but good on them for being there, on a sunny Saturday morning, and supporting the club – and coming along to fight the two needing sparring partners – Jerome and me.

Lots and lots of basic techniques for the three beginners, a fair few push ups and so on, then through the self-defenses, kata and yakusoku etc and etc – until the big finale for me – and the big worry – sparring! I was pleased and surprised to see only ten wee men up on the board for me, and fifteen for Jerome. I had thought it was fifteen and twenty. But I’m always happy to do what I’m told at a grading! So I had bouts with a kyoshi, a sensei, a sandan, two nidan and so on down to the brown belts and one green belt. Last fight with my husband – a sensei.

I was pretty knackered by the end. Fit as I – and I am very fit – it was just so hard to breath, just no time at all between fights.

Today I have a few bruises – mainly shins and arms – and my entire chest and shoulder area is tight as tight, don’t like to sneeze or take deep breaths. I assume it’s from the push-ups and a bit from the sparring. They weren’t as terribly hard on me as they could have been but my body feels very used today.

So, I am now a 3rd kyu – advanced green belt - and I have a new kata to learn and six new self defenses and six months - August ‘08 - until I grade to brown belt. Bring it on!

Nerves galore

Sparring tomorrow, wish me luck :-)

Santa parade

We had two buses and a crowd of book-related characters in the Santa Parade yesterday. Lovely day and good fun waving to all the children.

Breathless...

Six days until my grading and I'm starting to get butterflies. Yeap, I know, I know, just gotta teach them to fly in formation or some such blather... I have a rib that is poking out where it oughtn’t. I have two bruises on my elbows that are actually on top of other bruises and my shins look like - I actually don't know what they look like, but it isn't pretty. Which is a shame as it's been lovely weather here and I’ve been wearing my three new dresses to work off and on lately.

We had a great sparring session last Thursday - in preparation for another karateka’s shodan grading - lots of blackbelts and other sparring grades turned up and gave her a special session. She was on for all the fights - 25 I think. The rest of us simulated, well it was real actually, a grading going on around her. We each had turns with her and two at a time had five fights out beside her. Doesn't make sense and it’s too late at night for me to bother thinking about it. But it was hard and heavy and I was knackered after five serious bouts.

I was dumped on the floor several times, once landing on the rib I had just paid $100 to have rubbed out. I am obviously a little heavy on my feet. I ache from it. I do so worry about making a fool of myself on the day. But there we are, that is part of it, I suppose. Humility and perseverance.