Blue Belt Testing
Today I tested for my blue belt. Everything went pretty smoothly, so I'm not worried about not getting it. (I'm not sure anyone has ever actually failed, although certainly from what I've seen it seems like some people ought to...)
Master Paul says that this is the last time that everyone is going to test together. In the future, the kids will test, then the adults will test. I certainly hope that's the case, because I'm 31 years old. I do not need to have to do things over three times because we were too slow, nor do we need to stop the flow of things going on about "Who's the fastest? Oh, now someone else is." Like, seriously? Sure, it makes the kids smile or whatever, but it just gets on my nerves.
At one point me and R. were facing each other, doing self-defense, and Master L. (who is Master Paul's instructor and does our testing) asked how people were feeling now. I looked at R. and mumbled, "Irritated." His response was, "Aggravated."
So I wasn't alone in my ready-to-be-done-testing-with-six-year-olds-ness.
There were a few moments were I sort of fumbled, but nothing serious. I blame my left-handed instructor for the fact that, when we started doing blocks, I immediately blocked with my left arm first, and had to be corrected because we were supposed to do right hand first. (Okay, yeah, I should have been listening/paying attention...) I also got a bit discombobulated when I was doing a kick and suddenly Master Paul's hand was on my shoulder, telling me to move up a bit, but that was minor.
The big oops(es) happened during sparring (which was no-contact, because half of the students don't really do contact sparring yet, and dealing with gear is a big pain - possibly we'll do it when we're separated out, at least for adults, because there's so few of us).
The first was that I managed to get taken down... by someone I wasn't even sparring with. He and I were facing opposite directions, and I guess we both stepped back at the same time. I stepped on his foot, which slid, and down I went. Which left me slightly gimpy for the rest of sparring because I went down in a sort of half-split, and it stretched a muscle past the point that it was comfortable going. It's fine now, though.
The second was that me and R. managed to knock our knees together. Yes, in no-contact sparring. We do it all the time, to be honest. This one I chalk up to lack of space and both going to do a kick at the same time. Master L. stopped us after that, and commented that the dojang was the only place where people hit each other, and then smile and slap each other five. (Which is what me and R. did - it's kind of our universal gesture of 'oops, sorry, no hard feelings!')
During self-defense, we got to practice a variation on the double wrist grab... which involves twisting someone's arm in uncomfortable directions and taking them down. We also learned a take down on the handshake self-defense which uses a similar principle. So even when we're testing we're learning new stuff.
We also go to see Master Paul demonstrate some stuff with the joong bong. Master L. picked R. to go up against him (just attacking and having no idea what the defense is, which is always fun) so I kind of spent the entire time annoyed because he was holding the joong bong backwards. I assume that Master L. picked him because he's the closest to Master Paul's size... but at least I know how to hold the thing!
Master Paul also had to do the forms for all of the belt levels that we're missing, poor guy. We had 3 white belts, 2 yellow belts, 4 high green belts, a high red belt, and a brown belt testing, so he had to do green belt, both blues, and red. (And can I just say, I'm kind of intimidated by our next form? There are a lot of moves. I'm assuming it's still pretty much the standard 20 count... but multiple moves on some counts.)
He also did the forms with the higher belt boys, so they weren't out there alone, and he actually messed up on one of them. It's honestly kind of nice to be reminded that no one is perfect, and some days, even the instructors forget the next move. (Although I will still have to take the ribbing I get about green belt form, because I kept forgetting it at the same point for like a week solid.)
So next week we get to start learning new things, which will be nice after so much practice and review.
Thursday was the one year anniversary of the opening of the school. I forgot to make the little certificate that I'd planned on Wednesday, so it didn't actually go up on the bulletin board until Friday, but it was there for people to see during testing, so it's all good.
Also on Thursday, I had my first moment in class where I just had to completely stop. When I accidentally kicked the base of the heavy bag and most likely broke my toe, it only stopped me for a minute or so before I was back in line. But on Thursday, I developed this weird flashing light thing in the corner of my vision in my left eye, and it wouldn't go away. It was like a really persistent sun spot or something, and it started to freak me out.
I finally had to tell Master Paul, and he had me to relax for a little bit in the hopes that it would abate. It meant missing out on the thing that we were working on, and I hate that. I hate missing things, and I hate showing weakness at all. It left me really rattled, and when we were sitting at the end of class meditating or whatever, I was fighting back tears the entire time.
It went away after a night's sleep and a lot of water. I suspect it was the result of dehydration more than anything; I know I didn't drink nearly enough on Wednesday. (For that matter, I really haven't had enough to drink today either...) At least I hope it was, because the other options are considerably more dire. I'm going to chalk it up to a one-time freak occurrence, but if it happens again, I'm going to the eye doctor. That's not a chance I want to take. (There's also a possibility that it could have been a precursor to a migraine, but while I did get a headache, I don't think it was really migraine level.)
Anyway, that's pretty much it for now. Going to sign off and watch Doctor Who.
This entry was originally posted at http://eternaleponine.dreamwidth.org/11038.html. Comments can be left on either site.
Master Paul says that this is the last time that everyone is going to test together. In the future, the kids will test, then the adults will test. I certainly hope that's the case, because I'm 31 years old. I do not need to have to do things over three times because we were too slow, nor do we need to stop the flow of things going on about "Who's the fastest? Oh, now someone else is." Like, seriously? Sure, it makes the kids smile or whatever, but it just gets on my nerves.
At one point me and R. were facing each other, doing self-defense, and Master L. (who is Master Paul's instructor and does our testing) asked how people were feeling now. I looked at R. and mumbled, "Irritated." His response was, "Aggravated."
So I wasn't alone in my ready-to-be-done-testing-with-six-year-olds-ness.
There were a few moments were I sort of fumbled, but nothing serious. I blame my left-handed instructor for the fact that, when we started doing blocks, I immediately blocked with my left arm first, and had to be corrected because we were supposed to do right hand first. (Okay, yeah, I should have been listening/paying attention...) I also got a bit discombobulated when I was doing a kick and suddenly Master Paul's hand was on my shoulder, telling me to move up a bit, but that was minor.
The big oops(es) happened during sparring (which was no-contact, because half of the students don't really do contact sparring yet, and dealing with gear is a big pain - possibly we'll do it when we're separated out, at least for adults, because there's so few of us).
The first was that I managed to get taken down... by someone I wasn't even sparring with. He and I were facing opposite directions, and I guess we both stepped back at the same time. I stepped on his foot, which slid, and down I went. Which left me slightly gimpy for the rest of sparring because I went down in a sort of half-split, and it stretched a muscle past the point that it was comfortable going. It's fine now, though.
The second was that me and R. managed to knock our knees together. Yes, in no-contact sparring. We do it all the time, to be honest. This one I chalk up to lack of space and both going to do a kick at the same time. Master L. stopped us after that, and commented that the dojang was the only place where people hit each other, and then smile and slap each other five. (Which is what me and R. did - it's kind of our universal gesture of 'oops, sorry, no hard feelings!')
During self-defense, we got to practice a variation on the double wrist grab... which involves twisting someone's arm in uncomfortable directions and taking them down. We also learned a take down on the handshake self-defense which uses a similar principle. So even when we're testing we're learning new stuff.
We also go to see Master Paul demonstrate some stuff with the joong bong. Master L. picked R. to go up against him (just attacking and having no idea what the defense is, which is always fun) so I kind of spent the entire time annoyed because he was holding the joong bong backwards. I assume that Master L. picked him because he's the closest to Master Paul's size... but at least I know how to hold the thing!
Master Paul also had to do the forms for all of the belt levels that we're missing, poor guy. We had 3 white belts, 2 yellow belts, 4 high green belts, a high red belt, and a brown belt testing, so he had to do green belt, both blues, and red. (And can I just say, I'm kind of intimidated by our next form? There are a lot of moves. I'm assuming it's still pretty much the standard 20 count... but multiple moves on some counts.)
He also did the forms with the higher belt boys, so they weren't out there alone, and he actually messed up on one of them. It's honestly kind of nice to be reminded that no one is perfect, and some days, even the instructors forget the next move. (Although I will still have to take the ribbing I get about green belt form, because I kept forgetting it at the same point for like a week solid.)
So next week we get to start learning new things, which will be nice after so much practice and review.
Thursday was the one year anniversary of the opening of the school. I forgot to make the little certificate that I'd planned on Wednesday, so it didn't actually go up on the bulletin board until Friday, but it was there for people to see during testing, so it's all good.
Also on Thursday, I had my first moment in class where I just had to completely stop. When I accidentally kicked the base of the heavy bag and most likely broke my toe, it only stopped me for a minute or so before I was back in line. But on Thursday, I developed this weird flashing light thing in the corner of my vision in my left eye, and it wouldn't go away. It was like a really persistent sun spot or something, and it started to freak me out.
I finally had to tell Master Paul, and he had me to relax for a little bit in the hopes that it would abate. It meant missing out on the thing that we were working on, and I hate that. I hate missing things, and I hate showing weakness at all. It left me really rattled, and when we were sitting at the end of class meditating or whatever, I was fighting back tears the entire time.
It went away after a night's sleep and a lot of water. I suspect it was the result of dehydration more than anything; I know I didn't drink nearly enough on Wednesday. (For that matter, I really haven't had enough to drink today either...) At least I hope it was, because the other options are considerably more dire. I'm going to chalk it up to a one-time freak occurrence, but if it happens again, I'm going to the eye doctor. That's not a chance I want to take. (There's also a possibility that it could have been a precursor to a migraine, but while I did get a headache, I don't think it was really migraine level.)
Anyway, that's pretty much it for now. Going to sign off and watch Doctor Who.
This entry was originally posted at http://eternaleponine.dreamwidth.org/11038.html. Comments can be left on either site.