From Yellow to Orange

Hooray!!!  Tonight I was given an invite to a belt test!!  I'll be testing for my orange belt.  Its a little more intense than testing for yellow; there is more to know.  I'm excited though.  I kind of know what to expect this time around so I'll be more prepared!  Wish me luck!

The Crane

Tonight was the crane test.  I had a dilemma as this test approached, and that was that it landed on the same night as my family Christmas dinner.  Yes, I know its January.  Anyway, I had already paid for the test and then I realized I had a conflict in scheduling.  Everything worked out though. I went to the test and then arrived late to the dinner, but I still was there before the meal was served.  

Anyway, the test was fun, but tough at the same time.  One of the main characteristics of the crane is its balance and flexibility.  Two things I definitely do not have.  Two and a half hours later I passed the test.  Hooray!  So I now know that I'm not a crane.  I'm excited for the animal tests yet to come.

Yellow - Such a Happy Color

I passed!  I am now a yellow belt.  Well, sort of.  My test had two parts to it.  The first was the physical part: testing my knowledge of the forms I've learned up to this point and my endurance.  I have never done so many push-ups before in my life!  The second part is a written part.  For my rank I have to write a paper for my sensei about the five rules of the studio.  For those of you wondering, the rules are Etiquette, Effort, Character, Sincerity, and Self-Control.  These are the five areas in which as a student of the martial arts I am expected to conduct myself both in and out of the studio.  Once I turn in my paper, then I will receive my belt, assuming that it meets the expectations of my sensei.