Orange Achieved

I passed!  I made kids cry though. :-/  It wasn't intentional.  In fact, I'm still baffled as to why the one kid was crying.  As part of this test, I was required to spar.  So first I was matched up with another girl in my class.  We were sparring and things were going good, and I don't know if it was just the intensity of the test, but my adrenaline levels seemed to be a bit heightened.  I came in with a hook punch to the head and I came in a bit harder than I meant to.  Don't worry, the girl wasn't hurt.  We wear protective gear just for such occasions.  It did surprise her though, and maybe knocked the wind out of her a bit.  I had to kneel and face the opposite wall.  I knew it was a bad deal when my Sensei told me to do that.  She was crying at this point.  We bowed and were done.  

Now, the thing about belt tests are that they are mixed.  So we have adults and kids of all ranks there.  There were about 4 kids from the kids class there, all testing from orange to purple, so they all had to spar as well.  Two of them were brothers.  So the first two come out and spar.  Then one of the brothers starts crying. (not one sparring)  So my Sensei goes over and asks him why he's crying.  He says he doesn't want to spar his brother. 

Okay, let me pause and paint a picture for you here.  The brothers were 6 and 9.  The 6 year old was short and scrawny.  The 9 year old was taller and stalky.  Okay, back to the test now.

So my Sensei tells him to breath, and that he's not going to spar his brother.  So one of the kids who just finished sparring (both of which were smaller than the 6 year old!) spars again with him.  So about this time I'm wondering to myself who my Sensei is going to match this other boy with.  There are no more kids, and surely he wouldn't put him up against an adult.  I was wrong.

He comes over and asks the other girl if she wants to spar again.  She says no.  Then he asks me if I want to.  I gave him a very perplexed look and ask who I would be sparring against.  He says "is that a yes?" and I said "no!" and he says "too bad!"  So I come out to spar this boy.  It wasn't too bad, he was tough and about chest height to me.  We had a good match.  My Sensei calls "up" and we get in front position and bow to each other and then he starts to cry!!!  My Sensei looks at me and says "what's the deal making all my students cry?!?"  (he was joking of course)  

All in all, it was a good test.

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.

From White to Yellow

Tonight I received an invitation to a belt test.  Honestly, I didn't know what it was when my sensei handed it to me.  Then I started reading it and suddenly became clear.  Although I'm excited about my advancement, I'm a little bit (okay a lot) nervous.  I have no idea what to expect at the test, or if I'll even pass!  And I would be lying if I said that I expected it to come this soon.  The test isn't until the first week of December, so for now I'm left to wonder.

And so it begins...

A few weeks ago my dad came home from running errands (getting water and the such) and he came into my room and place on my desk a flier and said "this is for you".  It was just a flier that had been put on his car while he was in shopping.  We chuckled about it, I set it aside and he left my room.  The flier sat on my desk for a week or so.  I kept looking at it, and I started to think about what it was advertising.

It was a flier for a karate studio.  The offer was for a free lesson, and a free uniform with enrollment.  I've thought about taking a martial arts class off and on for a few years now.  But every-time I looked into it the cost of the uniform was always separate, and they're not exactly cheap.  So, I called up the studio and scheduled the lesson and tonight was the night.  It was a lot of fun actually.  I felt a little silly when the instructor made me take my shoes off and bow, but I figure that's just because it was something new.

Anyway, he taught me some different grab escapes.  Basically these are maneuvers you would use to get out of different situations when your attacker has a hold of you.  Then he taught me some kicks and let me kick the dummy.  I really did enjoy myself, so I signed up.  And so it begins.... my journey in the martial arts, from a white belt to black.  I'm a little nervous about the unknowns ahead of me and excited all at the same time.