sick

That physical test kicked my ass. I had been fighting off some sort of virus all last week and it finally caught up with me. It was bad enough that every single muscle and bone in my body was sore from Saturday, but then i developed chills and a fever and swollen glands. i don't think my immune system could fight it off any longer. So I was in bed most of the day sunday, all day monday and half of tuesday. I'm finally free from the fever but now its all settled in my sinuses. blah. I couldn't even go to karate monday and it was my teaching day too. :(
I'm definitely going tonite.

2 down, 1 to go

I passed my physical test. I am SO glad that it is overwith. especially the run. My time was 27.52 for 3 miles-almost 1 minute off last weeks time. (and Renshi passed me even though i didn't make 24minutes) I did my 50 pushups without any struggling. When we do the pushups, its with a partner who counts for you and who also has to put their fist on the ground in front of you so that your chin touches it each count. Then we had to show our splits- full splits and front splits, then we lined up on the field and did a ton of crunches-more than 200 I'm pretty sure. After that it was sprinting-we did about 8 sprints of various distances, then we went back to the grass for more endurance testing. 1st- wheelbarrows- halfway across the short side of the field, then switch and come back- there is a trick to wheelbarrows -grab the knees, not the feet-its so much easier. Then we had to turn around and do army crawls one way and crab walks back, then turned around again to do flying sidekicks (huh?? never did one of those before yesterday- i'm sure it was pretty amusing to watch too) and stupid forward rolls back. I closed my eyes this time when i did my rolls-so much better on the equalibrium when you don't see the sky while you're rolling. After that was done, we lined up- Renshi told us that we all passed (he doesn't usually do that on the same day because usually someone fails it) Now I have the next test to get ready for. The practical test is next month. I have a lot of material to work on. Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and support!

2PM-Physical Test

Today is my physical test. I can't wait till this is over. I wish it was in the morning. I seriously doubt I will run 3 miles in 24 minutes. Even with the adrenalin rush that will supposedly make me fly around the track. We'll see. I will do my best regardless. I can say, though, that I have successfully done 50 push ups (in a row) 3 times this week. So I'm pretty confident I can do it today too. I"m not worried about the 200 crunches. I believe we have to show our full splits too. HA HA HA mine is more like a roof top, but whatever, we're not graded on those.

Well after today, I can focus more on working on my katas-particularly Chinto, Pinan Yondan Oyo Bunkai kata, my musical demo and whatever kata they will be teaching us to do for our group demo at the promotion in late Oct/early November.
We still have to run every week and endure different forms of torture at the track.

can someone take my test for me? please?

Why? because its FUN!

We had such a fun time at the track yesterday. (yes, i'm being sarcastic) We had our usual 4 mile run -good news is that for 3 miles, I'm down to 28.50 minutes. Bad news is that i have 1 week to shave 4 minutes and 50 seconds off my time. (??)
After our run, we had endurance training (aka torture) 1st, commando crawls across the freshly cut grass of the football field (not the length, the width which is FAR ENOUGH) then coming back we had to do squat front kicks. THEN..we had to turn around again and duck walk across and FORWARD ROLL half the way back. Adults have NO BUSINESS doing forward rolls. Especially the ones who get motion sick just watching the washing machine on a spin cycle. The first roll i felt like I was gonna hurl. they only got worse after that. Of course, the secret to doing these is to dive roll with a few steps in between rolls. I think I did 5 or 6 total, although I was told my last one looked more like an eggroll-hahaha but was acceptable. We were all covered in grass by the time we were done. Then we had to do our 50 pushups and 100 crunches and go back to the dojo for an hour of focus kicking drills.
I have grass burns on my elbows and knees.

monday class

Last nights class was fun- not the usual kind of sweaty hard core kick your ass kind of fun that it usually is, we did a lot of moving basics (with a partner) with different counter attacks at the end of each drill, and then we learned "empi waza" (empi=elbow) We don't do a lot of waza in our classes so it was a nice learning experience. Renshi then had us try and figure out ways to apply all these elbow smashes on our partner. Pretty cool. Then he had us all sing happy birthday to a couple of students (twins) who are turning 18 today. They have been taking classes since they were tiny and now they both teach. Awesome kids. then we had cake! yummmmmm.
After class a bunch of us worked on Pinan Yondan Oyo Bunkai. I really need to work on my take downs. Before I messed my foot up I didn't have a problem, but now I have trouble with squatting down low enough because of my weak knee and ankle, and keeping my back straight. My knee has buckled in a couple times too. aaarrrrrrhhhhgggg. By the end I did manage a successful takedown. I just need to stop rushing it and remember my basics.
Tomorrow we're having a special class on knife and gun self defense. This should be fun.. No kids allowed in this class, though-no matter what rank they are.

I'm not worthy!!!!!

2 weeks until my physical test. My running has gotten progressively better, yesterday I was timed at 29.20 for 3 miles. And I think that a lot of that had to do with the air being really dry and cool. I have 5 minutes and 20 seconds to shave off in 2 weeks. I don't think its physically possible, but I'll keep plugging along. I'm starting to realize that I have SO MUCH TO LEARN to get this belt. I'm learning Chinto- I think i have that mostly down so I can at least practice it thru without going blank. I also have to know Pinan Yondan Oyo Bunkai kata as the kata and in the Han(the group application of the kata). Uh...HUH?? I know some of it, but i have a long way to go before I "know" it. I also need to know Naihanchi Shodan Oyo bunkai kata and Pinan Shodan Oyo bunkai kata- which i do. thankfully. And... I also have to know kumite 1-10. These are short controlled "sparring" matches. I'm good up to about 7, but the rest need a lot of work. I also have to create my demo to music and be first aid/cpr certified by the end of september for our practical test- a 5 hour test from hell where we run 3 miles, then spar for a while-we have to spar the upper ranked black belts-like Renshi, and some other Sensei's. People have come out of this with broken noses, ribs, black eyes...and then after that, we have to show all our required material (like i mentioned above) This test is from 7pm to midnight on a friday night. I believe we will have to run the next morning at the track as well.
Yikes.

something that really makes me happy....

Being right after all. After 4 people of higher rank and one of equal rank but younger age told me it was a closed hand , the highest ranking of our dojo/owner/Renshi/6th dan told me that I'M RIGHT!
HA! Now I'm not normally this way when it comes to being right about something. But I KNEW this kata. This open hand move was DRILLED into my head by my instructor (who unfortunately isn't teaching there anymore-but he was also a "renshi") He taught me this kata and was very particular on the details. So the thought of being wrong about that was not sitting well with me. It was knawing at me ALL WEEK!

AND....I passed my written test!

Something that really annoys me

I hate when i've been working a kata for a long time, and then another student tells me that one of the moves is wrong. And then-gets one of the sensei's (granted-a young, new nidan sensei) to agree with her. This move is in Matsumura Passai (or Passai Dai) and i SWEAR it is an open hand supported block (that comes after a crescent kick and before 2 closed handed strikes that look like swimming moves). This other student (who happens to be a very nice, talented girl with looooong legs who beat me in sparring at the tournement) says its a closed handed supported block. I still don't buy it. I'm going to the top with this one and I hope to god that I'm right.
I know this happens a lot and I've been warned in the past that you can be taught different subtleties by different Sensei...BUT I WAS TAUGHT THIS KATA BY A GODAN. I'm going to continue to do it the way i was taught until my Renshi (a 6th degree) tells me otherwise.
I know. I'm ranting. maybe it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things BUT IT DOES TO ME!
sorry. didn't mean to yell.