I passed my grading today. I’m now a 2nd Kyu. The grading was a nightmare, and almost a total disaster.
It’s 11.30pm here right now, and I’m tired, but I can’t sleep. I’ll pass out in the early hours of next morning, then get up, feel awful, be ill, and head to my grading. I’m quite confident about my grading, I just have my pre-grading sickness ritual to complete, and it wouldn’t be right to do it on a full nights sleep!
Training last Saturday was fun. I went to our sister club in the morning, and helped out there before training at my own club in the afternoon. Was a pretty tough day, but I think I did okay. I did every lesson that day apart from the black belt class, and survived!
Tuesday, however, was intense. One of our sensei’s stamina lessons that I’ve grown to despise and fear. Being pushed and pushed until I literally have nothing left. Then pushed some more. Even as I’m punching and kicking I can feel I have no power, and that my technique and stances are starting to slide. Being pushed to keep on trying and keep on performing totally drains me, and 48 hours later I’m still feeling warn out from it.
Grading for 2nd kyu on the 9th, a week on Saturday. It’s flown around so fast because we concentrated so hard on the nationals.
I really can’t wait to be a 2nd kyu. A brown and white belt. So close to 1st kyu, the grade at which I will learn more than I foresee myself learning at any other grade. The grade at which I will learn what it means to be trying for a black belt.
I’ve got my grading syllabus down this time. The Kata, Tekki Shodan, is on fire. I own it. And my kumite sets are more than adequate. I’m happy with everything I’m taking to the grading. Apart from Manji uke. I just don’t like the block. I really don’t!
Please all keep your fingers crossed for me a week on Saturday morning! :)
phillipschambers asked: Could you put up a video of your testing?
i would just like to see the katas performed
and see the differences in training and grading is all.
i always like learning new ways of approaching karate
Hello. Unfortunately our gradings are not filmed, due to the mixed age ranges in our club, they cannot be filmed legally in the UK without permission of the parents of every single kid involved. The Kata are performed fairly traditionally in terms of timing and speed, so check out “shotokankataman” on youtube, and you’ll get an indication of the way we perform our Kata! :)
I’ve hardly found time to sit down since the nationals, so sorry it’s been so long since I updated this! The day after the nationals, I started a new job, with longer hours, further away. Which I hate. But all to be able to afford to continue training!
Training since the nationals has been a bit manic, straight back into grading syllabus mode. With the nationals on the 6th of March, and the grading on the 9th of April, everyone had a bit of a panic to get back into it. Luckily, I knew it was coming up, so I kept myself in a state of pre grading readiness!
Can’t believe I’m going to be a 2nd Kyu soon. Assuming I pass. The black belt grading is getting closer, and the gym has gone to pieces because of the new job. Hopefully I’ll get myself into a proper routine soon, and I can prepare for it properly!
A few people have dropped out at training, or at least I assume they have. The two idiot teenagers at my grade haven’t been seen since before the nationals, and now won’t have time to learn their grading syllabus, so I should outgrade them either way, fingers crossed! The guy who is the grade above me who I’ve never got on with has dropped out slowly but surely, and I hope never to see him again.
Other than that, training is brilliant, and I’m still loving it. Tekki Shodan to perform this time, and then Bassai Dai and Kanku Dai! Getting quite nervous about moving up eventually to first kyu, the pressure will really be on then!
I promise to keep up documenting my journey on here. Sorry I’ve been a bit rubbish lately. And thanks to Eleanor who left me a fantastic message the other day! It’s inspiration like that which keeps me training and blogging. Thank you. :)
unbelievableundefeatable asked: Congrats on your kata trophy!!!!!
Thank you! :)
myunreachablemind asked: Congratulations on your success at nationals!! kata is the best for sure. make the most of this now before you move up to dan grade categories... they are sucky. congrats again!
Thank you! :) I have another chance next year to retain my 1st place trophy at the kyu grade nationals. Then I shall pour my heart into learning the Kata for the dan grade nationals! :)
Hey guys! It’s 23.41 here now, and I’ve been at the nationals all day.
It’s mostly good news! I won 1st place in individual Kata. And I now have the trophy staring at me to prove it. I can’t quite believe it. I was up against a higher grade in the finals, and delivered my finest ever rendition of Heian Yondan. A Kata I was truly proud of, and it saw me through to the 1st place trophy!
My Kata team unfortunately had a bad day, nerves, just fluke, whatever, and didn’t perform our Kata as well as we had in practice. Although, saying that, we walked away with a 3rd place trophy each!
In the kumite, I finished just outside of the trophy positions, but I gave as good as I got. I lost a small amount of blood, which I will now struggle to get out of my gi, and I delivered a pretty good uraken (backfist) to the jaw of the guy who knocked it out of me! My index and middle finger on my right hand are in so much pain, not broken, but very bruised. Must have clashed during the kumite somewhere!
I will post a long description of my day no doubt, but I really wanted to update quickly.
I’m immensely proud, Kata is my thing, for sure!
rippedfuel asked: Good Luck at Nationals! I know how you must be feeling but just breathe and try to enjoy it too. I'll be sending positive vibes your way and expect a full report!
Thank you! :)
So, technically the nationals are today, although it’s only 00:27 in the UK, so I have another sleep to go before I get destroyed, although I hardly see much sleeping happening. Got my gum shield as comfortable as it’s ever going to be. Hate hate hate wearing them.
Training today was okay, pretty much just team Kata practice for us, and I feel like we’re as good as we could be at this stage without months more practice, so I’m happy enough. Depends on tomorrow though, any one of the three of us could crack under the pressue, I already get a knot in my stomach thinking about people looking at me and judging me! ARGH!
I will post back after the nationals, unless I embarrass myself, in which case I will delete this blog, grow a handlebar moustache and move to Mexico, where I will assume my alter ego, Pedro, and live out my days Karate free speaking Spanish and building schools for underprivileged children.
Although my Spanish and DIY skills are worse than my Kata.