It’s looking like I’ll test for 1st dan the week of Dec. 17. I feel like I’m as prepared as I can be. I guess we’ll see how it goes the day of the test. The school test will be the harder of the two tests. So, with luck, before Christmas I’ll be 2/3rds a black belt. Then some time between Jan. – Mar. I’ll go before the board of masters. The second test is shorter and is more of a formality. However, there is stress because you are testing again in front of the masters and a a whole bunch of black belts from different schools.
Past that I’m REALLY sore from last night. Sabum must have had some post-wedding stress because she had me spar in the beginners class and again the advanced class. Then, mixing things up, she had us do forms at the end of the advanced class after all that sparring. My hands where literally shaking I was so tired and my forms looked pretty crappy. Not sure what that lesson was but it was a rough practice.
The big challenge for old guy is that the longer I spar the quicker I get tired in relation to the 20-year-olds. So, at first if I’m sparring against a low belt I can take it easy on them, evade, give them a moving target, let them practice their techniques, etc. But as I get tired and they see it they tend to go in for the kill. Ergo, I have to kick things up a few notches or I’ll look bad. (hey I can’t lose to a low belt!)
So, in some of the matches I was literally kicking and punching with full force. I did warn them that the harder you come at me the harder I’ll come back. I know I rattled a couple people for sure. However, I got pretty banged up and strained in the process. I know I knocked the wind out of one student. Then, later when he sparred with sabum he got struck in the jaw. Sadly, we were going without mouth guards so the guy got a bloody tongue. I also drilled another person with a reverse side kick in the spot where their leg connects with their hip. After that hit they had to sit things out. (they essentially deflected my kick down otherwise it would have hit their hogu)
All-in-all it was a very intense practice and I’m glad it’s over!
~BCP
