Kieran-Lilith

Thanks! We'll see how I do come Tuesday.

Hmm...I don't think my school would ever have a dating problem. There's a bunch of kids, and then there's three teenagers, and then there's adults, most of which are married. The teens consist of me (the girl) and the two boys. Even hormones don't normally play much role because we're all too focused on the class. LOG1C, I'm sorry I can't answer your questions. There's probably somebody around here who can, though.

This Tuesday I test-again...We'll see how that goes. Mom and Dad both told me that they failed their first test, Mrs. DiBernardo (my fifth grade teacher and one of my all time favorite teachers) failed her first three tests... I just have to remember to breathe. Breathe, and pay attention.

And we don't know what to think about all you old folks on the board, gheinisch.

My instructor did get t-shirts for us. We wear them under our gi as part of the uniform, and if you don't have one then you wear a black shirt. They cost us $12, and really, they're pretty nice. I think we're also going to get a different school shirt that's more fun to wear around town. Our shirts right now are just black with our patch on the left side of our chest and the logo in Japanese on the back. The new ones are going to be much cooler, once we get around to making them...

Lol. I agree with you, lilkarate75. I love school, and I'm going to miss classes. I'm looking forward to next year, though. I've already...investiaged into my schedule, and I'm almost all of the same classes as one of my best friends.

Well, the last day of school was today for me. Final exams are over, and I am officially a high school junior. My little brother is officially a high school freshman. And Mom is being sappy about how fast her little babies grow up. So, when is everyone else out of school, if it applies to you?

Ah, ego...I'm so used to doing things right and getting top grades and stuff that when I don't, it's almost like a blow, and I'm forced to remember that (unfortunately) I'm not perfect. Like yesterday. Yesterday was a good reminder that I'm not perfect. Me, the-kid-who-does-not-fail-anything, failed her driver's test. (I don't care what that lady says, she's wrong, I did so have clearance and she was NOT in danger of dying!)

Of course it does! I discovered another talent! Cramming before exams without going into overload! Yay for me!

It's been a long, long time that they've had a girl instructor. Actually, if you want to know the truth, I've never been warmed up by a girl instructor. That's how few of us girls make it up in the ranks at my school.

You know, here in America, I don't think I've ever been to a single cinema where there's a guide to show you to your seat...we just kind of stumble around in the darkness until we see our friends, or we see a seat we like that's not already taken. Love the analogy, though. And it's true, everybody takes a different path to their seat....and then some of us realize we don't like the movie or our seat, and we go find another one.

I have a funny story. Yay for me! Anyway... About two weeks ago, I was asked to warm up the kid's class for the very first time. I had the kids spread out around the dojo, and then called "Leg stretches, hidari zenkutsu-dachi!" Pause as the kids get into stance. "Are we ready?!" "YES SIR!" "Hey! Wait up a second, I'm a girl!" "....YES MA'AM!" "There we go. Now, are we ready?!" "YES SI-MA'AM!" The next kid's class I warmed up... "Leg stretches, hidari zenkustu-dachi!" Pause. "Are we ready?!" "YES SIR!" "We've been over this before, guys!" Sensei calls from the back, "Give 'em push-ups!" "On your knuckles! Ichi, Ni, etc." "On your feet! Now, are we ready?!" "YES MA'AM!" The most recent class I warmed up... "Leg stretches, hidari zenkutsu-dachi!" Pause. "Are we ready?!" "YES MA'AM!" "Oh, good, you've finally got it!"

They've been discussing who's bringing what alcohol, and for us underaged people, we get milk-plain white or chocolate. And, for the lactose intolerants who are underage, they get water. I feel sorry for them. Can't they have the OJ from the OJ and vodka?

Thanks for all the feedback! I agree that being able to leave an impression on the kids and help them learn is one of the most rewarding feelings I've ever had, especially when I can watch the light switch turn on in their eyes. I try to help out with the kids as much as I can, but we have a few higher ranking people, and they normally work with the kids while I work with the adult group to practice and learn stuff. Really random, but I was really proud of one girl on Thursday. She's a white belt, she went up to that bag and she showed up every other boy in that line, even the fifth kyu. She's one I'm helping to study for her yellow belt test. Of course, the way I work, she'll know everything she needs to know for the test after that, but...hey, no harm in being ahead. Our kids test during class, so I'm always there, but I don't get to sit/stand and watch. Normally if it's testing night, I'm helping out with one of the kata groups or sparring rings. I'm a fifth kyu, so I am expected to help teach and be able to teach on my own sometimes. I don't teach often, though, because there's usually a black belt or two around plus a few brown belts. One of my greatest hopes is that myself and a few other girls will get black belts in our style. I have yet to meet a single female black belt in our style, and I actually don't know if there are any female BBs.

Nobody has the right to manipulate, hurt, or injure another being in any way, shape or form. Not one person on this earth has that right. I know that is how some instructor's train their students, and hard training is good sometimes. But being beat black isn't good. I don't know the exact situation you have there, but from the things you say on this site, I'm pretty certain you're an intelligent guy. I think you know that it's not right already. Just sometimes, you aren't sure, and you want someone else to confirm it because your own little world is too shaky and scary to believe a thing you think. I wish you the best, and I hope you do what you need to do.

I have an AIM account we can talk on, but I don't happen to remember what the sn is. I just know I can get in because I made my computer remember me.

Heheh...sorry. I rejoice in the new belt and embrace the sad and simple truth: I love the internet. So, yeah..anyways. Do you have AIM?

HA! I GOT MY KF PURPLE BELT! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

They would fall down because I would move. I'm not standing in front of that thing.

I wish my friends did it, but they really don't get it. So, I have my dojo friends who are also good out of class friends, and I have my high school friends. Part of me is glad that my high school friends aren't into the MA, though, because teenage drama might get dragged into the dojo. And, like the shirt I found says, "I don't do drama."

Well, I really don't know where to put this. So here it is. I've been in the dojo for two years, about, and there have never been very many girls. I've seen quite a few come and go, but very, very few have ever stayed on. In the two years I've been there, I've become second highest ranking girl, and oldest non-adult girl. Now, we have some younger girls in the dojo, and they look up to me. It's a new experience, and I enjoy the feeling. There's only a few younger girls, maybe six at max right now, and I've noticed of few of them will watch me and copy me, and they'll want me to check over their kata and teach them new terms for testing. I love these kids, and even some of the boys come to me sometimes. Really, I'm honored the kids seem to think so much of me. So, it was kind of random, but I thought I'd share. If anyone wants, they could share stories of this general nature. I also though I might want to ask if anyone had advice for people unused to having impressionable kids (several with apparently low self-esteem) look up to them.

I'm a lot new than you are, I've only been around for about two years. If you want to count previous MA time, you could say closer to three years....but I've always been fascinated. I was one of those kids who sat and watched the Ninja Turtles, the Power Rangers (who rocked my world), Dragon Ball Z, and I ran around and played fighting games with the boys. I wish more people understood it, but you can't really expect them to understand it. Learning to fight to live with peace is really a foreign concept to some. And I have to go know, because it is past midnight and I have exams to study for in class tomorrow. I AM only a sophomore, after all.

My friends don't think I'm weird. They KNOW I'm weird. I've been called obsessed frequently, and for people who aren't MAs, it's hard for them to understand that MA is a way of life, not an obsession. An obsession is something you mold your life to fit around, a way of life is not molded around something, it IS something. A lot of people just don't get it. Two of my best friends were in the MA. One's already quit. The one who was there before me, even, will be quitting. I couldn't dream of quitting.

Tues and Thurs adult class is an hour and a half. I go for kids' class, too, though, to help out and to learn, and that lasts for an hour. So, on Tues and Thurs, I'm at the dojo for about three hours. I love it to death, and so many people have trouble understanding how a sixteen year old girl could possibly love getting beat up at a dojo more than shopping.

Tuesday and Thursday nights, and occasionally a Saturday seminar. And, of course, we're expected to spend time training on our own.