Day One...of Twenty-One

[Truestar]

Today was a good day, one more and we learn the last moves of the creative form.

I'm being rushed as I have drivers ed 20 minutes after the test is aimed to end. Aimed being the keyword. So during grappling, I rush to get things started, but I by no means rush the actual match. I get caught in the teeth by a fellow students head. It was quite shocking, and it feels loose. It didn't bleed a lot at all, so gum damage wasn't very evident if there was any, and although it feels loose when I prod it gently with my finger and tongue it doesn't seem to move at at.

Assuming it's loose, my instructor said it should seize up and get back to normal I made the assumption that it will do so if I don't do something stupid such as eat a good steak or hit it again. So assuming the worse and it is loose, what precautions should I take? Should it be fine tomorrow or in a day or two? This isn't a dental forum but I figure somebody here may have a suggestion.

Otherwise, so far things are going very well.

[Truestar]

20 days later, my arms are bigger but the waist didn't change.

Nontheless, I was able to do our run under 6 minutes, which was a decent goal for me. We had to do two sessions in one day which was very brutal as we had to shorten the test a day.

Today we performed in front of an audience of family and the Little Ninjas (5-6 year olds ). We did form, patio block breaks, and a contact drill with the Shanai.

Form was good, the creative form which is quite a tiring set of moves was performed with every last bit I had. I tend to tire out quickly after doing that form 2 or 3 times. But from what I saw it looked good in the camera.

The lumber yard next door don't make the sticks we use for the contact drill anymore. We have wooden sticks broken over two parts of our body in order to symbolize strength, conditioning, and focus. Because they didn't make them we had to resort to the Shanai, which is a bamboo strewn swordlike tool, great for Martial Arts and mouthy kids.

The breaks were interesting. I tried 3 blocks with a descending elbow. I was able to manage two of the three, which kind of disappointed me, but I still have 8 more dans of black belt to work on that. I also did a jump turning back kick to one block, which is quite a trippy technique. It required a lot of focus and a lot of measuring. I was able to break it and hope to keep working on that kick for two blocks in the future. I also performed a third break which wasn't required for the test, but I did an axe kick which went through with no problem at all. I think I could have easily done two.

Now because everybody has trips to take the celebration brunch won't be for a few weeks. I'm not going to lie and say that's no problem because I'm very eager to wear my new uniform and belt, but it'll be well worth waiting a couple weeks.

The test was a success, and although our instructor didn't come right out and say we passed I'm pretty sure we all did. Within August our school will have a new red belt, two junior black belts, and a black belt...I hope.

I'll see if I can get some pictures resized and the videos on Youtube if I can get myself to. Performing in front of 30 people was quite a trip, now millions of people can see my form.

There is one thought I have coming out of the test though. If you seriously asked me if I thought I deserved my new belt I'm not sure what I would say. Simply because I am sitting here with some regrets. There are times during the test where my mental and physical fatigue wore me right down, and doing the kicks or form were troublesome. I kind of wish I could find that extra bit of energy to pull through. I tried, I won't say I didn't, but I think there were times I could have tried harder. I hope that my realization and self-notice of this outweighs the fact I have a few regrets.

On top of it all, it was a great success. I was very satisfied with the overall results and hope to be wearing a black belt soon.

(I'll resize some pictures and post some up for the heck of it, but that might be a task for tomorrow.)

[bushido_man96]

Congrats! It sounds like quite the feat you made it through.

[Patrick]

Congrats Ryan!

[tallgeese]

Congrats!

[Truestar]

Thanks for the responses and support.

[DWx]

Congrats! Sounds like it was a tough test.