My first day training under shihan.

[evergrey]

OSU

Well, today was my first day at the dojo, and sensei's first day back with shihan after a good 18 or 20 years.

We walked in, me clinging to sensei's shirt, and shihan glanced up and said "get dressed!"

Sooo off we went to put on gis and stuff. I needed sensei's help tying my belt... I really need to work on that and get it down, heh.

After we were changed, we heard shihan say "I'm used to people coming when I call them, and not having to wait." Oh uhhh, we didn't hear. Sensei started to say "oh, actually I just came out of the dressing roo-"

"Sit down."

Before class, we discussed the eating plan. I negotiated vegetables. YAY. I am content, for now. We'll see how it goes. shihan says I must lose 2 pounds a week, no excuses. I'll try? He says I'm the first person who hasn't steadily lost weight on it, so I'm the problem child. Hah.

Then he said "that's not something to celebrate" when I struck a "victory" post and said "YESSSSSS!"

Haha, oh yes, I am going to have fun.

I had to run to the restroom, and while I was there, class started. So when I got back, I huddled against a wall, trying to make myself look small, heh. A parent of one of the kids said "PSSST! Don't lean against he wall! If Shihan catches you, you'll be doing 500 push-ups!"

I thanked her profusely for the warning, and sort of edged to the back wall.

Shihan, who really does seem to see all, told me to come over. He had sensei show him Pinan 1, and then Pinan 2, which sensei was rusty on. It had been a long time. So sensei worked on Pinan 2 and then Pinan 3 for the class. He has a bit of catching up to do, and the katas may have changed a little bit since he learned them.

Then he came to me and said that we were going to work on my Pinan 1... and I think he saw the look of abject terror on my face, hah. Well, earlier he had told me my Pinan 1 in the video was absolutely horrible, and I had guts for posting it online. No brains, but guts. He was baiting me! Heh. I just shot him a glare and laughed.

So he said we were going to start with Taikyoku Sono Ichi, which hadn't really come into being yet when Sensei was in training. They teach it now, though, to give a bit of a stronger foundation I suppose.

He said "yoi" and my brain froze up, haha. I man, sensei had said that to me before, I knew what it meant! But it just poured out of my ear for some reason, staring at shihan.

"Didn't he teach you any of this?"

"Uhmm he told me but!"

I think shihan might have shot a little scold at sensei, I don't remember. But then he told me about Yoi and Mokuso. "If I tell you Mokuso, you keep your eyes closed and meditate until I tell you that you can open them. Even if it's the whole class. OSU?"

"osu!"

(I was so mousy! I don't know how he even managed to HEAR me! I don't know what came over me but I was just... mousy.)

He also told me that I belonged to him when I was in the dojo. He said it didn't matter whose I was outside of those walls, but inside of them, he owned me. Heh. Well okay then, that's how it is there!

So he had me start with a lower block and then a punch. He had me do those two moves for half the class. Over and over again.

I didn't mind it. It was good exercise, and once in a while he'd come by and correct me. After the first half of class or so, he added in the turn and the second lower block/punch combo. He would come and tell me "don't move, don't you move at all. Now, where is your belt pointing? When you punch, do your fists line up? No, you need to square up more," or "is there something about the mat that is really fascinating? Get your chin up!" And then there was "if I see those thumbs out, I will get them and it will hurt. Ask your sensei about that! Don't let me see them sticking out again..."

Somehow the way he said it made it all okay though. I was quite entertained by his teaching methods. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

There was a lot of ribbing. It was often delivered in a stern tone with a glare, but one could tell it was in fun. Shihan spotted a hickey on my neck, and told me to not come to class with those any more, haha. He also grabbed the front of my gi and pulled it into place a number of times, which made me laugh. I'm to wear a shirt with a higher collar next time. I DID wear an undershirt, but, well, I'm busty, ya know?

After a while, I got into a rhythm, and I just kept going over the four moves, again and again. My knee and my foot bothered me a little bit, but I figured with practice and time, they'd get used to that. I sweated a lot- got the mat a bit wet, hah!

I watched him working with the kids, too. He was strict, but he gave encouragement. He made them smile, and laugh, and he made the parents that were there laugh too.

Meanwhile, sensei was practicing his kata behind me, and we both travelled a bit on the mat. At one point he was pretty close behind me and let out an "OSU!" that made me just about jump out of my skin! There was some real power behind his kiai, and I hadn't really heard him use it like that before. I actually skittered a few paces away, and he said "you're safe, kohai." Quite reassuring.

I actually got some praise from shihan. That felt nice, very nice actually. Positive re-enforcement helps! And it made me feel good, that despite being a newbie who had a lot to learn, he saw some good things in what I did along with the things that needed to be corrected.

So we lined up, and I just stood at the very far end, after all the kids. I figured they'd been to class more than once, and thus outranked me. Doesn't bother me!

Sensei called out the bowing to Shihan White and Sensei Wah. Then I learned (from watching) that everyone went through and shook Sensei Wah's hand. Well, now I know!

When everyone was dismissed, Shihan told me that I did pretty well for my first class, and that he could tell sensei had been teaching me some things. He also complimented sensei, and said that everything would come back to him soon.

I found that I'd gotten a great workout. I hope nobody minded the smell of my sweat, heh. Everyone in the dojo was nice, and a female brown belt came and introduced herself to me after class, showing me a little pocket she had sewn in the inside of her gi for keeping little things. I hope that I get to meet her again.

Shihan instructed us to come to class as often as we could. The next class he's at will be Thursday, and we plan to be there!

Of course when he left he said,

"PRACTICE,

OSU."

[sensei8]

Welcome to your first FORMAL class!!

I love it!! I loved your post!! I could only laugh out loud over some of the things that you described because that formality is not only needed, but it's necessary.

KEEP GOING!! KEEP TRAINING!! KEEP SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR TRAINING!!

Osu!!

[evergrey]

OSU,

Thank you sensei8!

I don't mind the formality at all! I... kind of enjoy it a lot actually.

I know I'm going to screw it up at some point, haha! I have heard STORIES, too. It's like sitting at your father's knee hearing all these legendary tales about someone, and then suddenly you find yourself in their clutches! He told me that he had to do hundreds of push-ups in the middle of a tournament once because he stepped on a line and didn't bow, haha. That's Shihan for you. All the stories seem to be true, except he doesn't seem as mean... this was only my first class though!

I woke up today feeling really pumped! I am going to work out now, actually. RARRR! I might save a bunch of it for night when it cools off, but... for now, I am going to do what I can. I have class again TOMORROW so I'd better work on retaining that knowledge...