A few months ago I posted asking for some advice on team kata. Our tournament was yesterday, so I though I would follow up with a report. We ended up doing Heian Godan. We did reasonably well, finishing either 4th or 5th (I lost track) out of 11 teams. It was a great experience, and I became really good friends with the two other ladies over the course of practicing three times a week.

On an individual level, I was very happy with my performance! I was way less nervous than I was at my first competition, so I was happy to have made some progress in that regard. I talked to two of the judges on my ring afterwards, and they both said that our group was exceptionally tough to judge because we were all very close. The matches that I lost were both to guys who were quite likely half my age and both of whom ended up winning medals at the end. (FYI, adult males and females usually compete separately, but there was only one other intermediate lady, so the head judge asked us if the two of us wanted to go separate or with the guys and we both said with the guys, seeing as it was only one-step kumite and it seemed kind of anti-climatic to win a medal by default).

If you could see my big smile right now...meanwhile, this will have to do

What you've posted is what I've been missing all of these years; that experience of a tourny and the ability to meet and make new friends.

Yes the learning is there, it must be, it has to be, but on the other side of the coin, improving ones betterment, not just martial, but personal.

You had a great outcome because 4th or 5th out of 11 teams is nothing to sneeze about. Be proud of your efforts, as proud as I am of you all.

Thank you for sharing it.