Way of a Swede (from 8 kyu to...)

[sensei8]

Even now still, I remain impressed with your MA journey; it isn't one of a casual passing, but one of sincere devotion to ones MA journey. Keep up that fire that is burning brightly burning within you!!

Train hard, and train well!!

[Wayofaswede]

Thank you very much - I like how MA becomes more and more important in my everyday life - I do some blocks when having a break at work, I do breathing exercises from Budo if I have trouble going to sleep etc.

Not a day without a kata - I want and need to have it that way!

[Wayofaswede]

So gradation coming up on Saturday. Unfortunately I've missed some club sessions lately due to birthdays and cold and haven't heard anything from C I, so I haven't prepared for grading this semester.

Will still go there to watch fellow club members and to offer a bunkai/kumite partner if someone would need it for their grading.

Maybe after another semester I'll be ready for 3 kyu.

Hope you all have a good end of semester and a great weekend.

[bushido_man96]

So gradation coming up on Saturday. Unfortunately I've missed some club sessions lately due to birthdays and cold and haven't heard anything from C I, so I haven't prepared for grading this semester.

Will still go there to watch fellow club members and to offer a bunkai/kumite partner if someone would need it for their grading.

Maybe after another semester I'll be ready for 3 kyu.

Hope you all have a good end of semester and a great weekend.

Nothing wrong with that. Things come up, and at times, it's better to wait another testing cycle, that way you can be sure you are fully prepared.

[sensei8]

So gradation coming up on Saturday. Unfortunately I've missed some club sessions lately due to birthdays and cold and haven't heard anything from C I, so I haven't prepared for grading this semester.

Will still go there to watch fellow club members and to offer a bunkai/kumite partner if someone would need it for their grading.

Maybe after another semester I'll be ready for 3 kyu.

Hope you all have a good end of semester and a great weekend.

Nothing wrong with that. Things come up, and at times, it's better to wait another testing cycle, that way you can be sure you are fully prepared.

I wholeheartedly agree with Brian here. Any and all Testing Cycle's will always take care of themselves...whenever that might be. Test when YOU can, and not when the CI says; just be sure to communicate with your CI any schedule conflicts so that you're all on the same page.

Never rush to test; there's always more Testing Cycles around the corner.

[Wayofaswede]

Thanks, Brian and Sensei

As I met kansho this Saturday, he seemed very surprised that I wasn't going to test. Only reason he hadn't told me he found me ready was that I had missed the last double-session I usually attend so he hadn't had the chance to.

We decided that I will test for 3 kyu midterm next year, so I could prepare properly (I prefer going through everything once/day the week before testing).

Really enjoyed watching the others testing however. There is something very special about watching someone who was beginner with yellow belt as I joined the club, this Saturday passing the test for black belt.

Following and encouraging fellow MAists along their path has the longer I've trained become almost as important to me as my own path.

[aurik]

You've taken a very mature attitude regarding this, Swede, and I hope this takes you very far in your MA journey. I'm sure your partners appreciate your help and support for their testing. As long as you are continuing to train, you're moving forward; the rank will take care of itself.

[Wayofaswede]

Thank you very much Aurik, I guess that it has something to do with having reached 40+

[Wayofaswede]

My first double club training for the decade took place yesterday. Always wonderful to be back in the dojo after a few weeks away from physically demanding club sessions.

Looking forward to a new year and decade as karate- and budoka. My goal for this year is to keep up the daily kihon/kata routine, to test for 3rd kyu and to participate in any club camps arranged.

Wish you all a great MA-year

[Wayofaswede]

I have kept training, moving closer to a 3rd kyu level, but I must admit I have struggled somewhat lately.

The struggle has been mostly with the spiritual side of my MA training. I do wish my MA-training to be a spiritual journey as well. I have come to realize that I actually wish to incorporate elements of my daily spiritual practice from a Christian tradition into my daily MA-sessions and even club sessions (for instance during the sitting mokuso we always begin every club session with).

For a while I feared that I would either have to separate the physical training from the spiritual or would have to look deeper into a different spiritual path (from some other tradition) in order to continue with karate on more advanced levels. After giving it a lot of thought, reading a lot by karatekas such as Iain Abernathy, doing a lot of research and by changing small aspects of my daily routine, I think I am now starting to find the right way ahead for me. How my karate and my personal spiritual practice can and will complement one another and make the continued training one of body-mind-spirit - as I want it to be.

Hope you’re all training hard and well, today’s training consisted of a solo session for me including strength/kihon and Ji no kata 7-8, Sanchin, Gekisaida ni (with bunkai patterns), Juroko (with bunkai) and Pinan Godan (with bunkai)