Sloppy kicks are not acceptable

Class last night was different. It was a major eye opener to me.

We did warm ups that consisted of hand and foot techniques. We did reverse punches for hands. 30 total...10 for technique, 10 for speed, 10 for power. 30 on each side for a total of 60. I felt it last night in my shoulders because I've been sloppy in my training and have not trained well in my opinion. I was not keeping my elbow tucked down by my side for the punches and kept rolling my shoulder up. Master G had to correct me a number of times. He was watching all of us and making comments about improving our techniques.

We also did kicks for warm up. Again, here's me noticing how sloppy I am in my technique. I feel like I'm just learning all over again. It feels very much like I'm starting over. I read on a blog (Ikigaiway) that black belt is when you start to learn. This is really true for me. It hurt me to not spend a lot of time practicing except for black belt prep classes. Realistically, I think in the three months between leaving USMA and joining BTK as a full time student, I kicked my own butt. I didn't practice in between. It is showing too.
During the kicking drill, Master G reminded me that I needed to turn my hip over when I do side kicks. Amazingly enough, I found that I had more power when I did the kicks correctly. I could hit the target more than I was when I didn't turn my hips over. I know I've heard "turn your hips over" many times. I just didn't put it into practical application. I have to now or else I will NOT move ahead. If I plan on earning my Ee Dan in April (not that I'm seeing it very likely, realistically), I have to kick better, punch better and perform forms MUCH better. I need to learn Bunkai so that I can explain the WHYS of my forms.

Wednesday

I taught class again tonight. This time, Mr. M was in the building. He held a mandatory meeting with the other instructors. I was left out because he needed me to run the class. Okay...I can handle it. I'm feeling pretty good about it, all things considered.

When I got to the dojang, I got locked out by one of the instructors--she said it was my "rite of passage". I got revenge--she left her belt on the front desk and went back to the locker room. She told me to watch her belt. When she came back, it wasn't there. At my suggestion, we hid it (Ms. L, Mr. B and I, that is). haha! Okay, so it's kind of silly, but you know what? I felt like I belonged. I got a seriously good giggle out of it. She got her belt back and forgave me. I took the blame for it anyway.

Anyway, they all had a meeting and I got the class. Wahoo! I enjoyed that. I got Mrs. W tonight. Last Wednesday, it was her hubby who took the class. She's my friend Jason's neighbor. Mr. M grabbed me and told me I was teaching tonight's class, then ran everyone else into the little room. Lucky me! I had the big room (and the loudmouthed younger brother of the one guy I have issues with--it's in the family because I don't like his brother either!) all to myself, with my class. There were three black belts--one's a loud kid (teenager!!) and the other two, while they're also teens, they're more respectful, but goofier. They like to play all sorts of tricks on each other. They were goofing off together.

I ran the class through a not overly strenuous warm up, then we did some stretches. After that, I ran them through some quick techniques (kicking and punching), then we did forms, then played with a Wavemaster to practice kicks. I enjoyed that. Then we sparred. I like being able to make it different. They don't know what I'm going to do. I enjoyed it. I didn't freak out---just went in and said to myself, "Okay, I'm expected to run this class, run it I shall! I OWN the class!" I did. *I* think I did, anyway!

Hopefully Mr. M will be told by the attendees what they thought of me teaching. I'd like them to feel free to tell him that either I totally suck or I'm a good teacher.

The verdict is...

Sigh. I have been fighting with pain in my left leg/hip for about two months now. I FINALLY went to the doctor today and guess what?? I have tendonitis. He originally was worried about my actual hip (the bone) but it's not that. He's thinking that since it's been so long and because it's associated with any kind of...I think he said "external rotation" (I'm badly paraphrasing) causes pain, it's tendonitis. Yeah. Yay. I am SUPPOSED to be "taking it easy" for the next two weeks. He gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory. It's a different one than the last one, which causes me to swell up. I haven't filled the prescription yet. I'll be doing that here shortly.

I'm on vacation today. I'm just hanging around, not doing much of anything. I have laundry to do but that's it. I have my prep class tomorrow with a pre-test and I'm going to be rested up for that. I kind of got a bit panicky with my doctor because this upcoming test is sooo important to me! I really need to do well for this test. I have to work on my physical conditioning too, so I've got to get busy with that. I should start walking a mile this weekend to see if I can get it done within 7 minutes. I think I'm supposed to be able to walk a mile in 7 minutes or less. I do believe he said that we're supposed to run a mile in 10 minutes or less, so a 7 minute or less mile, walking, is a good goal to strive for. When I can hit that goal, I'll work on another goal. I didn't walk or run any marathons last year, so maybe I can look toward that this year. Just another thing to put on my potential agenda!!

12 days away

The Black Belt test is only 12 days away. Am I ready? That's debatable. I know my forms and as long as I do NOT look at the kids around me and just go with what I know (including getting lots of practice on Nahainchi Cho Dan this week so that my transitions are proper!!!), I should be okay. I've got to review my one steps, but that's not that much of a problem. I only need to know 1-12 on those. We have sparring AND we have the dreaded Ho Sin Sul (self defense!). I am NOT too comfortable with the Ho Sin Sul, but I'll deal with it. I've got this week and most of next week to practice. I really don't want to spar. I have this horrible habit of laughing and giggling like a fool whenever I start sparring with someone. That has GOT to stop! I'll feel like an idiot in my sparring gear (first time I've worn it!)
We haven't been practicing the bong forms, so I won't be doing that at the test. Mr. M is going to have us do technique (for an hour!!!), 100 jumping jacks (yuuuuuuck!!!) and a minute's worth of push ups. I can do one minute of pushups! I did 38 of them in a minute today. I know, it's a pitiful number but...Mr. M says that for my age, it's acceptable. If I push it, I can build up on that number before the test.
When we did the jumping jacks in class, we all counted up to 50, then he had us stop and start again. We counted 1-9 and everyone yelled 10, then up, with everyone joining in on the even numbers (10, 20, 30, 40, 50). It looks good, sounds good and it's going to be that way. He said that when the counting stops, you stop. Period. Don't keep jumping. Hey, I'm all for that!!

We went over some basic technique. I'm standing in between two kids and there will be another taller young man right behind me. I have to make absolutely sure I do NOT kick that kid in front of me in the back! It won't be a good thing to do. LOL!!

I pre-test on Wednesday. Have to know all of my forms, my one steps and my Ho Sin Sul. This is to make sure that I really WILL be ready. Mr. M tells me he's not worried about me, but *I* am worried about me! I shouldn't be, but I am. I've had dreams where Kwan Jang Nim St. James has been grading me, looking at my forms and technique and then stops the test to ask WHY I'm in the test! I realize that he won't do that, but it was a dream.

I'm pre-testing on Wednesday. My partner is a young lady named Holly. She'll come in and pre-test with me on my Ho Sin Sul and one steps. Once we've done those, he'll let us know if we're definitely testing on the 21st. If we can get past the pre-test, it'll be a downhill slide. I have to remember to take myself off to the black belt class on Thursday because it was a good thing to go to. I may start adding that into my regime. I have to be up at the school on Thursday for the Young Warriors class so I may as well just stay to work on the black belt class as well.