The lady in red

[pegkerr]

I passed my red belt test.

This one went unusually well, actually. Before the test started, I went through my bo form a good number of times, because the other woman with a red stripe belt really didn't know it--she was good on technique, but she just couldn't seem to remember the order of the moves. So I was trying to teach it to her on the fly. Anyway, going through it fifteen times or so got me very warmed up.

Because of the weather, Mr. Sidner wanted to run the test a little short, so we didn't spar, but he decided to challenge us--we all kicked out in the center of the floor, rather than at the bar as the intermediate belts usually do, and he threw in some kick combinations (hook kick, round kick, side kick) that usually don't show up until the advanced belt tests. For me, the kicking section of the test went extremely well; I've never had it go better. For some reason, I just seemed to have it all pulled together, and my balance was extremely good, even on the advanced kick combinations. I was very pleased. I suppose all those slow kicks I'm practicing every day are paying off. I did throw out my hip a bit later, when we were doing pop-up round kicks to X-ray paper, but it was near the end of that section anyway.

When I did form, I did great. I knew it cold, I tried to really deepen my stances, and I used a lot of intensity. L., as I feared, forgot the moves and had to do it again. It obviously rattled her a great deal, and she was muttering under her breath, upset with herself during the rest of the test, but she did great on the self-defense portion (she's built like a brick house), and she did end up passing as well.

So, after the holidays are over, I will move up to the advanced belt classes and start learning the forms that will be on the black belt test. Hurray!

Comments

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Found your phone yet?

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

I did, last night -- the final straw that is driving me to clean house today.