High Expectations

I have to say that this morning's classes were very good ones, I look forward to my Saturday morning classes, 8:00 am - 9:30 am is my weapons class, and from 9:30 - 10:30 is my regular karate class. I was taught a brown belt bo kata today, well the beginning of it, I got about 1/3 through it with Sensei... it's called Soochin Kata... it is one of the more basic katas but much footwork and flowing movements... I'm a white belt in Shurite so it WILL be perfected by the time I'm a brown belt... I loved it!!! Then we worked with the Sai for a while, I did Tae Tu Kyu 1, 2 and 3 with it, then of course, the Nunchaku (my least favorite weapon), I actually completed Tae Tu Kyu without hurting myself too badly... actually didn't hit myself until the end, once in the buttocks... I'm getting better!!! Then it was time for my other class, Sensei changed things up for a bit, getting us to do kicking drills on the bags, front kicks, round house kicks, side kicks and back kicks... after doing this for about 20 mins, my legs were rubber... then he switched it up again, doing upper body work. Basic Jab, Reverse punch, and ridge hand combos... over and over and over... after doing this for about another 15 mins, my WHOLE body was rubber!! I got to take a quick water break, then back on the mat... my next assignment was to do my Ippons, which I did slowly just to get the technique down correctly, then started doing my Kihon... at this point, I turned around to look to see what time it was because I was ready to drop... 2 hours and 20 minutes and I was ready to throw in the towel... not quitting, just knowing my limitations.. I asked Sensei if I could bow out early... he smiled his knowing smile, gave me a look of approval and bowed me out... I went to the change room, and had some questions about the upcoming seminar, so I got changed and waited for Sensei to bow the other students out.

With the upcoming seminar I thought long and hard about which class I was taking, these are three. On Friday night from 6 pm until 10 pm, Hanshi (9th Dan - Chief Instructor - HEAD HONCHO) Abele is having a class on body mechanics and applications to kata, etc... on Saturday morning 9 am - 12 pm the weapons class is on, and from 1 pm to 5 pm the instructors have Hanshi Abele in a classroom type setting with application techniques for class room instruction... I had decided on taking the Friday class, because the other ones seemed to be more for advanced belts... so I let Sensei know of my decision. I have to say what followed next SHOCKED me... Sensei completely threw me for a loop... he highly recommended for me to take the instructors class... I must have had a very shocked look on my face because he said, "You aren't new to the martial arts, you're just new to this style, the questions you have are smart questions, ones that the more advanced belts would like to ask but don't because they're suppose to know it and don't want to look dumb by asking the question" I let Sensei know my line of thinking on my decision, telling him I eliminated the instructors class because I didn't want to hinder the class with my many questions. He said that I should not limit myself due to being new to this style. I walked away from this little discussion with a feeling of pride. Sensei paid me a very high compliment today, he didn't have to tell me point blank but in a way he considered me one of his equals. I just hope I can live up to his high expectations.

Domo Aregato Sensei.