Successful return

Today was Drew's first class back to the ATA. We had postponed it for the last two days, and I told him that we really needed to get moving. So, I sent him to Kindergarten in an ATA t-shirt (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are t-shirt days at our school), and as soon as he got off the bus, he walked about 12 feet to the car and had to jump in immediately so I could get him to class. We made it with just enough time to visit the bathroom and change from his shorts to his uniform pants and orange belt. I paid attention to most of the class, as I did help out a new parent with a uniform problem. (Heck, starting my new job alrady in a manner of speaking.) Also entered the cards into the attendance and filed them to help out a little, since I know how to do that. What I did see during drills and stretches was that Drew was holding his own, and I didn't hear anyone disciplining him like usual. He actually was getting the hang of the sidekick and roundkick drills with chambering his leg like it was on the table, etc. He got a little upset with his partner at one point because the OTHER kid was kicking too hard and was being rowdy. There's something for you! When it was time to learn forms, Mr. Lee, who helps only on Fridays and also teaches the XMA stuff (very nice guy), showed the kids the form and first one step (Songahm #2 and the 1st one-step), as well as the basics of standing correctly and bowing correctly, etc. His style is a little different from Mr. A's or Ma'ams, and somehow Drew LOVED him. Drew was actually executing his form rather well for the most part, and he was paying attention, and he told me that he liked Mr. Lee's class. So, I guess Drew's weekday class is going to be Fridays instead of Wednesdays. Oh well. We'll figure it out. I guess no one had been told that Drew was upgrading to Masters class. I had told Ma'am, but I don't know if she put in for it, etc. So, I'll work it out with her when she gets back. I have to remember to call Sharon to see if she's still willing to sell or give us her daughter's old gear for sparring. I know that Jodi said that if she can find it, Drew can have her old bo-staff from when she was a kid. So that would be a BIG saving for buying all this stuff, even though I saved up for it. And since it had been a long day for Drew, and it was rather busy tonight, Mr. A and Drew decided to wait for new gear until tomorrow. That was fine by me. Drew was happy with his progress tonight, and he even got a special slap me five from Mr. A who said that he still had some wiggles, but it was MUCH better today than he had ever seen, and I had to agree. Drew still got distracted a little, and was still a little restless sometimes, but he was much better than he's ever been, and I can only see him improving from here. Goes to show what a little maturity and a summer off can do sometimes. :-)

Hooray!

Still rusty in some spots, but nothing that can't be buffed out

Man, I sound like an old car with that subject heading.

Tonight was my first class back since the day after graduation, which was about 2 weeks ago. Fortunately, not much was done last week since it was the week before Labor Day and the end of August (pretty much a dead week at the school), and everyone is starting to come back now, including us. Drew starts back this week too. I was a little tight from being away and not exercising as much, but I wasn't as bad as I thought I could have been. Felt a little creaky, but not much more than that.

Since it was a makeup graduation for all those in the adult classes (and there was only 5 of them), we started up with some warm up drills to get our hips going and did some stretching first. Actually-- let me backtrack a pinch. Among those who had to do graduation tonight was Sharon. So, even though it'd been two weeks, before class started I reviewed the form with her, and I still remembered it. Didn't do it beautifully, but I remembered it all. Even she said that compared to knowing it for tournament, she knew it much better now and could execute it better now too. I know the feeling! So, she was ready, and I felt pretty good that I still remembered it after a week.

After that, those doing graduation went to the back mat, and the rest of us were supposed to be working on reviewing Songham#2 and its corresponding one-steps (I haven't done them for a year, so I don't remember it that well), and Chuhng-Jung #2 (the form I'm supposed to be learning now). It was a little hard to follow, because everyone else has done this stuff a million times before. I remember Dr. Jimmy teaching me the first part of Songahm #2 and the 1st one step, and I was SO intimidated by him. I'm not now, but then...yeah. Eventually, Mr. A pulled me to go with the other color belts who were done with graduation testing and to go learn CJ#2. Alex was showing it to us, and it's pretty easy so far, just have to get one part straight with the hand direction. Then we did some sparring, but it wasn't heavy duty. And that was that.

Not a bad re-entry into TKD world.

And now for this news flash....

I just checked the ATA Tournament website for stats. Finally, my tournament has been acknowledged and tallied.

I am ranked 4th in NJ for women's color belts 30-39 in weapons. And the tournament year just started in July.

Oh yeah, I'm a contender!

Forging Forward

I'm back from vacation, and I think I'm ready to get back into TKD. A week away seemed like a looooong time. I don't have my first class until tomorrow, but there were certain aspects of classes I missed. I think the biggest thing that I missed was the release. What I mean by that is that a lot of tension that builds up is released during class. That can be true of almost any exercise, but I think the fact that I can punch and kick almost to my heart's content is healthier not only physically but emotionally. It's no wonder that guys with anger management issues love boxing and martial arts sometimes, or use that as a constructive way to release their anger physically. I truly appreciated that for myself in the past week. I did try to do some stretching and keeping limber, but I'm sure I didn't do enough. At least in going back, my back is normal (for me) again, so I should be able to get back into things a little more easily.

However, I'm nervous also. While I have a little less than a week reprieve, next week I start working at my school. Over vacation, it was decided that not only would I be helping with administrative stuff, but I'd also be teaching Cubs classes, and perhaps a homestudy group's class. Yikes. I've been assured by Ma'am that I don't have to come up with the lesson plan, or do anything beyond white/orange/yellow levels (and I'm now 6 belts above white now, so this stuff ought to be easy enough), but still...I want to do a good job. I've watched and participated in PLENTY of classes, and even assisted in a class or two, but never taught one solo. It's an intimidating thought, since in some ways I have a clue what to do, and in other ways, I have no idea what I'm doing. Thus, the intense nerves. Well, if nothing else, at least for the first week, if I can just get the kids to pay attention, and focus on different exercises that I do know if something goes wrong, that will be a success in itself, y'know? Get them to trust and respect me, but still provide some fun that they like coming to class-- that's what's important. I have to remember that Ma'am evidentally thinks enough of me to want to hire me, and trusts my knowledge and abilities enough to give me some classes before I even get to the black belt level. I think that's what's keeping me going with this whole thing...

In the meantime, Drew will be starting classes again himself after a summer off. I think he misses class a little bit, and likes his association with the ATA, as he insisted on wearing his ATA t-shirts most of the past week on vacation. He's very into the Power Rangers now, and I keep telling him that the Power Rangers got their skills starting in TKD classes before they grew up, so hopefully that'll click. He also has about a week or two to prove that he's going to be more grown up in class before I dump the $300 for additional equipment he needs to upgrade to Masters/Black Belt Club classes. (At our school, Ma'am decided to do away with the Black Belt Club, and combined Masters and BBC together.) He loves sparring, and has a natural ability with it, so I think he's probably ready to get the rest of his gear instead of just punches and mouthpiece, so that way he can throw in some kicks now too! He's only mildly interested in learning weapons and breaking boards, but I think once he tries it, he'll enjoy them too. I'll have to see if each of us needs a new bo staff (the one "basic" weapon we don't have) or if we can share one. Hopefully we can share, and I plan to get a top of the line one for longevity.

So, here I am, on the cusp of a new chapter in my quest for my black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. Past the halfway point in the ascent in the color belts, teaching my first classes, and learning more about the business. It's a lot on my plate, and I just have to think positively that things will work out fine.