Let's just get things over with, and-- OH YEAH, BABY!

Yesterday's classes were okay. The morning class was only three of us, Sandy, E an myself. Michelle was teaching, so we got a little bit more of a workout. Michelle's great, as we- meaning Sandy and I- tend to have more fun with her, and she's more willing to actually make us work out. Heaven forbid! I was a little disappointed, however, that she didn't have Sandy and I pair up. Working with E is a bore. She doesn't have much power, and every time I tried to hit a pad, she'd move the damn thing, as if to brace for impact. Just hold the damn thing still! Cripes! Sandy wouldn't move, that's for sure! She'd take the punches or kicks, and give the same or more back in return! Man, it's so much easier to workout with her, because I know that she's there to get the job done, and take names, just like me! ;-) The one real positive of the class was that I was able to figure out how I'm going to position my boards for my board breaking for Permission to Test next week. Unlike most people who do everything one-sided (like hand break with the right hand, then kick with the right), I'm doing a palm heel break with my right, and a round kick with my left foot. Once I got the rhythm to it, using wood boards (since we have to do break wood to test), BAM! BAM! I popped both of them on the first try. Oh yeah, my confidence is back with board breaking. This permission to test will be easier than the last one, for sure. Problem was that instead of using the actual palm heel, I broke the board with the part of my hand just below that, so now I have a nice little bruise on my inner wrist. Lovely. I'm sure it'll heal in time for whenever I have to break next week. But MAN, I broke both boards with a vengeance!

Instructor class was all about how to do nothing but front kicks, but in about 5 different ways so that the kids don't realize that they are working on front kicks the whole time. It was good, although with one drill, it required you to get down on one knee, then come back up kicking that front kick. With my bad knees, it was a true struggle to do it, and um, it didn't feel good. The rest of the time, as usual, was time used to practice forms and such, and me being the only color belt, well, I essentially got ignored as far as getting a checkup or some help with what I was doing. I was also crowded out of my small amount of mat space to practice, no matter where I went. I'm doing fine on my form, I think. I'm not sure of my transitions still, although I think I have them down a little better than a week ago. I'll just have to check the DVD for this form to get my instruction this time. Good thing I've done this form before! I still have to figure out what kind of freestyle I'm doing with my DSJB (double numchukas, for you non-ATA people). I think I have some good basics that I just have to smooth out and again, get some rhythm and flow so they look good and I can get something flashy out in 20 seconds or so. :-S Should be interesting, but at least I have about 2 weeks-- give or take-- to get it together.

So classes in general have been rather boring, and they will continue to be boring for the next 4-5 months. Even once I get my 1st degree recommended belt (1BR), it's a form I've done before, and it's the only form I'll be working on. It'd be one thing if it was the 1st degree form, which I know I'll be working on for a few YEARS, but I don't know it yet, so that will be a challenge. And each cycle, there's something new to learn with weapons, etc. But for now, oh my gawd. I think the only part of the single SJB and single BME forms I don't know are still pretty simple, and I'll probably learn them in a day. Bleeh. I pretty much know all the SJB information for 1BR, although I just need a quickie review of the strike lines. I mean, I know where the strike lines ARE, I just don't know how to show them with a SJB. Again, that'll probably take 5 minutes. Same with the BME the following cycle. I think I only don't know the "snake" move, but everything else should be review for the most part. Makes me wish I could do both weapons in the same cycle, and get it over with! But no. Bugger!

So, that being said, we should move onto the "OH YEAH, BABY!" part of this entry.

Drum roll please........

I AM OFFICIALLY THE STATE CHAMP FOR THE WEAPONS CATEGORY FOR WOMEN COLOR BELTS 30-39!

I am very excited about this. Many in my school and in the leadership program take getting a state championship, let alone a ranking in the state, for granted. Not me! I worked very hard for this one, for sure. Let's face it, I'm keeping that Kama/SN routine as long as I can! ;-) I also ended up ranking #5 in the state in my group for sparring.

The next tournament year starts with World Championships in late June, and of course I can't make it to that. (Unless I find some Sugar Daddy or Sugar Mama to pay my way!) It's also going to be a little, well weird for this tournament year for me. I will be a color belt for only a few more months, and not too many tournaments between now and then. And once I become a black belt, then there are not too many tournaments either until the end of that tournament year. It has to do with rank and age. I'm going to be 39 this summer. So I only have a short time to still be in the color belts for that age range, and for the moment, there are next to no 30-something 1st degrees competing, or at least any that have placed at tourneys. When next year's tournament year starts, I will have to switch and be in the 40-something category, as it's based on the age you will be on 12/31 of that tournament year. This time next year, I will be considered 40, not still 39, so it's going to be weird for a while. I don't know. I'm not sure that I want to still compete. I have to think about it. There is some pressure to continue, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll just continue for a while until I can make a "for sure" decision.

So, that's the big news. I am a state champ. I'm really thrilled about it. I can't wait to order my state champ uniform, and due to ATA regs being reinforced more, I will have to get black gear instead of red gear soon with the black belt promotion. Hey, at least I switched out my faceshield now for one that will allow me to breathe! That's gotta help!

Playing catch-up

The last several weeks, I haven't been in classes as much as I could be, due to personal stuff going on in my family. And that happens. Fortunately, as far as my form goes, it's not too bad, because just like the last cycle, it's all stuff I've done before. This cycle, with IW#2, it's a form I remembered that I liked a year ago when I did it, so it's coming back to me pretty quickly. The problem is, I really have had no gauge as to where I should be in re-learning this. I mean, the sequence in how it's done is section 1, section 2, reverse of each, then section 3, section 4 and the reverse of those. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. The problem I have is getting the transitions right.

So, today was a day of trying to figure out what I was missing in my forms, and what were the transitions. This morning's class was being taught by MZ, who's back from college for the summer, and looking for hours, so she's helping, and hopefully doing more Wednesday morning classes. Perhaps she'll put some fire under those old ladies' butts! She agreed that it was pretty lame that they want to be able to not be too sweaty or have "helmet head" from wearing headgear for sparring during that class since they have to go back out into the world after class. Um, hello? That's what happens with a day class! It's a CLASS, not a minor demonstration! MZ appreciated that at least Sandy and I actually try to work out, and aren't afraid to actually punch and kick each other, unlike the "elders". One of them was going on and on about how RA is like a frog in how he jumps, and since MZ and RA don't always get along, I could tell that MZ was just biting her tongue short of bleeding with this person. MZ and I had a chance to catch up for a while, so that was cool. She's a good kid, and I like her. So she helped me with getting all the parts and some of the transitions. She also helped Sandy and I with some more challenging things with the DSJB, get some ideas about freestyle for that. I also worked for a few minutes after class (volunteered for duty when the phone rang, to allow MZ to finish teaching class, as Sandy said she'd stick around to help me break, and MZ would be around too), and I've got that roundkick break, more or less, but I really need to get more practice in it. But I'm not nervous about it just yet. I think I'll be fine.

Tonight's instructor class did some drills, and we had a discussion that was evidentally a carry-over from last week's class (which I missed) about things that instructors can bring back to class to perk things up, keep the kids' attention during class yet keep it fun AND get curriculum in at the same time. We then worked a bit on weapons and forms on our own. I mostly worked with the C sisters on SJB for a while, but in the end, after class, I asked SW if she could help me again with transitions. It turns out, in the end, that I'm actually ahead, as at this point we're only supposed to know the 1st half of the form. That part is the easy part. It's the second half that I have issues with. I think I have a better idea of what's going on now with the transitions. I think I'll have to check the DVD several more times too, and well, practice of course! But to know that I'm probably ahead of the game, despite actually being behind a bit in classes, is a little reassuring. I still feel like I have to play catch-up, but knowing that I'm on the right track instead of feeling lost is good.

I've been tagged! aka "We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog for this message...."

Well, I usually don't do things like this here, but since I've been tagged at this blog, I will indulge the person who was nice enough to tag me. Thanks Becky! I actually did this on my other blog, but what the heck. Different audience here.

Those tagged must list 7 random facts about themselves. They also need to write in their blogs the rules of the game, which are pretty simple--you list your 7 facts, then list 7 people you are tagging. Then you leave them comments letting them know they've been tagged.

Here are my 7 random facts:

1. Since Becky was the one who tagged me, I can say that she and I share another common hobby other than motherhood (is that a hobby? I guess it depends on the kid!), and martial arts -- knitting! Been doing it for about 2 1/2 years, and wish I could make more time to do it. Even have a knitting blog I share with friends, Knitster.org.

2. As of this writing, I am currently #1 ranked in the state for weapons competition for color belts 30-39.

3. I own a purple (the official color is "amethyst") Jeep Cherokee which I dubbed "Purple Haze". Someday I'd like to get tie-dye seat covers for it.
;-)

4. I haven't met a pasta I didn't like. Sauces for the pasta, perhaps that I don't like, but not the noodles. YUM!

5. I have taken 5 language courses over my lifetime (if you don't count computer languages), and I don't speak any of them fluently.

6. I don't watch network TV pretty much at all. The show "Heroes" is the only exception in the past few years. I watch a LOT of cable TV.

7. My dream retirement is living in the Caribbean or somewhere on the Southeastern coastline of the US.

The seven people I am tagging are:

1. One Crazy Chick

2. HardHeaded Is My Middle Name

3. Lucky

4. Mat's Way

5. John V.

6. Person #1 that I don't know that reads this

7. Person #2 that I don't know that reads this.

(Black Belt Mama and Frotoe - I would've tagged you, but Becky beat me to it! And Sandy aka "Oceandirt", and Penelope were tagged on my other one, I believe.)

If you aren't up to it, don't worry about it. ;-) I'm just glad you read!

I'll do the Mommy Survey that Becky also posted on her blog on my my regular blog.

Enjoy!

Why do I keep going on Saturdays?

I really needed to go to class today. I hadn't been to classes in a week, especially since I missed all the classes I normally would've gone to either regularly or makeup days. I figured that since this was the day where they took more time for each thing, it'd be better.

In general, it was, simply because I hadn't done it yet this week. We learned the next segment of IW#2, which came back (say hi to the ceiling, take the cookie platter away, punch, smash the pumpkin, and the hi-lo switch). That one section alone is pretty cool looking, so I remember it well once I got the hang of it. I think the kids are used to the fact that I'm the only adult in the class, and I'm pretty harmless and I'm nice to them, and don't talk down to them. And I try to be silly and pump them up, because some of them really do know the information better than I do! :-) So that went well. Ben P. even told one kid who knew me but felt a little intimidated working with an adult, "Don't worry, Mrs. V is pretty nice. She won't hurt you," which seemed like a nice compliment to get. So that went well.

Weapons class was not too bad either. The whole class was doing DSJB, and we were given a new trick to do. They showed us the "7s" triangle-like trick, but they also showed us how to do "9s". Oh man, 9s did NOT come easily for me. Here I am, the only adult in the class again, and a whole bunch of children old enough to be mine were working circles (literally and figuratively around me). As SW has been known to say, women tend to think things out a little too much sometimes, but we have to analyze it and break it down so that we can mentally process it. And doing these 9s, that as certainly the case. I started out doing the movements without swinging the SJBs, then I'd let go and get the swinging motions going, then slowly I started getting the hang of it. Oh yes, it's another case of learning something because I'm a glutton for punishment. I don't want to do the routine that they are teaching the kids completely, as I think that I've been learning a few other things along the way that I want to hopefully show off. And besides, it's a freestyle, I can do whatever I want within reason! So we'll see what I can throw in there, like those new release moves with the triangles. So that class was a little more productive.

As we are finishing up weapons class, before starting board breaking class, yep, you guessed it. Even though Gary was there, and Ryan was there, and there were 2-3 student instructors there, I was pulled into service rather than taking class as we had a LOT of intros who came in today. Man, I hate that when that happens. I had to get a little 4 1/2 year old acclimated to the W/O/Y class, tell Gary who his parents were, and by then, board breaking class was over. WTF? I hate that. Ben remembered that all I wanted was the chance to be able to practice breaking my roundkick, so he worked with me, and I got it done on the 2nd try, with only him holding the board, so that was good. I need to make it so I get it on the first try now! But without much warming up and getting it on the 2nd try, I'm feeling a little more confident.

I just resent it a little bit that the guys can't get it together, or that people weren't around to help out more. I mean, in the end, I still got to practice, but I end up working, and I'm not there to do work as in sales, I'm there to work and practice and get better at my own material that I'm working on.

I only have until the end of this cycle, and once I graduate in June to Red/Black, then I can go to the early morning Black Belt classes rather than the color belt classes, and perhaps that will fix the problem for me. But in the meantime, I suppose I'll have to put up with it for a few more weekends. The downside of going to Black Belt classes will be having to get up earlier in the morning to go to classes, but the upside would be that I wouldn't be drafted into service so often when I'm just trying to take class myself.

Maybe one of these days, I'll learn!