Purple Haze

Tonight was graduation/testing night. I don't think I was totally nervous, but perhaps nervous in a different way. On one hand, I figured, well, if I don't know this form now, I'll never know it. This'll probably be as good as it gets. On the other hand, I felt kind of just numb about the whole thing. I had done it once for my husband before I left. Of course, he doesn't know what he's looking at, so he thought it was pretty good. I think I was more concerned about doing my weapon, the ssang-jeh-bang. I had practiced a few times today, and got some sort of a rhythm going. It wasn't what I wanted, but I figured it was acceptable. The problem wasn't only that I didn't exactly have a completely worked out routine, but also there is a difference when you are practicing in shorts and a T-shirt vs. your heavyweight uniform. Oh, and I'm overly right handed almost to a fault. Well, at least I didn't drop the dang thing like Malachi did at least two or three times (shows what happens when you try to show off too much!). So I practiced a few times before things got started, and just figured I'd do my best.

It was a big group, but maybe because I'm used to doing this, and it wasn't as crowded as other times, it seemed to go fairly quickly. I did my form with two other adult color belts and weapons with just one of them. I did mess up slightly in the form but quickly corrected it. I remembered it all, and I tried to make sure I did my stances correctly when I remembered. It was not my best effort, but all things considered, I think I did okay. Weapons were a joke to me, but later an adult black belt came up to me and exclaimed that I had done really well. I was surprised at that, because I really had winged it to a certain degree. OK, I did follow a form shown to us more or less, made some variations such as doing a simple changeover instead of a triangle changeover, but it got the job done in the time alloted, which allowed me to get other moves I wanted into the routine. I need work on this weapon, but at least I got through. I also need to practice more with my left hand. My figure eights with my left hand were atrocious, and that's what really slowed me down and made it look sloppy. Hey, 'ya gotta give me credit for doing weapons as color belts are not required to do weapons during testing, but it's optional, and I have gone for it ever since I got mine (as a yellow belt). I know of kids who are 3 ranks ahead of me who still won't do weapons at testing. I figure, a) it helps me get used to doing them, and b) helps prepare me for tournaments as well. After all, in the end, I'm not #3 in the state for nothing! Sparring went fine. I had to spar Evelyn, and I don't think she was totally up for it. She got a few good hits in, but I think I was the more aggressive one. She kept backing up and backing up until she was almost at the wall. Hopefully that was seen as a positive, as Michelle was the one who evaluated me for that rather than Ma'am. Ma'am started this thing with the last testing that she would judge the forms and weapons, and when you are done, you go on the back mat to do your sparring with someone in your group. This is done so we aren't there all night. Seems to work to me. I think some people take their time getting their gear on after forms and weapons, however, and that slows things up a bit. But I got it done and out of the way, so that was it. Ma'am seemed fairly cheery when she gave me my belt, which was cool. Mr. Uhl got his 2nd degree belt tonight, which was cool. He did a beautiful board break combination, for sure. BAM! BAM! BAM! That quick through double boards too. Sweet.

Ma'am did tell us that it was too bad that Dr. Albani didn't do his creative weapons routine at the adult session and had done it at the session before with the kids, as it was very memorable. She said that the music he chose was "Be a Dentist" from Little Shop of Horrors, and he had the teeth on the end of his weapons. You see, he IS a dentist, hence the further amusement of us all. She said it was lost on the kids, but our group would've appreciated it. I know I definitely would have!

So, time to move forward again. I have the DVD and the directions for my next form. Again, it's the next one in the series, and it's about 2 belts above what I should be doing at my newly attained rank. This next form is important as it's what I'll be doing at the tournament, more than likely, so I will have to see. It didn't look too difficult, but to be at competition level, I'll have to learn it fast and WELL. I asked Ma'am what the next weapon was, and she asked me if I would ask her again when she wasn't so tired and could think, which was not a problem. I'm hoping it's the bahng-mah-ee again, since I do well with that. Perhaps it might even be doubling up on that, we'll see. But I got through tonight fine.

Oh, and as a side note, Em and Pen were really sweet. You'll have to read the posting on my regular journal for the details, but at the ATA picnic, Drew helped push Pen through a long gravel path when she needed an extra boost, being that she's wheelchair bound, and I had helped Emily. The girls had befriended Drew, and he warmed up to them and they nicknamed him "Bulldozer" as a result. Drew has enjoyed that nickname ever since, and tonight, since his birthday was two days ago, sent me home with a birthday present from the both of them, being a Tonka bulldozer toy and a book about Tonka bulldozers. I let him get out of bed so that he could open it and see it. He was happy about getting the gift, and appreciated the whole gesture, the reinforcement of his "bulldozer" status. That was awfully nice of them. Drew has some big friends now. :-)

Onward and upward now....