Belt TestShortcomings
The belt test has come and gone and it was fun. "Grades" came in and well I could have done better. I earned my belt, but there are some short falls. I need to work on push ups. I have to complete them without a break. I also, sadly, got my first 'fail', for my handstand. I have to do one for 60 seconds. Usually I am told to try harder next time but get scored on the effort. This time, I got a big fat, "fail" written on my paper.
My confession, I can't do handstands. I HATE being upside down. Even at amusement parks, I avoid the rides that make you spin really fast and the ones that make you go upside down. About five or so month ago, we were told that part of our physical fitness would now include handstands against the wall. When we did handstands, we take turns, help each other if someone needs it to stay up against the wall. I would sneakily just not do them. I know, wrong, but I hate them.
I was soon caught. I can do them sometimes for 30 seconds, sometimes less. Once I did it for the entire 60 seconds and once for 57 seconds. Usually, I get this sick to my stomach, about to puke feeling. Sometimes, I just can't hold myself up. Always I feel terrible after, like motion sickness and it takes 15 or so minutes before I start to feel well.
Shihan said that I won't be allowed to take another belt test until I can do my handstands. ARG!
Sparring
Sempai Ryan was keeping my score. That meant that he also had to spar me. Sempai R is a great fighter. I wish he would fight at tournaments.
Well, anyways, we were sparring and he kicked me, as I blocked I got kicked in the knee. The knee that a week before got all skinned up in juijitsu. It was so odd. I felt the kick and it hurt, because my knees were tender. The entire week, kneeling in class killed me. All of a sudden, just after I landed a combo and he stepped back to avoid a kick, he points down at my leg. There were a few spots of blood on my dogi. By the end of the match, my knee was soaked. I went to the bathroom and blood was pouring out. It bled so much, like a head wound.
I was so teased for the rest of the class. I am standing in line waiting for my turn to get my belt when I can hear the line of black belts asking about my knee. Sensei Kris was telling Sempai Harry, something about how I was faking it. Then Sempai Harry was saying how I had ketchup packets in my pants. I was teased relentlessly and Sempai Ryan even had me stand of a picture of him kneeling next to my bloody leg, pointing at it, smiling. The next day, one of the parents told me that their daughter, after overhearing Sempai Harry, later had asked why I was carrying ketchup in my dogi.
I love my dojo, feels like home.
