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serindeI am now a 3rd level ninja. Go Me.
By which I mean I passed my 4th Kyu test. Not with flying colors like last time, I regret to say. For one thing, my suwari waza ("seated", that is to say kneeling, techniques) form is still not All That And A Bag Of Chips. I can do the required techniques, but I lack precision and grace. However, the real entertainment lay elsewhere...
You can see the list of test requirements here. Pretty straightforward, you might think. I've practiced assiduously with David and Linna every single item on that list, and considered myself as ready as I'd ever be without several more months of doing nothing but knee-walking. Imagine my state of mind, therefore, when Sugano-sensei called for "ushiro ryokatatori sankyo" in the middle of things. You'll note that's a technique on the 3rd Kyu test. The timing was also exquisite, as he called it between the tekubitori sankyo and the ryokatatori kotegashi, increasing my confusion: did he misspeak? and if so, did he mean the first one (which we had already been doing) or the second one? ARGH OMGWTFBBQ etc. I assumed #2, did a kotegashi, he corrected "sankyo!", I screamed inside & fired off a prayer to whoever the hell was listening, and forged on through the requested technique. Which, I may add, I have never done before.
Needless to say, this shook me up for the whole rest of the test. And it didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy while I sat through everybody else, either. It was a certain amount of cold comfort to note that Sensei was throwing curve balls at the other kyus, too, and some of them were similarly befuddled; but I didn't really achieve serenity until the judges said that all the 5th kyus had all passed, because they had on the whole sucked much harder than us. At that point I knew we were home free. And lo, so it came to pass.
I'm really really glad I got matched up with David for the test, though. Vastly reassuring to know you can completely depend on the other party.
And now, a cup oftea hot chocolate (I deserve it), followed by a pleasant anniversary dinner with my pooky.
By which I mean I passed my 4th Kyu test. Not with flying colors like last time, I regret to say. For one thing, my suwari waza ("seated", that is to say kneeling, techniques) form is still not All That And A Bag Of Chips. I can do the required techniques, but I lack precision and grace. However, the real entertainment lay elsewhere...
You can see the list of test requirements here. Pretty straightforward, you might think. I've practiced assiduously with David and Linna every single item on that list, and considered myself as ready as I'd ever be without several more months of doing nothing but knee-walking. Imagine my state of mind, therefore, when Sugano-sensei called for "ushiro ryokatatori sankyo" in the middle of things. You'll note that's a technique on the 3rd Kyu test. The timing was also exquisite, as he called it between the tekubitori sankyo and the ryokatatori kotegashi, increasing my confusion: did he misspeak? and if so, did he mean the first one (which we had already been doing) or the second one? ARGH OMGWTFBBQ etc. I assumed #2, did a kotegashi, he corrected "sankyo!", I screamed inside & fired off a prayer to whoever the hell was listening, and forged on through the requested technique. Which, I may add, I have never done before.
Needless to say, this shook me up for the whole rest of the test. And it didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy while I sat through everybody else, either. It was a certain amount of cold comfort to note that Sensei was throwing curve balls at the other kyus, too, and some of them were similarly befuddled; but I didn't really achieve serenity until the judges said that all the 5th kyus had all passed, because they had on the whole sucked much harder than us. At that point I knew we were home free. And lo, so it came to pass.
I'm really really glad I got matched up with David for the test, though. Vastly reassuring to know you can completely depend on the other party.
And now, a cup of
