3rd Dan Test
we went to a clinic yesterday in Ohio. they had a testing panel and my instructor called ahead and made sure that myself and one of my class mates tested. our main instructor got called into work and couldn't make it. i was really expecting to be “looked at” by the grandmaster and other masters and then recommended for testing at the next clinic (probably in the spring) not actually testing. i was not prepared at all. it has been a while since i had practiced any of my requirements since i had been teaching my two classes of beginners and filling in teaching my instructor’s classes due to his job interfering with class time for teh last 2 months.
i aced my first (and newest) kata and bombed the second kata. i missed an entire direction but adjusted and kept going without missing a beat (so points off for a bad form but good points for continuing to finish the kata). I did wazas (one steps) with a female shodan and did well. then when i was doing self defense, when the man i was working with choked me, my lungs spasmed and i had a full blown asthma attack. i finished two more self defense moves after that and my one teacher stopped the test because he could see that i wasn’t really breathing. they pulled me off the matt and i used my inhaler and did some breathing exercises while they tested someone else.
i went back to finish my test. i did self defense (open hands against weapons) and then sparred. I had to use my inhaler again while they deliberated on my test but….I PASSED!!!
I got my 3rd Dan!!!
i aced my first (and newest) kata and bombed the second kata. i missed an entire direction but adjusted and kept going without missing a beat (so points off for a bad form but good points for continuing to finish the kata). I did wazas (one steps) with a female shodan and did well. then when i was doing self defense, when the man i was working with choked me, my lungs spasmed and i had a full blown asthma attack. i finished two more self defense moves after that and my one teacher stopped the test because he could see that i wasn’t really breathing. they pulled me off the matt and i used my inhaler and did some breathing exercises while they tested someone else.
i went back to finish my test. i did self defense (open hands against weapons) and then sparred. I had to use my inhaler again while they deliberated on my test but….I PASSED!!!
I got my 3rd Dan!!!