So I just returned from a three week trip to Okinawa and other Ryukyu Islands, with the main purpose to attend IOGKF's 40th anniversary ceremony, including a four day karate seminar and a black belt grading overseen by the masters. The grading took place in the afternoon on the second day of training (morning training each day was 4,5 hours). There were around 70 people grading from Shodan up to 6th or 7th dan, divided into 3 groups, each being graded by a pair of senior IOGKF instructors, 7th-10th dan (including Shihn Morio Higaonna, who, however, graded the most senior black belts). Our group of Shodan and Nidan was overseen by sensei Ernie Molyneux and sensei Hernik Larsen (both IOGKF's vice chief instructors). The grading took around 2 hours and I tried to do my best and honestly felt quite good about it, I think I didn't do any major mistake in the technical part, although of course, how I performed generally is hard to judge. I somehow even pulled the 100 push-ups, 100 crunches and 100 squats, and tried to do them all the way up and down (except for push-ups which were a struggle). However, right after the beating, our sensei, as our country's chief instructor, who was allowed to watch, beat me with a plastic bottle as I apparently misunderstood the instructions that I can alternate between the exercises, as he claimed it is always finish a hundred of each, then go to the next exercise. Not my great strategy of doing 30 of each, then 20 of each, etc.... However, I was at least able to do the exercises properly! We weren't told the results right away, and had to wait till the Party last day of the ceremony. In the mean time, the next day after the grading I realised... the seminar and grading on top of it really made me reach my limits, sort of. After a few minutes of exercise, my legs were really really tired and I had some real trouble doing shiko dachi and staying even for a few seconds, etc. My legs were just difficult to operat in general. Then we had a session with Shihan Morio Higaonna, who had us do a strange flexibility exercise, where we would sit sort of sideways and kick by the floor. I was able to do that, but when we were told to change sides, I got a bad cramp in my hip and for the rest of the day had real trouble moving the leg in general, rotating it in any way impossible. So I tried to move as little as possible and the I got a sharp pain in the hip otherwise, projecting some sort of numbness into the rest of my leg, which then became very hard to operate. At the end of the day I visited the japanese physiotherapists from Rendo Sugimoto sensei's group, regular participants at these big seminars, who massaged my head, near the groin, calf, ankle and really eased the leg! Not completely, but it was slowly getting better. The next day I was seriously thinking of skipping some sessions, but in the end I pulled through, even managed to survive sensei's Linda's crazy head kicking combos, which then eased my leg. The seminar was awesome and our visit to Japan in general, too. Unfortunately we had to leave before the final Party, but when sightseeing Tokyo, we got a message from sensei that we passed the grading! Woohoo! I am so happy I didn't back out! Thanks for the good luc wishes before! Luckily this had become better the next day and when moving around, I was
Congratulations Nachi! My Insta feed has been crammed with photos of this event, for at least 2-weeks now, which kept up a constant reminder of your grading - So glad that you stuck with, and of course, that you smashed it in the end! Travess
Thank you all. I did indeed enjoy the trip. Before going to Okinawa, we spent a week on small tropical island, Ishigaki and Iriomote. That week was absolutely awesome! I will try to share some photos or throw a link here when I post them somewhere. Cheers
Haha, no wonder. As far as I know, there were at least 1300 karateka. Or more, since 1500 was the estimation. Many people must have wanted to share the pictures. Just like we did It was a great event. Thank you!
Thank you Yes, I hope this wasn't the last time I visited. The next event like this will be held in 2024. I hope to be able to go there
