I have been sick since last sunday, so over 1 week now. And I missed my super important 3rd degree testing I feel like crying. This sucks, now I have to wait till June! And im still sick! I feel so horrible I missed it.
I sure do hope you're better by June!!! eh, they say things happen at times for a reason.. maybe this was one of those times! as chazz said....train hard and make up for it in June!!!
You could always take the approach that testing is only a way of personally certifying and more prominently, recognizing skill. Would you have passed the test? If you know it, then what does you having missed the test mean? As I said, rank is meaningless except for what it means to you. It's an external measure that isn't necessarily indicative of skill or anything else, except perhaps time spent in a system. I'd think of it as an opportunity to have more skill to be recognized when you have the chance. Then again, I could care less about belts or ranks, in general. I respect them to an extent - I just don't care about them personally Hope you feel better.
Thanks for those kind words. TKD has also taught me respect And it is true that belt dosn't matter, it matters how good and deadly you are. And there is no extenct or limit to how much you can become. In a very short period of time. Tosh Spice, I understand, I should of been 3rd deg a long time ago, but problems including $$ always pop up. Let's all just try and become the best!
What makes the 3rd dan testing so super important? For that matter, what makes the rank super important? These are the questions you should ask yourself. Not knocking you or anything, just trying to put things in perspective. Take this time to not train harder, but smarter and mentally prepare yourself. If you were ready (technique wise and what ever else is in your curriculum) you'll still be ready in June. What's important is to not put too much emphasis on missing it. That's likely to affect your testing later. So you missed it. Next time you won't. And you'll be better prepared mentally. But hey, what do I know? 20 years and I'm only a lowly 3rd Kyu. You'll do great in June. Power of positive thinking!!
Kurohana, you're assuming he wasnt ready. His instructor thought he was. Im guessing he was and would pass regardless of whenever he did it, then or in June. Its a bummer really because you've earned a 3rd dan now.... oh well..
Guys, My aproach will be to become the best I can from now, till june. I just wanna get lossed in progress.
No, I wasn't assuming he wasn't ready. What I was trying to say ( and badly) was that missing the testing is neccessarily a bad thing. Sure it's a bummer, and I hope Labatt gets it in June. Just saying not to focus on the fact he missed it, and turn the energy somewhere else. Clearer?
Labatt, I know how it feels, I missed my 2nd degree grading in November, but in two weeks time I get to have another shot at it. Death to the first person that comes anywhere near me with a cold, flue or virus in the next few weeks. Respectfully,
I actually had to work when i had my 2nd dan grading, i pleaded with my boss and line manager to have the evening off, but they said i had to be there for stocktake, which is basically counting eveything in the store twice (im a student working part-time). I just didnt turn up and went to my 2nd dan geading instead, no-one noticed
Don't worry about it. I remember talking to Bill Superfoot Wallace years ago & he said that whenever anyone asked what Dan he is he just replies 'I'm a Black Belt, thats good enough'. He also joked about crunching up & throwing his 8th Dan Certificate from Elvis Presley in the bin. I stayed at 1st degree for ten years, I just spent the time getting Degree grades in other things I've been training since 1984, so I'm an old git compared to you, keep your chin up coz you've got the rest of your life to get where you want, remember its not a race.
Hey Labatt Don't want to exhasut the subject, or undermine your dissappointment, but here is my sorry tale!! I started training when I was 9. I got to 1st kyu in Shotokan karate, then quit Can't remember why. 3yrs later I took up Goju ryu after about another 3 yrs I passed my 1st dan. Just before my 2nd dan was due I got cold feet and started wondering around different clubs and styles. Upon my return to my Goju ryu club I discovered my instructor had also quit and a lesser student than myself had taken over! I wondered more, for about 5 years, I even opened my own club at one point. I was training hard but not settling anywhere. Now I have found my ideal club/association and have settled. Upon taking my transfer 1st dan it was commented by my peers (but not my seniors) that I could have comfortably been with the 3rd/4th dans. This is the group that I would have been in had I stuck with it. Indeed the lesser student who took over the Goju club is now 3rd dan, yet he is not as skilled or as knowlegable as myself (thats not very humble is it!). There is a couple of points from this: 1. My sensei told me that the grading panel were "impressed" and I am quite clearly more worthy than 1st dan. However due to tradition, etc I was not graded to the grade that I was worthy of. 2. Despite my lack of title (3rd/4th dan, whatever) my skill and knowledge speaks for itself. I am well respected within the association. 3. I am the best 1st dan in our association!!! Despite sounding like a big egoed, over confident, arrogant.........nobody, I assure you I am not. I tell myself that grades are not important and I truly believe that they are not but it would be nice to just say I am a 3rd dan!!! Don't give up now (I am sure that you have no intention) otherwise you will kick yourself in years to come, just like I do now. (Oops, that post was alot longer than I inteneded, sorry for rambling)
Stay focused. Keep your center. Find your place of inner peace and remember that most of the tasks that matter in life depend primarily on the journey rather than the arrival. Education is a process that never ends. The same can be said for relationships and careers. Reflect on the strength a missed promotion can provide -- it can expose pride, conceit, and perhaps a bit of unnecessary ambition to win (against whom?) and may give rise to patience, reflection, and an opportunity to build character. I did not promote in my last test because I could not properly perform a jump reverse back side kick (see my thread above). It was critical for passing. I failed because I lost focus and failed to put in the time to master this technique. One might quibble that my holders rammed the boards together so tight it would have taken a nuclear explosion to pry them apart, but that would be unfair. (Mostly unfair, anyway.) I am going to take this opportunity to learn and train myself thru this technique. I've seen others do things that look WAY harder that I will likely have to do some day. I don't plan to be conquered by a minor setback.
Great attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have the rest of your life to get where you want to go. Like TKDad showed, if there are obsticles in the way keep your determination & focus & just roll over them. Nice to have people with your experience with us TKDad.
Update: I havn't been here in a while because after I missed the testing over a month ago I just went into a deep depression. It effected me so terribly, and I didn't want to post here anymore for the time being, because of intense immotions. Also, I have not been going to class ever since I got sick, a while back. Taking a breat. Weight Training, just trying to relax. But what I have noticed is having almost Visions of my return to TKD. I this time I have had dreams of TKD, I think about it. But all I really do is get angry, angry at myself, at my skool, at my fellow practitioners. I don't know. I will be returning this wednsday, and I intend to sparr the first day back. My mindset is not to become the best I can be anymore. TKDdad, u said time off(just like I took time off) can build "Character". Im afraid that's just what happened. In a good way or bad way? I don't know yet, but all I know is that I want to reenter My Sport, Anihilate, and become the best once again. I thank you for your good comments, I have read them all. You guys are great. I appreciate all of this. Thankyou. BTW im back
