Things that make you go :-)) take two!

My Sensei and I so far had three training sessions for his grading in April.

Even though it was fun, it showed me how much work I will have to put into the Aikido-part alone.

The other things won't be too easy either, I expect, but Aikido is something I never have done before.

Work with the bokken was fun and I'm looking forward to the jo (at least I think he murmured "jo" )

I did realize though I'm too daft for rolling backwards, over my left side, when it comes to that new movement I can't explain right now.
Well, I will get there, I'm sure.
After all, I don't have a choice, if I want to be Uke.

The other very hard part: Not to touch my obi or gi all the time, because I'm - obviously - not allowed to do that, during the grading.
Since that's a nervous tick of mine, that will be a challenge.

Same as looking him into the eyes all the time; even though that is working out far better then expected so far.

Now only thing left: My shoulder needs to fully heal, so we can train properly

 

going to sweden to meet more friends!

 

After a few weeks of trouble towards me and the children, it looks like the self defence tactics I've learnt have paid off and kept the trouble makers away.
All without a single punch being thrown I call that great self defence, and hopefully a good role model to the kids who were also the victims.

 

Proposed on my 11th anniversary. SHE SAID YES!!!!!

 

Yay! Congrats!!

 

Thanks man! We're still on vacation, I lied and said it was for our anniversary. We've been dancing until three am for the past couple nights and tonight four people asked us if we were hired as dancers by the hotel

 

i don't know how to size pictures on a mobile and I don't want to break tables

 

Upon reflection not funny.

 

My sensei and I started practicing for his grading his April some weeks ago, after my shoulder was healed well enough.

So far it's going well, I think.
I was even able to give him a little tip yesterday, that actually helped (yeah, sure, nothing major and he would have gotten the idea himself, I'm sure, but at least I felt useful for a short moment ), and could help out by having a look, when he did his kata (I don't much about that, but I see mistakes or probable mistakes of the stuff I do know at least).

Aaand - after two and a half years I finally develop something like a kiai; only because otherwise he would have kicked me as his Uke, but who cares for the reason
I even managed to get from mouse to baby racoon

It's rather painful at times but also a lot of fun.
And I already learned a lot, even though it's not my grading; nice bonus.
And, most important, I'm finally able to give a little something back.

I just hope I don't screw up in April

 

Well it also makes me go GRRRR... not sure where to put it.

Whenever I feel unmotivated to exercise and sharpen my skills at breaking other humans I go have a lovely discussion with science denying, feminazi, use-of-force ignorant, 'martial art x is the only way,' racist, bigoted.... just generally stupid people. It really is reinvigorating if slightly depressing to know my species is so stupid

 

Today was the day!
Grading, 5th dan (first of that style, that ever got tested for a fifth dan) was on the door.

We arrived at half past ten, the gradings started roughly an hour later - we hat to wait until 16:10h...
But okay, that was to be expected.

My sensei got very nervous (his pulse was at 104), I was rather nervous myself (it was my first time as Uke, let alone a dan-grading) but - we did awesomely, if I may say so myself.
He passed his grading without too much effort compared to his nervousness and I even got an honorable mentioning - right after the grading from his grading-committee as well as in the end of everything by a high-valued member of the association.

I admit it - by now I'm actually proud of that (took me quite a while) and even more proud of my sensei that he not only managed to breeze through his grading, but also to prepare the both of us to be able to give such a good show.
And without all his work and stubbornness, I wouldn't have done half as well, so most of the honor has to go right back to him.

Those months of work were not only fun but totally worth every second of it.
I learned tons, made huge jumps personally-wise and - now am the proud owner of a sensei, who passed his grading

 

I'm sure a lot of you have seen it but:

'Richard Dawkins reading hate mail from religious people' on YouTube.

Absolutely hilarious stuff.

 

I *should* be "" right now, because I passed two gradings today; only yellow belt but passed at least.

Instead I'm totally annoyed, because I'm absolutely disappointed with my performance in one of them and not exactly happy with the other either.

I wonder how many others have that problem, to not agree with the examiner, when they passed

 

being in the crowd at a football game on Saturday night when a young dad won AU$100K kicking a football into a stack of tyres from 30 metres. I've never heard a crowd go off like that before, and unlike usual crowd cheers there wasn't the one side winning and one losing.

 

Shadow boxing last night but forgot to take off my watch which released mid cross, flew and shattered against a wall. Excellent....