I spent the first week preparing for an Ofsted inspection. This meant staying very late at work every day (I think I did four eleven-hour days on the trot and then 8 hours on the Friday.) Then, at the weekend, Jonnie and I went down to London for a day to ruin our health on a pub crawl with my brother.
The following week was the Ofsted inspection. This also meant working long hours each day. Needless to say, after eleven hours at work, Lucy and I were glad to get home for a glass of wine or two in the evenings.
I haven't been training.
I think I managed one weekend bike ride and about three Karate sessions. I haven't done any running or weight training and my diet has been shocking.
The big news, however, is that Martha and I have been approached by Sensei Gary to take part in the Ruach instructor's course! I have recently been daydreaming about becoming an instructor but thought I'd wait until I reached 2nd Dan before even mentioning it to Sensei! I was very pleased and shocked when he approached me about it.
This, coupled with the fact that there is a grading at the weekend, has inspired me to get back into training in a serious way.
Here we go again...
 |
| The start of a journey I've been wanting to take for some time. |
Monday
Blood pressure: 138/73
Resting heart rate: 61
Weight: 10st 4lbs
I cycled to work in torrential rain. Happily, the weather was mild so being soaked through didn't mean I got cold. It was an interesting day with lots of managing behaviour to be done as well as contacting parents for meetings.
I cycled home for a lifting session. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't have to use lighter weights for any of the exercises. Perhaps the two week rest did my muscles some good? I completed the lift in almost exactly 60 minutes and then set about making a protein-rich dinner for the family.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Tuesday
I cycled to work and back.
Tonight's dojo session was all about the kumite. We were warmed up with some basics, did some one-step sparring, and then found ourselves in a line-up. It was a good session.
Afterwards, Martha and I had a meeting with Sensei Gary to discuss our involvement with the instructor's program. Martha and I are very excited!
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Wednesday
I cycled in to work. Today, I found myself unable to resist the chocolates and biscuits in the staff room. I cycled home feeling only slightly guilty.
I did a good weights session and didn't drink beer.
Thursday
I cycled in to work, didn't eat the biscuits, cycled home and then did a good weights session.
Didn't drink alcohol.
Friday
I cycled to work and back.
Tonight's dojo session was my last training opportunity before the grading on Sunday. Sensei Russell was absent so Sensei Gary took the session. As part of the instructor's program, Martha was asked to take control of a group of white belts while I taught Tekki Shodan to a purple belt.
I think I would have benefitted from going over the techniques I need for grading, but I was still very happy to get some valuable teaching experience! Martha, as usual, was an excellent, natural teacher.
After the session, Martha and I raced home to pick up Lucy and then the three of us headed off for Jonnie's birthday night out. Six of us enjoyed curry and drinks followed by ice cream at our local Indian restaurant.
Saturday
I went along to observe the young students grade at our Saturday afternoon dojo. I helped a trio of dedicated and enthusiastic white belts practise their kihon, kata and kumite. Then, during the actual grading, I had the great honour of handing out the belts to the successful students. I wish I had worn my karategi instead of my civies!
Sunday
The day of my grading.
I was up at 7 to go cycling with Jonnie. We put together a gentle 35 mile route with the usual cake stop. I treated it as a warm-up and just span the little gears all morning. I didn't want to risk any soreness in the legs and certainly didn't want to end up with that empty, aching feeling you sometimes get after a hard day in the saddle. The wind slowed Jonnie down on the way home so I didn't feel so guilty about making him wait for me ticking along in a tiny gear. We eventually rolled into his drive with a very pedestrian average of 13.4 mph.
4 hours later, I was warming up in the dojo with about 15 other nervous karateka. Sensei Ronnie Christopher gave us an inspirational talk before we started and then, after that, he mentioned to me that he thought I was going for my black belt today! I took that as an encouraging sign!
I started well by joining in with the lower grades which got me nicely warmed up. The ankle was aching but I had some Deep Heat rubbed in and a bit of strapping in place. I was confident that it would hold.
For my grading, I thought the basics went well because I concentrated on staying fast and relaxed. However, my kata was disappointing: I was feeling the pressure and managed to get things wrong at the first kiai point of Kata Jion. I'm not sure if Sensei picked up on it (he probably did!) but he didn't say anything.
The real disappointment came when we did our ju ippon kumite. Firstly, I was partnered with a teenage girl! I immediately had to change my mindset from "I'm not going to lose a single point and I'm going to be faster and stronger than my partner" to "I've got to be mindful of my control and not hurt anyone"! Secondly, what I'd been practising for the last five years has been a big step backwards to avoid the attack followed by a thrust in to counter and close the distance. This afternoon, Sensei Ronnie let me know that this was wrong. He wants me to cut out the thrust when I counter and to stay at a fighting distance. Obviously, the middle of the grading is no time to start to adjust your technique so I was left doing the best I could with this information.
Needless to say, the mistake in Jion and the ju ippon kumite meant that I barely scraped by with a pass. At least I got my new belt.
 |
| From a distinction to a merit, and then just a pass. |
 |
| The new belt |
 |
| A bit of relaxation after the pressure... |
My first day on the road to a black belt! I cycled to work and back and then did some weight training. No junkfood, no booze.
Tuesday
I cycled in to work today. One of the ladies I work with brought some sweets in for me so it would be rude to refuse them (I had four.) I cycled home.
Tonight's dojo session was kumite focused. I struggled to keep up with the pace of the line-up and was relieved when it was all over. Must get fitter!
no alcohol.
Wednesday
Cycled to work and back. Did some weight training. No junkfood, no booze.
Thursday
The same as Wednesday!
Friday
I cycled to work. Lucy was in a good mood and brought me a tasty sweet treat to go with my lunch! I cycled home ready for dojo. It was a brilliant session with both Sensei Russell and Sensei Ronnie delivering a useful, non-stop session with something for everyone. The only thing we didn't get to do was fight someone of our own grade. We were asked to partner with a beginner for each fight.
In the evening, lots of fabulous people from work went along to the Christmas staff party. There was free food and beer all night. I got stupidly drunk and then went home and carried on drinking. I think I wandered off to bed at about 4am. Needless to say, the rest of the weekend was a hungover mess. I was still too ill to go cycling on Sunday. What a waste of my two days off...
No comments:
Post a Comment