How do you say yellow in Korean?

I got my yellow belt today!!!  It was a much smaller testing class this time than my first one, I think maybe 7 of us.  I was also the only 'adult' in the bunch.  Funny enough, this meant that I was actually in the back row of a group photo for once!  My nerves were somewhat better this time around, but there were still butterflies.  I guess I had no real reason to worry, as my entire testing went pretty smoothly.

The best part was that I broke my board on the first try!  I have to agree with Mr Saxton 100% about the wooden boards being easier to break than the re-breakable ones... and I have the bruised ankle to prove it.  If that bit of painful practice yesterday was what helped me with today, then at least it was worth it.  It made me laugh when Mrs Saxton said my break today made her nervous for Mr Saxton (who was holding the board) and he admitted the same.

I even got to redeem myself with regards to counting.  This time I was entirely prepared and smoothly rattled off the numbers through ten in Korean.  I suspect my pronunciation may have left a little to be desired, but at least I actually know them now!

I've been really impressed over the last 6 months by how supportive everyone is at CMA; the instructors, my fellow students, and even (or especially) their families.  It was quite obvious today when everyone applauded/cheered/encouraged each student.  That atmosphere certainly helps to foster one's 'Indomitable Spirit.'  It definitely inspires me to keep going!

(Un)mellow Yellow

Today was my first belt test. I am now a yellow stripe!

Testing was a mixed bag for me. It was a large test class (18 people) and it took about two and a half hours to get through it. I had an insane case of nerves starting several hours before hand that grew into a huge knot in my stomach by the time we actually got started.

Fortunately because there were a total of six of us testing for yellow stripe, for time's sake we got to perform our form as a group and were spared doing it individually! Yesterday during class, I DID do my form solo at least three times. I think I would have done okay if I'd had to go it solo today. As it was, I think/hope that I was able to make the few adjustments that I was given yesterday to get it just right.

Self-defense went well over all. Maybe not my very best because my nerves were definitely getting to me. Aside from the tricky time lag, I finally managed to pull all the steps of my knife defense together!

I was really kinda worried about how the whole board breaking thing would turn out, but I got it on my second try. It was funny though, because absolutely all of the other white belts kicked with their left foot except for me. We were doing side kicks and since the point of contact is supposed to be the heel, I could have tried to do it with my left foot... but I didn't wanna chance it. It was a lot of fun to watch everyone else do their breaks, among all the different ranks!

My one big misstep was with the knowledge portion (for lack of a better way to put it). I was unaware that I needed to know how to count to ten in Korean. Needless to say, I couldn't do it. I was extremely embarrassed but all I could do was say, "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't know how." I'm almost certain he was disappointed in me. All I can do now is make sure that by the time I test again, I know the numbers perfectly. In hindsight I realize that I should have asked what would be expected of me....

I enjoyed watching all the different Taeguk forms. When they're done well, they're every bit as graceful and beautiful as dancing. The intricacy of some of the more advanced forms is just incredible. I'm so impressed at people's ability to memorize them! I was especially interested to see the Koryo form, because I hadn't seen it in person before.

Anyway, I am now very happy AND very tired. That's a combination I can deal with.

One Stripe

I got a stripe on my belt yesterday. I asked after class what it was for, because I didn't know. It basically just means that I've been there a month (not quite accurate, but who am I to complain). It's a visual indicator to instructors how long a student has had a certain belt. That way if someone has three stripes on a white belt, they have a good idea of '(s)he's been here three months, (s)he should know x, y, & z by now.'

Class went well. It was a forms and self defense day. I think I'm making good progress on my first form, but Mr Saxton gave me some crucial corrections that I need to work on. The positive side of this is that at least I now know the series of steps and movements well enough that I actually CAN now focus more intently on mastering the individual techniques within. And I got some clarification on the differences between Basic Form 1 and Basic Form 2, so I actually know 2 forms now! Still foggy on BF3... I know it involves some blocks, but I'm not certain which type and where they occur in the sequence. One thing at a time.

Self defense actually went well. Mr Saxton gave me kudos on a handful of my sequences, which made me feel really good. There are five white belt self defenses that I have to learn for testing, and they haven't seemed to really stick in my head very well. So the fact that I got complimented on some of them really meant a lot to me.

It would be nice to have someone I could practice with outside of class, but I'll make it work. I also feel like I might be ready to start going to the sparring session on Friday evenings. I'll be completely lost, but what else is new? ;-)