Interdojo Tournament--Kumite and Team Kumite

So, with kata out of the way, I was feeling a lot less nervous and actually looking forward to the kumite portion of the tournament that happened last week Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, I left work at 5 pm again and headed to Honbu to meet up with my brother who had to bring my green belt to me that I left at home earlier that morning. I was in such a rush to leave that I left my belt in my smaller gym bag when I put everything in my larger gym bag I use for kumite. My poor brother had to come to the city (I bribed him with lunch, get my keys, stop by my place in Forest Hills and pick up my belt, go back home to Jamaica to get ready and then come all the way back to the city. Whew! He really saved my butt. Of course, I could have used a loaner belt but I don't know...isn't that bad luck? Yeah, I'm a bit superstitious, haha. After I had my belt safe in my hands, I changed and loosened up for the individual kumite event at 6 pm. I wasn't quite sure how to warm up for a kumite event so I just did some stretching and tried to mentally prepare myself. I warned my brother that I'd get pulverized as I had only been fighting 6 weeks or so. I guess a part of me was afraid of looking completely ridiculous. I clearly expected more competition so I was prepared to lose my first match. Well, it turned out to be only four competitors in my division (green/adv. green belt women), which meant two matches. I won my first match much to my surprise and I waiting to fight in the finals before I knew it. Believe me, two minute rounds go fast (little did I know the rounds on Saturday were going to be 30 seconds) when you're on your way to winning the match. The downside is when you know you are in all odds not going to win a match, 2 minutes can be a long time. It was such with my second match. I fought a really amazing point fighter who I have never been able to score a point on yet. The final score was 4-0, as in I scored 0 points. Well, I finished in 2nd. Won one, lost one. Not bad for my first kumite tournament. The fact that it was such a small division kinda hinders my ability to assess how well I fight in terms of green belt women but the upside is I received a ton of valuable feedback and encouragement.

Going into Saturday's team kumite event, I had some idea what I needed to do though I expected to fight more matches. 7 teams, including ours, showed up for this event. Max and I were a little late (long story...short version: Max thought his car was towed or stolen for the second week in a row when it turned out to be parked right down the block from the apartment building, hot coffee spilled on me, we parked far...) as in we can about 15 minutes before the 2 o'clock event was scheduled to start. I quickly stretched and had a quick huddle with our team. And naturally, my first match was against the person I lost to the night before ;) I didn't score again so being the first of six 30 second fights, I put my team at a disadvantage by losing 5-0. In th end, we got beat 20-5 but it was such a fun experience in all honestly. In fact we got a second chance to fight and we actually won our next team match (I actually scored though I lost 3-1). And finally, we fought a third time for 5th place and the funny thing was I one my first match of the day 3-2 but my team lost the match placing 6th.

All in all, it was a priceless experience. I got lots of good advice and feedback on my sparing including my favorite piece of advice coming from Sei Shihan Michael: 'You're fighting in slow motion and you need to speed it up'. I know now that I definitely need to be quicker. I was also told by others that I fight too close to my opponent and moving back will give me an advantage.

After the tournament was over, we went next door to Limerick's to celebrate Max's b-day for like the 3rd time that week...lucky punk :P It was a grand old Seido time with a couple dozen people eating and drinking together.

Well, can't wait until future Seido events. I'm most likely going Seido summer camp this year in July and of course there is October tournament, which prompted me to start this blog in the first place.

Danielle

Interdojo Tournament--Kata

Last night was the kata portion of Interdojo Tournament and all color belts from advanced white to advanced brown participated.

Now going into this, I was my usual nervous nelly self. My stomach hurt all day and I was edgy at work. I left work at 5 pm since the tournament started at 6pm and I could feel my nervs rising like a tide. I did my best to talk them down because I remember all too well what they did for me in February promotion. Also, I had to mentally talk down the fear I had of failure. Last year, I came in last and I felt terrible that night. But what a difference a year makes! This year I wasn't even concerned with placing. Considering I had just received my belt on March 12th (after a couple of weeks of make-ups following the February 21st promotion), I wasn't expecting to perform a flawless kata.

After picking up Max's birthday present (a brand new heavyweight gi which I dropped off to the cleaners at 9 am that morning to sew the Seido patches on), I hurried to Honbu to go over my kata a bit more. I had written it out earlier to get a mental grasp on the kata but I quickly realized my nerves might be a problem when I couldn't even hold a crane stance I was so shaky.

I must say though, I had plenty of encouragement from different black belts while I practiced downstairs. And once I went up at six, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by my friends, instructors, and peers. Not to mention, there were less than 40 competitors all together and the intimacy of it all was truly charming. I had to laugh when I realized I was the only green belt woman competing (though later another green belt woman from the 14th street dojo arrived). I mean this gives new meaning to "competing with yourself"...literally. Well, naturally, I was the first person in my ring to do my kata (it figures). I bowed to all my seniors and the judges before starting Pinan 4 and once again it was over in a blink (whew). It wasn't perfect by a country mile but I was pleased that I was able to stick moves I couldn't just a half hour before when I was practicing. My kiai was loud for like the first time ever, haha. I received pretty much all 8s and one 8.5 but my highest and lowest score was dropped so I got an even 40 out of 50. Meaning, it was okay-good but could use some improvement, which is what I plan to do regardless.

The competition itself was about an hour but we spent the second half of the tournament doing kata in groups and individually for Kaicho and the judges without being scored. And I must say that that was the most fun I've had in a while :) I did at least 5 katas last night and doing them with my peers who I train with everyday and getting feedback from seniors who have been studying since my parents were my age was a priceless experience.

At the end, we were all given certificates. I received a 2nd place certificate for the green belt women's division kata (there were only two of us, haha) and Max received a 1st place certificate (he was the only brown belt, haha, but I think his kata, Seido 4 I think, which scored a 45 out of 50 was awesome :)). After that we sung "Happy Birthday" to Max who turned 29 yesterday and had a raffle (you know one of those magical raffles with strange odds where one guy won three times, haha).

Well, Friday is individual kumite. I fully expect it to be more competitive as in more competitors. And finally, there's the team kumite, which I am looking forward to a great deal :)

Danielle

Kumite Team Complete, Pinan IV Rocks My Life :)

In the two weeks since I've posted something up, I've registered for Interdojo Tournament and helped to put together a team with Max. The team is as follows:

Green Belt (Female): Danielle (me, no ring name, lol, I'll leave that to you guys)
Green Belt (Male): Tae aka "The Brooklyn Warrior"

Brown Belt (Male): Max aka "The Ukrainian Punisher"
Brown Belt (Women): Sharlene aka "The Finisher"

Black Belt (Male): Senpai Kwan aka "Mr Lightening"
Black Belt (Female): Kelly aka "The Teenage Wonder"

Blame the excruciating World Wrestling Entertainment style names on me, the team has no part in this terrible joke, ;)

Well all jokes aside, I am happy to be on a team with such great people who really embody the Seido spirit. Looking forward to Saturday, May 9th!

Pinan IV...that kata rocks my life for real. I'm doing Pinan IV for the interdojo tournament kata division. I learned the kata only about 6 weeks ago but I think that I'm at the point where I can do it at tournament. It won't be perfect but it will be a good opportunity to get some feedback and see others do it.

Well, this next week will be pretty busy but I'm looking forward it :)

Danielle

Intermediate Self Defense Is Tax Free: That's Why I like It :)

Okay, so it's official: I'm spending this whole week working on intermediate self defenses 1-3 (4-5 can wait, I can barely remember the first 3). Last night, in senior review, I got my first taste of the intermediate self defense techniques on my green belt syllabus and it was bittersweet--bitter being the frustrating attempts that resulted in awkward movements that looked more like I was trying to pry open a wooden crate and sweet being the end of the class when I was able to do some techniques that actually resembled intermediate self defense. You know, for me it's the directional aspect that is so hard. Moving 45 degrees to the left or right while trying to execute a block plus a punch and on top of it a sweep...I mean can you say overload?

Well, I'm hitting up color belt class tonight at 6:30 and senior kata tomorrow.

Happy Tax Day :) Osu!

Congrats to Black Belts Promoted/This Week

First off, congrats to all the black belts that were promoted. I'm really happy and proud that a lot of my friends and instructors/previous instructors were promoted :) Senpai Luke Mayes is now Sensei Luke and Sensei Marc Ravage is now Kyoshi Marc. There were so many senpais (3rd degree black belts) promoted to sensei...don't ask me to name them all. Also, Kyoshi Paul Williams was promoted to Jun Shihan Paul, Senpai Maya and Senpai Donald are now senseis as well.

Well, the week is over and the weekend is practically here. I made it to 3 classes this week. Monday (Kaicho's green belt and up class) was a bit of a train wreck considering I was so tired but I made it through. I was pretty discouraged that I couldn't do many of the harder combinations too well but I'm not giving up. Tuesday, I did kumite, that was okay. Another class functioning on very little sleep but I was able to fight some good rounds. Thursday was perhaps the best class (hint: I was able to sleep a reasonable amount of time the night before). I took Kaicho's senior kata class and was able to finally make some breakthroughs in my green belt katas. Props to Heather and Samantha (two other green/adv green belts) for helping me before class with Seido 3 and Gekisai Dai. Us green belts did Gekisai Dai for almost the entire class and I came out of it feeling way more confident in the movements. I think by next week I can take it to the next level of polishing my katas.

Tomorrow, I plan on doing my usual kata and endurance double header 12 and 1. Maybe kumite at 3 since Saturday is the only day I can take classes and not worry about being tired from work or having to get up early the next day.

Tired Beyond Belief, Interdojo Tournament One Month Away

Maybe it's because I haven't been getting enough sleep or maybe it's because I've been trying to do too many things in one day (I work full time now and I recently started playing music everyday again) but lately, I am tired ALL the time! It's definitely taking its toll on my training. While I've been training regularly, many classes I am so physically exhausted I find myself dragging through kata exercises halfway through a one hour class. Fighting classes aren't too bad for the simple fact I'm forced to stay on my toes to avoid being pummeled and even in those classes I find myself focusing on blocking punches/kicks and not throwing them...this is bad, I know. I really need some energy!

Tonight I am taking Kaicho's 7'o clock evening class. I've never taken this class before but I've heard that it's a great class and Kaicho is a great instructor who I have not had the privilege of taking very often. The class is in 4 hours and I figure I'll get some wind before then...my spirit is definitely there (for karate at least, in terms of other aspects of life, that's another story), I just hope my body will hold-up. You know, tonight, I'm going to get to bed by 11 (or 12 the absolute latest!) because if I don't get a full 8 hrs or even 9 hrs, I'll probably fall apart as in my arms and legs will fall off...

I think once I get more sleep I should be okay really. And it's especially important now because I have to get to class and continue learning my new material (since receiving my green belt nearly a month ago) and I have to prepare for the interdojo tournament exactly one month from today. It's not so much about placing as it is about the experience (which is very fun :)). This year I get to do kumite but we'll see what that looks like in the next few weeks but I'm doing kata for sure. I'm working on Pinan IV, which is a cool kata (my favorite so far) and the one I know the best out of the three green belt katas I have on my syllabus.

You know last May, I placed 7th out of 7 adv. blue belt women and I was pretty torn up about it but I learned a pretty strong lesson about sportsmanship and dealing with being "last". I learned not to take it so hard even though I've always been the last kid picked for dodge ball or any team for like my whole life. I'm almost 23 tears old so I think it's honestly time to let that go. The I-can't-do anything-right-I'll-never-be-good-at-anything mentality...It's a hard mentality to rid yourself of when it's been a part of you your whole life. But I am dealing with it and that's all I can do if I expect to over come it. I mean in I promised myself I wouldn't quit and back in the October tournament, I placed 5th out of 8 yellow belts and I was super happy because I overcame my fear and had fun. I hope to do my best kata yet this tournament especially since I am really beginning to breakdown the technical aspects in my katas.

On a final note: I MISS YAI :( My work schedule is just too tough right now but when things settle, I hope I can make it regularly.

Happy Training,
Danielle

Promotion Results

The day after my last entry, the promotion results went up. I was promoted to green belt with 3 make up classes (kata, meditation, and blind class). I'm in the progress of completing those now. I completed the blind class on Saturday (an intense experience blind-folded that frustrated me but also gave me a new appreciation for my ability to see), kata on Sunday (Kyoshi David's kata class, probably one of the most challenging kata class I've taken to date), and this coming Thursday night I will take meditation class (which I honestly think I should take more often anyway).

I'm not sure how I feel just yet about leaving yellow belt. I'm excited of course but also I am aware of the level of frustration I've experienced everytime my belt changes color. I'll try my best...osu...funny that I haven't thought of that definition for the word "osu" since white belt. I should more often.

February Promotion--Over!

Tomorrow the results go up--they typically go up on the following Friday. Last weekend had to be about the most interesting promotion yet. I honestly don't believe it was the best one I've done for sure but I wouldn't label it a total disaster. After the expected quiz from Max on my stances and techniques on the ride to Honbu, I was full to the brim with Japanese terms I prayed Kaicho wouldn't ask me to attempt to pronounce correctly :o I arrived about a half an hour before the promotion, warmed up, and in no time it was time for our group to go up. What struck me is as odd (and make me a bit uneasy) was the small group of advanced yellow belts. I thought more of my peers would go for this promotion too but this is the point where many students put the brakes on. Before at blue belt it seemed like if you weren't going for promotion, you were the only one (I myself took an extra month at blue belt)and the farther along you go, where things get more technical and the learning curve flattens out, the more erratic each person's promotions become I guess. However, it did seem like every blue belt in NYC period decided to take February promotion but it was 5 of us.

The written test was fair. I expected it to be a bit harder. I'm definitely seeing a progression toward a specific format as you test for a more advanced belt level. Can't say it's harder but I think it's suited to my personality because I like to write :) I'll embrace the idea of more essays as long as Kaicho doesn't have us write them in Japanese. Still, the hardest written exam for me personally was from advanced blue to yellow back in June.

You know I honestly tried to ignore my mounting nerves as we started the physical test. We started with the dreaded "who has an injury?" conversation. I debated whether to let Kaicho know about my knee as I wasn't sure whether it would seriously impede a successful promotion. My left knee has the tendency to pop out of the socket and it can be a painful experience kicking at times but other than that I am pretty healthy. After this initial conversation, the physical test began. Overall, it was a fair one. I had trouble with the one handed push-ups (as in I couldn't do one correctly) but other than that, the material we were tested on was very familiar and some challenging combinations were thrown in.

My nerves hit a roadblock during the Sanchin kata testing and I got very upset but now that I look back at it, it wasn't so bad. I missed a step or two but was able to regain my footing as I practiced this kata a fair amount of times. It was over in no time--or at least it seemed that way because my ridiculous nerves shut down my ability to feel time at a normal pace. I mean it felt like 20 minutes! After it was over I was pretty upset but when I came down from the anxiety, it hardly seemed like a terrible promotion. In fact, it was pretty decent.

Seido Honbu Promotion Feb. 2009 This Saturday

It has been a month since my last entry and I though I have been training regularly I just haven't had as much time as I would like to update The Seido Journey. Nevertheless I will continue my reflections when I do get the time.

In less than 4 days I will be taking promotion for my green belt. My application is completed and was signed by Sensei Marc. All I have to do is attach the picture, fee, and get it in before Thursday evening's deadline.

It's been a long road to get to this point (mostly mentally--even wanting to give up during uncertain/frustrating times) and all things considered, I am pretty confident in my material. I still train 3 or 4 days a week and I try to mix my classes up with pilates and endurance classes for conditioning and Kata, color belt, and step by step kumite classes to practice/review my material.

Max and I went snowboarding and skiing over the holiday weekend and we both got a little banged up--Max trying to not to hit someone cutting in front of him and me stopping myself from going off a trail (way too advanced for a first time skier--I didn't know this at the time because of misleading opinions from certain people...)and going off a 20 foot drop :O We're both taking it easy this week but I do plan on going in on Thursday for blue and yellow belt class.

All in all, I am definitely excited about promotion but I am nervous as always. It's like you know what's expected on many components (e.g. the written test, group sharing at the end, etc.) but then again Kaicho and Jun Shihan Walter always have new tricks under their sleeves.

2009 First Impressions (Kagami Baraki)

We are a little more than two weeks into the new year. Kagami Baraki--a spirited new year's workout with Kaicho and Nidaime that takes place annually--is behind us as well. This was my second Kagami Baraki and I must say that this event seems to hammer home the idea that a new year is finally here and the old is gone.

I've got a lot on my plate in the next few weeks. I am hoping to go for my green belt in 5 weeks and I am planning on making a bigger commitment to the YAI program. On top of it, I just started a new job. It's tricky balancing a new job, which if I do the right things can get me into my dream career and, something I love doing such as karate. I try to make at least 3 days of classes a week, usually Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. But with work ending at 6 pm, I'll have to opt for an altered schedule.

I'm work hard in preparing for the "big leap" or the promotion from advanced yellow belt to green belt. Though I must admit that it's coming up quicker than I imagined.