A most embarassing start to a test

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[ShawnH]

Hello all,

I tested last night for my 4th kyu last night at the Chudokan Dojo in Windsor. The long version: I thought it went really well, except I did not have the greatest of starts....My knee has been bugging me lately so I have been wearing one of those cheap strap-on knee braces you can get at the drug store. Sitting in seisa and ansa for the hour and 15 minutes while waiting my turn with an overlytight knee brace caused my right foot to fall asleep. As my name was called I replied "OSU" and ran to the front with my jo, only to make it about 4 steps before I fell over. As I went down, I caught my toes between the mats. The only thought running through my head was "Oh my God, I just broke all my toes, and I can't even feel it... Am I okay? ...Are my toes pointed in the right direction? Sensei told me to take my time, get the feeling back, then start when I'm ready. Today they hurt like hell, but at least they are whole. This is also my first test I had taped, so it will make for entertaining viewing for the years to come. After the test Sensei said he had seen people break toes, and even ankles when trying to move too quick from seisa.

Has anyone else had a blow up during test time?

[Amassus]

For my first two or three kyu grades I would always stuff up the tai sabaki (body movement drills) even though I knew them well and had no problem during training sessions. The nerves would get the better of me and as sensei called a change to the next movement I would either get out of time with everyone else or do the wrong movement. It looks bad when everyone turns to the left and I step forward :crazy:

Thankfully I got over it by about 4th-3rd kyu.

Dean.

[Walter Martindale]

It doesn't necessarily go away.... My Nidan test in late November featured a start with "Suwari-waza: yokomenuchi: Ikkyo, Nikyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo, Gokyo - hajime" So I start with Gokyo for some reason - possibly because it was the last one I heard - and immediately "Walter - IKKYO!" (thinks to himself and whispers to uke "oh, you want it in order....")

Walter

[Adam Huss]

Shawn,

Glad to hear your alright and congratulations on your shinsa!

The Chudokan mats are really good ones and fit together tightly. Some mats (the big blue Tiffin ones, in particular) have large gaps in them and are very soft and thick. This makes them really annoying to do kata on and presents an even greater risk of catching the toes and twisting them.

While not during a test, Shihan-dai Jacobs (Shinsuikan dojocho, CAFI) caught his toe in one of these crack while doing a kick and broke the crap out of it. This was just before his yondan shinsa awhile back and he was so frustrated he talked about having his big toe removed so he could do suwari waza/hamni handachi better (he had a plate or something in it so it couldn't bend).

Give my best to all at the Chudokan and I hope to see you, and many others, at Blok Sensei's seminar in Ohio on May 7-8. We have space for about 25-30 at the Shinsuikan, but if there are many more we might move it to a local highschool.

[Rolf Granlund]

Shawn,

I don't think such moments ever go away. One such moment that stands out for me was during my test for 1st kyu. Of course it had to happen right at the end. It was just after randori and I was pretty much spent. I bowed to the uke(s) and began to walk off the mat, forgetting that Shihan-dai Jacobs hadn't formally ended the test quite yet. I had made it about halfway off the mat before that fact finally made it through my brain.

I am so grateful that Shihan-dai Jacobs has a good sense of humor.

Like Huss Sensei, I too, am looking forward to Blok Sensei's seminar in May.

[Adam Huss]

Rolf! Where have you been? Come back to us! FYI, Mark Hoffman Sensei opened a dojo in the Fremont area...they are offsetting their time from the Shinsuikan to accommodate cross-dojo training...Dave, Bob, and some others are training regularly there with him. They are Mon (open training), Wed, and Friday. I don't remember monday time, but aikido is 530-7 and GoJu Ryu is 7-830.

There is an instructors meeting at the Chudokan Wed, Sensei Jacobs and I are heading up...so should you!

Another embarrassing testing story:
So I left an Akikai-based dojo when a mudansha to be uchideshi at a Yoshinkan dojo. While there I became yudansha....remember that Yoshinkan aikidoka don't typically wear hakama unless they are teaching class.

The weekend I returned to my home dojo I participated in some tests as uke. This was the first time I wore hakama even though I'd been yudansha for some months. Well basically my hakama came off because I did a poor job putting it on.

At the end of the test all the yudansha were discussing how the tests went and what we all thought of the candidates. The other yudansha made a grading sheet for me with the comments that I needed to learn how to tie hakama!

Eh, I guess you had to be there...but trust me, it was pretty funny at the time.

[Rolf Granlund]

Adam,

Between work and it having been the last two weeks of Lent (activities at my church and all) I was not able to make it to the dojo. Fear not, I have not left. I will be back this week.

As far as going to the instructor meeting, I have to get my passport first. Dummy me let it expire a few years back. But I do wish to teach in the future.

Looking forward to getting back to a regular training schedule this week.

[Adam Huss]

Sounds good...Lent can definitely be a busy time. See you on the mat,
Osu

[ShawnH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyyv638NVY

here's the link to my test, listen carefully to my grunt as I go down...priceless. Also I forgot I was shite for Ju No Kumijo, other than thathte rest of the test went well in my opinion. I got the results for my test and I was able to pass. Horray!