|
|
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
|
In Testing
A Prediction of Things to Come
|
#254
03-03-2010 11:58 AM |
Now, I don't claim to be anything even close to clairvoyant. If I were, I might have avoided Jim's elbow in randori last night and saved myself from getting clocked in the temple. But I think after five kyu tests I would have some small notion of how these things will go. I'd imagine it will be something like this:
- During the drive out to Saskatoon on Friday, I'll fall asleep in the car while mentally going through the test list trying to visualize each of the techniques.
- We will not be billeting on Friday night, for the sake of needing to get a good night's sleep.
- Saturday morning, I will get up and do the customary "lucky braid" in my hair (this time, one braid for shodan - just like it was five for gokyu, four for yonkyu and so on.)
- Little Miss Overachiever will very nearly exhaust herself during the seminar practice sessions even though she really should pace herself to conserve energy for the test. Aside from this one sentence, she will refrain from referring to herself in the third person.
- Lunch will consist of primarily low-gi carbs.
- Pre-test, I will consume Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews and a Gatorade.
- 10 to 15 minutes prior to the test, I will get an adrenaline surge and lose all fine motor control. (Solution: I have completed and signed the rank application form ahead of time to prevent the form from looking as nasty as it did for my 5th and 4th kyu tests when I could barely sign my name. This means that there will also be no more of the usual humming and hawing over that same place in the form: "Number of days of practice since last test? I dunno...sensei? Do you know?")
- I will also be doing a lot of deep breathing in the women's change room.
- At the start of the test, my movements will be stiff and ill-timed as my body works out the nerves and my brain and my body have the following internal conversation:
Jamie's brain: (trying to futilely process as much information as possible while working through abject panic)
Jamie's body: What are you still doing? Can't you see I'm trying to work here?
Jamie's brain: Must...help...somehow...
Jamie's body: Well, you're getting in the bloody way! Leave me alone!
Jamie's brain: (whimpering, pushes a big red button labeled "Auto-Pilot" and slumps off into a dark corner to sulk)
- By around the third or fourth repetition, this internal conflict will have resolved itself for the most part and my body will act automatically and of its own accord. Outside observers have called this phenomenon "Jamie in The Zone".
- Later, I will have no recollection of the specifics surrounding my movements. It'll be like those sudden yet inevitable (and numerous) moments in the anime classic, "Neon Genesis Evangelion", where a seemingly-unconscious Eva comes to life and moves on its own. Only with slightly less carnage left behind and none of the angsty anti-hero whining.
One last practice to go before the test...my brain is obviously trying to work out all of its nervous energy.
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:28 AM.
|
vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
|
|