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We've moved to this new dojo, well we've been there a couple of months. One of the plus sides to this new place is like the original dojo it has mirrors so one can admire how awesomely one can screw up and when Sensei yells "What was that?" you actually see how bad it was.
I hardly recognise myself. There's this rather muscular guy looking back at me all the time and he moves around with confidence, sits with confidence and his posture is bloody good.
It's odd being where I am. I remember back when I first started martial arts there were these guys, the seniors, and they knew everything and they were good at everything and they seemed like amazing people. I remember saying to myself "I wish I could be more like such and such." They seemed to have limitless knowledge about the art and they were most definately insiders, they weren't just members of the dojo, they were the dojo.
Now when we're lined up at the end I see one of these people, these seniors and it's me. I find that people want my advice on things. It's so odd when someone twice your age with kids and a ton more life experience wants to know what to do on a grading or how something should be done.
I would naturally make some throw away comment, but these days I find I can't do that, I have to be responsible about how and what I say because they're as much looking for encouragement and to see my attitude to things as they are looking for a technical answer.
Sounds stupid but people ask me stuff because they're lower ranked than me and I have to remind myself that I actually know the answer.
Before I'd iron my kit or do something because that's the way it should be done but now with everything I do I'm conciously trying to set an example.
11-18-2010 06:39 PM 
