503...... My number at the BKA Northern Seminar, Nov 2012. My attempt at Godan after a year of injury and illnesses.
I entered the grading because I could!
After a series of incidents that had left me unable to walk in a straight line, unable to practise jodo for several months ( from Dec 25 2011) as I could not walk properly or hold a jo or bokken if it was being hit by an opponent, I blew my knee during iaido practise in June 2012. By October I had stopped using the crutch, an improvement in itself from using two crutches, but was unable to walk properly or, more importantly, kneel to perform seated kata or waza.
The dojo had been held together by it's sempai,Matt Smith (thanks Matt) and the commitment of the senior students. I would sit or stand around observing and giving instruction, Matt would demonstrate and generally lead the physical side of training. With little sign of the knee injury ever abating to the state where I could practise again, I found I was getting more and more despondent.
I had, by September 2012, almost decided to step down and hand the dojo over to someone else. I thought, as the time I would become eligible for 5th dan was so close, I would take the grading to say I had at least reached the level where I could take a 5th dan.
The action of preparing (or attempting to) for the seminar restored focus, and a reanalysis of what was needed to make the level necessary to pass restructured what I needed to do to succeed.
To little, to late, and the injuries were still there. But the despondency was not! After the grading some straight talking from an old training partner had me reassessing the time I spent teaching my dojo students. I had stopped doing my own training on the Friday night sessions, which had been established for those of us teaching on Wednesday nights to do our own training. I was teaching the coaches, but not myself.
Now, a further six months on, I am training for myself. I am able to kneel again, for a limited time, but it is improving. I can demonstrate kata to my students, with only the occasional grimace or semi collapse. I am enjoying what I am doing, not just routinely going through a series of motions.
I thank my students who have supported me, and my friends who have advised me, and got me through a very trying time.
Today I am training for a real attempt at promotion! I will undoubtedly bore you with my progress!
I entered the grading because I could!
After a series of incidents that had left me unable to walk in a straight line, unable to practise jodo for several months ( from Dec 25 2011) as I could not walk properly or hold a jo or bokken if it was being hit by an opponent, I blew my knee during iaido practise in June 2012. By October I had stopped using the crutch, an improvement in itself from using two crutches, but was unable to walk properly or, more importantly, kneel to perform seated kata or waza.
The dojo had been held together by it's sempai,Matt Smith (thanks Matt) and the commitment of the senior students. I would sit or stand around observing and giving instruction, Matt would demonstrate and generally lead the physical side of training. With little sign of the knee injury ever abating to the state where I could practise again, I found I was getting more and more despondent.
I had, by September 2012, almost decided to step down and hand the dojo over to someone else. I thought, as the time I would become eligible for 5th dan was so close, I would take the grading to say I had at least reached the level where I could take a 5th dan.
The action of preparing (or attempting to) for the seminar restored focus, and a reanalysis of what was needed to make the level necessary to pass restructured what I needed to do to succeed.
To little, to late, and the injuries were still there. But the despondency was not! After the grading some straight talking from an old training partner had me reassessing the time I spent teaching my dojo students. I had stopped doing my own training on the Friday night sessions, which had been established for those of us teaching on Wednesday nights to do our own training. I was teaching the coaches, but not myself.
Now, a further six months on, I am training for myself. I am able to kneel again, for a limited time, but it is improving. I can demonstrate kata to my students, with only the occasional grimace or semi collapse. I am enjoying what I am doing, not just routinely going through a series of motions.
I thank my students who have supported me, and my friends who have advised me, and got me through a very trying time.
Today I am training for a real attempt at promotion! I will undoubtedly bore you with my progress!
posted by ukpatrick at
10:28 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home