get a black belt in karate

i think i am Finally ready to go back into Karate…. I took a really long break because I wasnt ready to take it seriously… but I will be returning in the fall full force. I think it will help me find my focus. I want to do this… I never gave up, just took a break.

I got my green belt a couple nights ago… I’m still sore from the grading. I did mostly everything well, but I had a really hard time with the last section. I was told that we were going to demonstrate three methods of self defense, but instead we did the other side of our katas with a partner (Bonkai i think) I never learned the “reverse kata” for one of them, and I hadn’t done the other one in months! I tried, but I was a big disappointment…. either way.. I’m a green belt..woot

My Sensai took me aside after tonights class and said I reach the qualifications for a green belt. He said I need to work on my ability to catch on to drills and control my anxieties though. I agree with him… on top of Karate, I do Yoga twice a week to deal with stress, improve flexibility, and breathing.

He said its up to me to choose whether or not I am ready to get graded for my green belt… I have two weeks to decide, the grading is on march 1st

Im an orange belt working my way up to green belt. I started last year… I used to love doing Karate before my injury. Now its a struggle. I was a yellow belt and I was playing soccer on the school team. During the qualifying game, I hurt my hip on the field. After much speculation they said that I probably fractured it. I was pulled out of Karate for nearly 8 weeks. Ever since then its been really hard. The people who I had originally joined with are now a rank ahead of me. I try so hard and sometimes I’m just not good enough. I don’t catch on the the drills very quickly, and I over think things while doing them. This leaves me feeling awkward when working with the whole class, because even the white belts can keep up. (not putting precision and power….)none the less Its discouraging.

Theres one woman in the same class as me who is really hard on me. She gets me (along with others below her rank) in trouble with the Sensai. I already struggle…it hurts when she gives me a hard time.

Karate is really difficult for me on many levels… There are so many trials, sometimes it feels like its too much. The main reason I need to stick with it though, is so that I learn not to be so hard on myself and find my inner strength…

I just don’t know if I can do it.