become a black belt in taekwondo

ever so slowly I am creeping up the ladder to start the process all over again.

:o)

The test was on Saturday and i was running on high adrenaline. My shoulders still hurt as they must have been so tense throughout the hour. But, I am pretty sure I passed. We were testing at 1.00 p.m. and I had gotten up early and jsut practiced practiced practiced my form. In fact, i do not even remember how I did it on the test as it was so automatic. anyway- onwards and forwards. going to class tonight.

set for March 1st. went last nite and will go wed. as this is a light week work-wise for what seems like the first time in MONTHS.

hamstrings OUCH!

alot.

my last entry was not exactly physically pleasant.

I have not been to TKD since. my neck has been giving me issues and I am not one to complain about physical ailments. I am seeing my MT tomorrow and have her concentrate on my upper back and neck area. My friend has been massaging my neck everytime i see him, and still, no relief. My best friend’s bro is a chiropractor and that may be my next step. I always think these things will just go away on their own so I usually ignore them. But it has started to affect my sleep. I wake up during the night going- OUCH.

I am surely not giving up on this goal EVER but may take a break as my renewal for the next year is…TODAY. I wonder if it was too much- the 1/2 marathon early a.m. trainings, my physically demanding life/job as it is, and then TKD at night. And I ain’t getting any younger. So, my entries here will be more sporadic. I amnotmaking excuses, just that everyone is different. For some people, my life would seem cake, but this is all I can handle right now. I may take time off until January of next year. Save 3 months of payments in the process. I will have to let Master RKD know…ugh. dread.

Trying to stick to at least one class a week until more time/energy reappears in my schedule. Went last Wednesday and RKD was there and I was SO excited we were both there on the same night!
He helped me w my form which I am still CLUELESS about remembering. Then we practiced self-defense and THEN it happened.
He seemed to focus on ME in terms of using me as an example. Big mistake. Usually I back away when he looks for an example. He is tactful i.e. NOT like Napoleon Dynamite.
So he said-
If someone steps up behind you, take your elbow (this is him illustrating and i step up behind him) and shoot into their groin. This will cause thme to double over and their head will come forward. I pretended my head came forward OVER his shoulder as he squatted down at which time he grasped me BY my head and led me by my head and neck into flip. He said- RELAX! RELAX! and i was hard as a stone in fear. I flip, land correctly but on the way down I heard my neck go…krrrrrrack.
I was in SHOCK as I had not been really ready for a flip.
i backed away from him and when he needed someone else- i said- NOT ME- take them!
anyway- instant tightness on my right in my tendons on my neck. major strain. all weekened my right side was tight and whiplashed. lots of massage.
ugh.
so- i approach more cautiously overall.
but i may go tonite. i need to remember this form.

I needed to release some pent-up anxiety, so I finally made an appearance. i have been sporadically over the past few weeks. I would say only about once a week if it was a good week. It seems that by 8.00 at night I am exhausted and would rather stay sedentary. The point: I cannot sit down.

I always seem to get what I need. I was hugely grumpy and evil and knew I had to get to class. Instructor Ray was there and I shook his hand and told him i was happy to see him. It felt like it had been awhile.

We lined up, warmed up with one of the black belts and then Ray said: Everyone, sit down. And sit down we did and he wanted us to clear our minds of all the baggabge we brouht into class and shut out the world and only think of TKD.

it was like he read my mind. i tried to push my evilness aside and thought- this is where i need to be. And, I made it thru class.

8.00 p.m. need to put it in writing so I do not back out.

Master RKD last night for two hours.
I jammed my left knee pretty hard and now it’s black n blue. fantastic. just in time as my shin has now returned to it’s normal skin tone. That only took about 3 weeks. but i am proud of these hard-earned scratches.