One of the Affiliate YMCA black belts has a three-car garage she doesn’t use for cars. It’s a small dojo. Today (4/10/16) I was invited out for training.
I always love small classes, and I am always thrilled when I’m the lowest ranked in a small class. I always am challenged to keep up and usually learn loads of new things. Today I finally got to find out firsthand what freestyle “pushing hands” are all about. I had run across a mention of these exercises somewhere on the Internet, so I researched them but didn’t grasp the concepts at all until today when I actually got to try out this flow-y game of redirection, entrapment, and tagging. After awhile, Affiliate Y Chief Sensei went several steps further with me – we used our whole selves in a similar flowy-type exercise in order to try and trap the other person. It was a real mental challenge to evade, lure, deceive, and trap with movements that were both familiar and alien.
Today came with an additional bonus. A new friend. This delightful young lady black belt hails from Japan and is studying English at the Kaplan International school just down the hall from where I work. I wasn’t expecting to meet her until tomorrow – College Sensei had announced last week she’d be joining us at College Dojo. It was wonderful to meet this young lady in a less formal context and to get to know her (and work with her) over the course of a few hours. We are both looking forward to seeing each other at College Dojo on Monday.
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So happy for you! Sounds great. I am the same….always learn more when you have to reach for the bar! I still learn when I am the highest rank but it’s different kind of learning…..like learning how to teach and how to demonstrate and how to push the right amount……but in terms of learning new things definitely the smallest fish is the winner. Osu
Thanks, Rach – yep, on Saturday I did me some learning as the highest ranked. The Sensei wasn’t up to sparring due to an injury, so she and I mirror-judged two boys. That’s the first time I’ve ever judged 🙂 Yesterday I was put in charge of newbies (vast majority of the class) and oh my gosh I had to demonstrate roundhouse kick with the best form I could manage. Over and over and over. Good practice for me, LOL!
What an exciting journey you’re undertaking! Good luck to you and your new friend!
Thanks, Soke – and it’s only getting better the further I go 🙂