Author: Joelle White

One of the things I’ve tried to be aware of in my belt tests has been who else is there.  I’m finding that with each test I’m building very good memories.

Right before the start of my recent test for 5th kyu (green belt) I looked around and I realized that I knew all the karateka present and they knew me.  That’s what comes of training regularly in three dojos and intermittently in a fourth and fifth.  Being among so many acquaintances and friends made me feel at ease.  I was able to give and receive a lot of encouragement from all ranks.

When we lined up, standing to my right in Sempai position was my “Big Brother,” who has spent hours teaching me kata.  Somewhere behind me was a little boy whom I had taught for a few weeks when he was just beginning.  My mentor, my protégé, and me – all about to face the challenges of our respective tests.  I focused on that during meditation.  It was an incredible feeling.

I was very happy when Affiliate YMCA Dojo’s head instructor called out the moving basics.  I knew he’d come up with fiendishly tricky stuff for us to do, and I was not disappointed.  I actually thought it was fun – it felt like being in one of his classes.

I sparred with a teenage girl from Affiliate Y Dojo.  When we were all given a bit of a breather while the black belts tallied scores, she admitted to having been scared of me.  I told her she should ask her Sensei how to defeat me, then next time we spar she should beat the snot out of me.  Then we’ll both get better.  I’m looking forward to that.

It was really fun to receive my certificate from College Sensei, who has known me ever since I started hanging around the dojo just to watch my daughter do Karate.  Now I’m Sempai to his dojo.  I received my pretty new belt (5th kyu – green) from the hands of Affiliate Y Dojo’s head Sensei, who frequently leads Saturday training. As I bowed to him I remembered that he promoted to 4th Dan (4th degree black belt) the same day I promoted to 6th kyu (purple with a stripe).  I have great memories of his amazing performance of kata and bunkai for his test.

Near the end of the promotion ceremony I set aside my previous belt.  I thought about when I earned the belt itself (7th kyu – purple) and the stripe on it (6th kyu).  One of my Home Dojo senseis had to move away, and the last time I saw him, he presented me with the belt.  I remembered again the stripe on that belt was earned the same day that the Sensei who presented me with the new belt was himself promoted.  I got a little misty-eyed at all the memories centered around that purple belt.

As I tied on my new belt I sneaked glances around the room at all my friends and acquaintances and wondered what new memories I’ll be forging with them while I wear the pretty green belt.

A new era is beginning in my Karate career…

2/24/16 – College Dojo:  Really and Truly a Sempai

I’ve had a bit of practice being Sempai to this dojo – last quarter, the brown belt helper didn’t show up for about three weeks.  Then he was only present one class per week.  This quarter, until he moved, he was present for both classes each week, so I got to be a student.  So I feel like I’ve been a “substitute Sempai.”  Monday’s class we all had fun together, so it wasn’t until today that it hit me.  I. am. Sempai.

Today I did get a good bit of time to be a student.  But the last ten minutes of class I was handed a big chunk of responsibility.  Sensei needed me to supervise the colored belts as they sparred.

I started them off with ippon kumite (one-step sparring).  I gave the attacking side the freedom to choose one technique to throw, defenders blocked and counterattacked.  Then I had them fight one-minute rounds, different opponent each time.  I had to keep an eye on three pairs of fighters.  Not too bad.  Before long I realized not only do I have to make sure these kids don’t hurt each other, I have to give feedback!

So I started looking.  Wow.  Things that I’ve gone through and I’ve figured out jumped out at me, and I told them the same things I’ve been told myself.

“Watch your control.”

“Ease back a bit – she’s still learning how to spar.  Try working on defending.”

“Snap those kicks back if you don’t like being thrown to the mats.”

I guess some of what my Senseis have taught me has sunk in 🙂

So today – I really and truly feel like Sempai.  Not just a substitute but the real deal.

2/25/16 -Home Dojo:  Substitute Sempai -or- Out of the Comfort Zone

Big Brother didn’t make it tonight, Sensei’s wife is planning on coming on Tuesdays unless something comes up.  I haven’t seen our other green belt since the seminars on the 13th, so that left me as Sempai tonight.

Sensei gave me a choice after warmups and a drill – did I want to lead the colored belts in moving basics or teach newbie white belts? My first impulse was to teach white belts.  But then I realized I wanted to run away from the other option.  I’ve never led moving basics for a group of colored belts and more experienced white belts.  I didn’t want to move outside my comfort zone.  So I put on my big girl panties and I told Sensei I’d like to lead moving basics.

Sensei asked for confirmation that I’d never done this before, gave me a little advice, and cheerfully split the class, moving off with the newbie white belts to the other end of the room.  As Sensei moved off, he gave me a smile and a nod – non-verbal communication that said he was proud of me and was confident in me.

It wasn’t easy.  It wasn’t without hiccups.  But I did it.  Not only that, I challenged everyone.  I also used the “scaffolding” method twice – once to tie kihon (basics) to kata (forms) and once to teach a drill that is almost but not quite a kata 🙂

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I’ve had a little time now to get used to the concept that I am Sempai.  I’m sure I’ll continue to be challenged and grow as time goes by.

I think I love compliments on my teaching more than I love compliments on my speed, power, or form…  And I love what I learn from teaching.

2/6/16 – Affiliate YMCA Dojo

When we were told to partner up for sparring, one of the black belts grabbed me immediately.  I haven’t sparred with her yet, so I was very happy to be faced with someone new who could kick my butt.  Unfortunately, she had to bow out – she started not feeling well so she opted to be a corner judge for sparring.

A pal of mine, an 11 year old LP, didn’t have a partner so she grabbed me the instant the black belt took a chair to be a corner judge.  I like her because I have to be extremely precise with my speed and intensity.  I can’t go at my full speed/intensity, but the instant I go too slowly she turns me into a pretzel or throws me.  Very fun!!!

Her father (the dojo Sensei) nixed that.  There was another girl who was closer to his daughter’s size, so he had us swap partners.  I was paired with a twelve year old boy.  Oh well.  No problem.

When we were called ringside I “read” right away that this kid was intimidated by the situation and by my belt and six inch height advantage.  So I made it a little scarier for him by kiai-ing loudly and charging.  But when I reached him, I settled into the “slow and flow” pace (continuous smooth motion) that College Dojo’s Sempai has been having us work with as a warm-up to full-on sparring.  I barely touched the boy.  My goal was to get him face to face with big and scary and get him to look for opportunities to fight back.

When a point was called in my favor, the dojo Sensei knew exactly what I was up to with all my noise and charging and continuous attacks, and pointed it out to the boy.  He told the kid not to be intimidated by all that.  Then I was told to ramp it up a bit.  I reminded myself that pushing hard is the way this dojo always rolls.  So I was quite scary.  Kicks to the head, jabs to the face, and herding him into a corner – but all this at a speed that is slower than my usual.  I thought sweeps would be too much for the boy so I didn’t do them.

This was fantastic work for exercising control and a great opportunity for me to practice reading the boy to make sure I wasn’t completely swamping him.  I ditched defending – I wanted him to make contact.  I was so very happy the two times the boy managed to score that I beamed at him from across the ring when halts were called to award his points.  After the fight was over I shook his hand very enthusiastically and told him, “well done.”

Now he’s well prepared for tournament.  I hope he realizes that if he can face me, he can face his peers.

Because of time constraints the dojo sensei called a halt for the day after the next pair of fighters.  I was disappointed.  I really wanted to fight anyone who could kick my butt.  It must have shown on my face.  After class the black belt who was supposed to have sparred me came over and apologized.  I told her no worries and gave her some sympathy for what she’s going through medically.  The dojo Sensei gave me a big hug and said he was really glad to have me at practice today.  I know it was because of what I did for that boy.

A couple of weeks prior to this, I sparred with my own “Home Dojo” Sensei.  Due to his medical stuff, it was the first time I’d ever sparred him.  He pushed me harder than I ever thought I could go.  I think I have a tiny bit of insight into Sensei’s perspective of that fight.

Feb 22, 2016 – College Dojo

I chose to be a white belt’s partner today.  It was a fairly equal playing field because of the nature of the drill we were doing.  None of the dojos I’m involved in work on  takedowns all that often, so I’m not really much more skilled than the next guy – I’m just more confident in my ability to learn the throw and to be thrown in turn 🙂

Sensei built the sequence step by step (that method itself is a good lesson for me).  I gave my partner a little feedback every now and then, and made sure I performed everything to the best of my ability so as to be a good model for him.  He was a quick learner and a joy to work with.

So what’s different for me today…  That white belt student came up to me after class and thanked me for working with him.  He said he learned a lot from me and he enjoys working with higher ranked students.  This youngster also said I’ll be a good teacher someday.  I thanked him and told him I myself enjoy working with higher ranked people because I learn a lot too.  I also told him I enjoy working with lower ranked students because I learn how to teach.

I’ve been given one of the best Karate compliments I’ve received to date.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you already know that my afternoon counterpart at my work is a black belt in a different style.  I told him about passing my recent test for 5th kyu, and he responded with the usual congratulations, etc.  Then he told me I’ve inspired him to go for his second degree black belt.  WOW.

What has he seen in me?  I’m middle aged and still ten pounds overweight.  I’d fit right in with all the librarians who work downstairs from our office.  My afternoon counterpart and I have been in the same room at the same time exactly three times.  Heck, the style he studies is full contact, whereas I’m supposed to be playing “Tag.”  So what’s so inspiring about me?

Was it my advice to him to apply what he learned from the process of becoming Shodan to learning the job we do?  Was it the way I played Twister with another co-worker, then joked to him, “I always wear loose clothing that allows me freedom of movement because I never know when I might have to play Twister?”  How about when I was laden with a box I refused to let him carry across campus (citing my need to build my upper body) and I used my foot to gently push the button that opens the door to our building?  Or that, while carrying that box, I beat the elevator by climbing up the 72 stairs to our office?  Is it that I help out with the college Karate class?  Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m a middle-aged matron who is striving to become better, not worse, as she ages.

Does Karate make that much of a difference – enough to where a slightly lumpy middle-aged 5th kyu lady can inspire a young Shodan to train for his next belt test?

I guess it does.

This might seem at first blush to be a repeat of something I wrote earlier this month.  I might have grabbed a sentence or three from this journal entry to tell another story…  Sorry for going out of order, but that’s what happens when you group journal entries by theme.

2/8/16 – College Dojo

Sometime last week I got in trouble with Sempai Drill Sergeant for cutting a tired gal some slack – letting her catch her breath while we were sparring.

Today a young man was dog tired after sparring with Sempai Drill Sergeant.  We rotated the line and I found myself paired with this young man.

Sempai Drill Sergeant said, “He’s tired.  Kick his ass.”

As soon as Sempai Drill Sergeant couldn’t see me, I rolled my eyes in his direction to show sympathy with my sparring partner.  I wanted my sparring partner to laugh, relax a bit.  My partner was too far gone for that.

Reluctantly, I beat him up (no harm – just constant light stinging).  Sempai Drill Sergeant is very fond of push ups, and I’m not, so I wasn’t going to risk it.

I had my partner against the wall.  Suddenly, something snapped.  My partner then put up a ferocious fight.  I was grinning like a loon at him.  I was so proud!  Until the fight ended, I kept encouraging him to beat me up, LOL – saying things like, “You’ve got this!” and “Excellent!”

I saw the power of the human spirit.  I saw that young man make the decision that he wasn’t going to take any more punishment.  It was wonderful.

Thinking about the time I cut the young lady some slack last week, I’d have to admit I failed to teach her about what’s inside her.  Yesterday I gave that young man a gift, albeit under the unspoken threat of push ups (LOL).  The young lady learned very little from me – at most she might be thinking about how she can watch out for my sweeps.  The young man learned that when it looks like he’s being called to do the impossible, he can find it in himself to rally.

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And, as you may recall from an earlier post, this young man did rally in tournament.  He faced not one, but two big opponents, one of whom hit him hard in the ear.  He won both fights and a gold medal.