Hello, blog!

I don't remember if I ever said, but I quit my job about 2-3 months ago for various personal reasons. It affected everything in my life, including my training. I've found a new job and start tomorrow, which means hopefully I should be back on track! It'll be a case of up early to stretch, then work, (when I have enough money again it'll be back to the gym at lunch times), training and some running if my partner and I feel like it in the evenings/kid lesson days. I'll be watching my diet as well, making a lunch the night before instead of buying things in town.

I've done four days of training this week, and my partner and I were walking around somewhere and found free outside table tennis, which we hogged for over an hour. Based on how rubbish we were we must've burned so many calories at a) the exertion of new exercise and b) spending more time running after the ball than playing. Still fun!

Kids class again tomorrow, gonna get into the swing of things. My Master wants me to grade to Bo Dan (recommended black belt) in Dec. I don't think any of us inteded to grade will be ready, but hey ho. Recommended black belt means you have a black belt, but with no inscriptions, just plain. It means you're ready to make the final drive to 1st Dan. However if you pass your Bo Dan grading you have 6 months to take your 1st Dan test. If you don't, or you fail it, you're bumped back down to red belt black tag. Just another reason I don't want to grade yet.

In November the club is hosting its first tournament and a fair few schools will be attending. There are fighting and non-fighting catergories. I'm not partaking in this one but I have been enlisted to referee. I'd thought this an honour until my partner pointed out they're using me for free. Bastard, making me feel lousey. Still feel like it's a bit of an honour based on the fact I'll be the only colour belt doing such an official job, but it has been sullied a bit. Not the end of the world. I get to shout and disqualify people as well as judge patterns. It'll be good experience at least.

To sum this all up, I basically feel like I have all the black belt attributes with none of the skill. I can teach, referee, and am not afraid of grade when fighting, but I have no skills for others to learn from, I can shout and act like a referee while maybe not making the right call, I go forward in fighting, but without skill I fail. Shame really. I'll get through it, I guess, but not for some while. I guess at least I've won half the battle, be glad that I only have half to go.

Ja ne~