Victory

Each belt test is a hugh milestone in martial arts. Earning your way up to black belt is equilivent to being a baby and learning first to hold your head up (white belt), rolling over (yellow belt), sitting up (orange belt), crawling (green belt), walking (blue belt), jumping (red belt), running (blackbelt), and flying - beyond....

(We only have a total of six color belts in Tao Hsieh Wu Shu)

While it only takes about 1.5 years to pass those milestones as a baby, in martial arts it takes many years. After yesterday, I'm at the crawling stage (green belt). Crawling is a good description of all the things that I still have to learn and perfect. Yesterday was a great test but difficult one. I learned many things about myself.

First and foremost, I need to continue to work on my endurance and flexibility. My spinning kicks really need work as does my straight back kick. I didn't whip my arm enough in my ridge hand or knife hand punches nor did I put my shoulder into my hook and upper cut punches. As for cartwheels, let's just say they are not pretty!

However, I did learn without a doubt that if I was ever attacked, I could defend myself. I had felt that I could but yesterday seem to prove to me that I really can. To me, this is the most important thing I could ever learn.

There are many techniques that I'm not great at but need to learn in our system in order to teach others who may do it well. Everyone's syle is different as are their strenghts and weaknesses.

I do feel victorious this morning, even with all the bruises from the test yesterday. Bruises seem to be my mantra these days. But they will fade and I'll still have my green belt and the knowledge that goes with it. How exciting is that?

MMAMom

p.s. Special thanks to my uki yesterday (Rich) for pushing me and not just letting me have it. He made me look good.