And the verdict is.... I passed! So I'm now a green belt :)

It's been a bit of a whirlwind from green stripe to green belt with the gradings coming so fast on the back of each other but it feels good knowing I'm there and through the other side a green belt. And I got another A pass. Yay!

In our system we have fail, borderline, pass, plus pass and A pass, which is the highest. I think it's good to always have something to aim towards so you're trying to finesse and perfect, rath... Read More

7 comments View Entry

You'd think by grading number four, I'd have got a handle on them there grading nerves.

But 28 hours ago I was sat on the floor of our dojang taking deep breaths having been suddenly poleaxed by nerves...

Bizarrely though, I ended up being called up not once but twice before my test... and though I was kind of dreading it, it did make it easier when it was finally my turn.

So this was it... my chance to hit green belt. It was my fourth grading since my return to... Read More

4 comments View Entry

Why do some people insist in taking the lead when lining up?

Maybe it's just a guy thing, but I've noticed quite a bit in the last few weeks how certain people assume themselves to be better than others, when quite often they're not.

When lining up, as with most schools, we start with the highest rank student in the front right position, with everyone else filling in according to rank from right to left.

This normally is not a problem, but there have been a few interesti... Read More

5 comments View Entry

In 37 hours time, I'll be training. And even though it's (literally) freezing outside, it'll be hard work and will probably hurt, I can't wait.

It's been two weeks since I could get to class because I've been working all over the country. In the 14 days between times, I'll have worked 114 hours with just two days off. I'm cream crackered.

My colleagues at the place I do most of my work know about my taekwondo. When I won the English champs back in March, the company newspap... Read More

0 comments View Entry

And the verdict is... I passed the grading and am now a fully fledged member of the 7th kup club.

Okay not a big deal to some but it felt pretty big in the 24 hours before I graded when I was racked with nerves, the 20 minutes of the actual grading and the four days of having to wait to see how I did!

All three of the 'adult' yellow belts (aged 15ish to me with an 18 year-old in the middle) passed with high marks - and I got an A pass, which made me smile.

As I said befo... Read More

8 comments View Entry