Two really cool things happened at TKD class tonight. The first was that it was announced that my instructor, Glenda Carroll, passed the test for 5th Degree Black Belt at the recent Ho-Am Tiger Rock Festival in Mobile, AL. I didn't get to go to watch her test, but those that did told me that she looked great when she tested. I can't help but be happy for her. I saw how hard she practiced and worked for it.
The second thing is that I got my first taste of something that I have to deal with at my next testing when I go for 1st Degree Level 1 Black Belt...2 on 1 sparring. I was the 1.
I guess I had better get used to it pretty quick...only 3 weeks left until test day. The truth is, I had been really dreading what it would be like to spar 2 people at the same time. In my head, I knew that I would have to stay on my toes, but now the rest of me really knows it too. And it kind of surprised me that I enjoyed more than I thought I would, because sparring isn't exactly my favorite part of TKD.
I can do forms, 1-steps, & 3-steps all day long and not get tired of it. But sparring...well, let's just say, I can take it or leave it. I know it's a necessary part of martial arts training & there are times when I have a good time with it. But there are a lot of times that I'd really rather not have to do it. Like the days when I don't quite feel 20 or even 30 years old (which is a lot of the time considering I'm a 45-year-old grandma...lol)
Then again, there's nothing like the feeling of self-confidence of knowing that I can take on more than 1 person at a time if the situation were to call for it. And the truth is, I'm more than willing to do whatever it takes to get that black belt, not for just the belt itself, but also because it's a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of being able to teach TaeKwonDo full-time and opening my own school.
