Had my grading today. This time I’m 7th grade (yellow belt with green tip) going for 6th grade (green belt).

I feel I did ok, although I buggered up a really simple mid section punch. When they were “showing” us what move to do, they didn’t mirror image, and I can’t help it but automatically go to mirror everything. Soooo frustrating, because they just don’t understand. I’ve tried to explain before about why I struggle with my left and right, but they just don’t get it

During the free sparing I’ve discovered I’m too used to being “soft”. I need to toughen up and get more agressive i think? When we do free sparring in class, because I’m so tall I’m usually with a senior, which inevitably ends up being a black or brown belt. Blacks and browns tend to have very good control, so they know how much room to give you.

At a grading you don’t get this luxury. Seems to be a lot of guys full of testosterone that want to be like a black belt, but they don’t have the control. So when I was with one of these guys, I was kinda like “OMG, he’s in my SPACE”. Dunno how to get used to this, I guess that’s what the whole thing is about, self defense when you’re being attacked…..but I just hate to “hurt” any body. As I said…….I guess I’m too “soft”

Anyway, I can only hope I’ll pass. We only find out our result in the next class we go to, which for me at this stage I’m not sure when that’ll be.

My first time to a grading, and an interesting experience it was! Started off me arriving in my normal uniform, not realising that we MUST wear our white jackets as part of our uniform to the grading. So I was in my black taekwondo shirt, and everyone else was in white. I had several black belts all coming up to me asking where my jacket was, and then shortly after I was pulled out and had to wait till I could borrow someone elses jacket. Then into the changerooms to “switch”. Gawd I felt like a criminal! Anyway, so on to the grading, most of it was spent sitting down on a hard cold floor while the yellow belts got “punished” for not making enough noise. Then when our turn came along, we didn’t do much for long. Then at one point we had to do a side kick and then hold our leg out. My friend Shona was watching (her kids do taekwondo, that’s how I got into it) and apparently I was the ONLY one who didn’t wobble. Wont know until next week the results, but next week I will hopefully be wearing a YELLOW belt, and then (hopefully) the REAL fun will start!

I hadn’t officially announced this, but I guess now’s as good a time as any. I have taken up taekwondo about a month ago, and so I’m just a mere naive white belt.

Since I first ever started combat I was always very interested in taking up a martial art, but never quite did it. Also never knew which one to do.

Have to give credit to R1, as it’s his inspiration that has made me choose taekwondo. Basically, some martial arts (in my opinion) seem to attract arrogant people. I didn’t want that, and from what I can tell, R1’s (and others) attitude about martial arts (and his transition to combat) has always impressed me.

Then there’s the fact that taekwondo is similar to combat, so it’s useful for me to be doing a martial art that will assist me with combat.

First grading is next month, so I’ll get to see what it’s all about.