Karate 22

Itosu Rohai Shodan is a black belt kata we learned today. It’s kind of a cool one. A little difficult for a yellow belt to do but manageable. I am not sure why they are showing us how to do it unless it will take us that long to learn it well. Who knows? But we did a lot of basic work today as well and other katas too. The Sensei and other teachers are now picking on us yellow belts to make sure we are always showing correct form and stances. They no longer tolerate mistakes or slackness in our stances and with the whole class frozen in the positions of their last moves they go around and correct our form if needed, one student at a time while the rest of us wait patiently for our turn while holding our stance. You don’t adjust your stance, and you don’t move a hair on your body. You don’t fidget. They want to see you and correct your mistakes.

Often, they punish the whole class if one student is not focusing or paying attention by making everyone do push-ups. So there is that kind of pressure to pay attention and be serious. One is not punished for making mistakes, however.

They will be “harpies” so to speak when it comes to the perfection of our forms. They will tell us over and over until we get it right consistently.

February 17th there is a tournament in Edmonton. Marilyn and I are volunteering to help out; we won’t be competing. And so it goes.