Still training hard, We have had a week or so off on holiday in August and it really showed on me. I was slow, if you don’t keep it up week in week out it soon goes funny. However since getting back into it, I have got nearly back to speed. I had better its grading time again. We have trained hard and my younger son is remembering more and more, the older boy is doing very well and has already learned the next belts form. Our Instructor has run a Bassai Seminar which the younger one wanted to do, this has helped me also as I now far more of the form. This means that I know the brown stripe belt form.

In August we crammed in lots of classes before going away, one of these was an adult class and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For Red belts, you have to learn the Nianchi forms. They had perturbed me when watching them in class as the movements are very precise. In that adult class, we did a couple of these by the count and I realised that they are probably the forms for me. One in particular seemed to flow very well, even though I do not know it. The moves are what I like, therefore I am now looking forward to the Nianchi.

Just a note to say that we are grading again this week, the 3rd week of May. So far this month we have had a seminar at Granby High School and this will be where we will be grading. Master Johnson and Master R Johnson came along with others from Coventry to our seminar and he did a demo. He also got other Dan Grades to do their “stuff”, Master Pears, a sword form, One of the Dan grades brought a rather large staff with a spike on one end and a blade on the other, She came straight out of the car and onto the Do Jang Demo floor with it. She did an excellent job. Master R Johnson and Mr McKenna (3rd Dan) did a form called Chinto, opposite each other which looked fantastic. Master Johnson broke a River stone with his hands, a great demo all round.

The boys and I have been training hard, there have been new people turning up at classes, due to some competitions on the radio and a women only taster course. It’s looking really good for the Club. Also we have welcomed a new Master, from up North. A new club that wants to affiliate with Master Johnson’s Family Karate. As they are just starting up new classes etc, we went to one of their classes, it was an eye opener for me. I had not worked so hard in quite some time, I had muscle ache for 4 days after, again which had not happened to me for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it though, they use very large pads and we spent sometime really “laying” in to them. I enjoyed that, as I feel that they have to tempered in our classes. However my instructor says I should not let it worry me and to give as good as I get if holding the pad.

Tonight’s class is why I am updating my blog. There were some of the new ladies there. It was great to see them and it brought it all back to when I started, daren’t say Kihap, that lasted all of a couple of weeks. It made me do my stuff better too, as if to prove that it can be done. There are currently as it stands, in the female department, One instructor 3rd Dan, 2 Cho Bo, black belts, 1 brown belt, 2 green belts, 1 purple belt, beyond that there are some other ladies/girls who are lower grades than purple, and I have not counted the children of which there are about half a dozen, I think. Therefore much excitement for those of us who are already well on our way to Cho Bo and especially for our instructor. A good job all round then! May they all stay, I really hope they do!

We are grading again this month, there are some seminars this month, looks like we will be having a busy month. We all expected to be grading at the beginning of March, However Master Johnson has booked a trip abroad so it has to be earlier. We are all working hard to make sure we know all the right things for our next belt grades. We are currently working towards our Green belt, this means we are Summer in the seasons, we should also know that the seeds on the badge are to represent the 3000 Li, the distance between the North and South of the land of the morning calm, that as there are three each side that this represent the World and the 6 continents, that the 14 laurel leaves represent the 14 states of Korea where our Art was formed, and of course the advancement of peace.

The seminars being run at our Club are for the Pyung Ahn Hyung and of course Ki Cho, this is to assist us all in making sure we can do the very best we can on grading day. Ki Cho is one of the simplest looking forms, but to actually do it well takes a lot of practice. It is one of the Forms you have to do to become a Dan Grade. Also my little one, seems to have problems with it still, so we aim to attend all the Hyung Seminars this month. I am particularly looking forward to Pyung Ahn Sam Dan, which is what we require for our Green belt, luckily for us its the weekend before the actual grading. We will be attending the ones after the grading too, as these are for the next two belts.

The New year has arrived and after the excesses of Christmas, we are all knuckling down to our classes. The last week of December classes were leisurely, but very informative and fun. Now we are into January it’s back to it. My first class back after Christmas was really good I enjoyed it thoroughly and the adrenaline rush, once I had got home. It made me smile for hours.

We now know when we are grading next, 23 February, in the evening. This will be very difficult for some to get to but, I suspect it will be a very good grading. I am looking forward to it and hoping that I can do myself justice. On another grading note, two of my friends double graded this weekend, jumping from Brown belt to Red belt and Green white stripe to Brown white stripe. Big congratulations all round. They are working hard.

Watching some of the higher grades really gives you something to work for. One has it seems all of a sudden become fluent in his moves. Watching him do the Hyung it is as though it has just clicked and its a real pleasure to watch. I only hope that I can reach somewhere near that, it makes it look so good. I believe that for me to actually attain more in Tang Soo Do, I am probably going to have to lose a little weight. It will be no mean feat as I love chocolate, but with my Big 4 0 due this year, perhaps I should take the opportunity in both hands and drop the weight and keep working on my Tang Soo. I do feel that my confidence is growing albeit slowly, but I feel I can do certainly more in classes than before. I still get confused in doing multiple moves but if I practice them at home too I will be able to do them.

Noteworthy because its nearly grading time again!! We are all practising hard. We are all trying hard, we all hope we pass. There are quite a number of us on purple belt who are actually grading. I just hope that I am good enough. There are still things about the Hyung I must do for the grading that are not flowing. I think it means I must practise more. I really enjoy Tang Soo Do.

There are fleeces for us all, if we wish to buy. I have ordered ours and look forward to wearing it with pride with my Do Bok. I have also managed to break my Bong, snapped it in half in the car. OOPS!! Good excuse for me to buy a proper one methinks. Therefore I have asked my instructor to get one the next time she goes “down south”!

I have been training with my Tang Soo fellows for 9 months now, I have 3 belts, I am 8th Gup! And proud of it. Todays class was hard, I feel like I have done something, this must mean that I am either slipping in my fitness (Eating too many biscuits) or the training level was cranked up a notch. I think its the 29biscuits!!! I did my best but at the point where the jump front kicks had to be done I was already out of breath, therefore found I could not actually concentrate hard enough to do them. Does this mean I have been slipping? If I look hard at the last few weeks then it means I probably have, and I know its not been intentional but Chocolate Covered Hobnobs have a lot to answer for.

Today’s class was a good class, I can feel my muscles and feel content that I have completed another class. It gives me such a buzz to get through it. Its great to try new things, its great to get them right. I have finally asked what my legs should be doing for the first moves on my next grading Hyung, Pyung Ahn E Dan. It is a back stance, therefore I am to block with my right, grab with my left and move into back stance all at the same time, then its pull them in and upper cut with the right. The move from that is to punch away in horse riding stance. Then repeat on the right. Only have to get it quicker now. I find it easier to do to the left than the right. It is because I am right handed. I can remember most of the form, but do get a little confused at the section which involves the double handed blocks and kicks

We have received our “rubber knives”, this will be quite good fun I think. I do believe there are some knife forms we will have to learn as well as set defence moves. I look forward to the new challenge, and hope I can manage it.