We're back!

After way too long a hiatus, we're finally back to regular karate classes. Hooray!

The break was long - too long, actually - mostly because it proved a bit more difficult than originally thought to secure a new location that was easy for students to get to and that wouldn't cost them or us an arm and a leg.

We found it - via a local church - but lots of stuff happened in the interim, including Training Partner Ed and his family moving to South Carolina in October.

Training Partner Ed's "Farewell Workout"

Posing with the U-Haul truck just before the family pulled out of their driveway for the last time.

The move happened Columbus Day weekend. By the end of October, the new space had been approved and were able to get the new dojo up and running. It was only one day a week instead of three (as I am the only one teaching and have Squirrel's tuition to pay, I must work), but it was a place to train again.

Because of the church programs in place, Friday night has become our regular time to gi up and play. Some of my students have sports team practice or work commitments and are unable to make it, but we gained some new students and now start the class begins with a belt-tying tutorial before we fall in.

Our youngest student, Allyanna, is 5

Kata with Jovanni and Tyrone

Nia - mid-kata

  

The first class in late October

Nate's new belt (Yes, I stole it from his IG feed)

As this past Christmas and New Year's Day both fell on Fridays, the dojo was closed for two weeks. When our bare feet hit the mat in January, I ran a few of my senior students through some kihon and kata. They didn't know it, but it was a grading. They did very well and we now have three new third kyus in the building, including a dad who first entered the dojo when he'd bring his son to class. After sitting and watching for about six months, he kicked off his shoes and joined in. His son stopped training, but he didn't. He's worked really hard over the last year, including solo training at a local gym with Ed and me every Friday morning through the dojo hiatus. 

It's been a year of unexpected twists and turns, but we're still moving forward. Isn't that what the martial journey is all about?

It's That Time Again

Our semi-annual grading is just around the corner. Between the bustle of getting belt sizes, spelling names correctly for certificates, drilling everyone on kata and self-defense techniques and making sure the political end is covered (inviting all the folks from the clan who would be upset if we left them out), Senseis Ed and Felicia are worn out - and we're still a month away from the action!

One of the issues we always seem to go around and around on deals with attendance. The cirriculum is specific about how long a student must have been at their current rank to be considered for the next rank, but being a fourth kyu for six months and coming to six-months worth of classes are two totally different things. Hence, when some sponges - you know, the students who absorb movements and techniques quickly - seem to have a kata down but haven't been around consistently for a minute, the senseis go a few rounds on his/her testing eligibility (and yes, Sensei Felicia is usually the one arguing for NOT moving them on - meanie!). It's a good thing we only do this twice a year...

Another problem is the question of where to put everyone. Our space is tiny and the overflow is tough to manage for the students and their parents, much less the karate folks there to support and grade. We might have to staple some chairs to the ceiling...

We've got less than a month to go. Have you been training?