Roll on for the third!

Whoa! What a weekend it’s been. First off, our little gang all successfully passed their second dan gradings. Two years of training was finally over and you could see the relief on everyone’s faces. We all now get to add a second stripe to our belts and walk a little taller today. For some reason I had it in my mind that second dan would be less tough than the first dan. Don’t be fooled. It was tough. By the second mat my gi was soaked in sweat and I was starting to hit the wall – the place where strange anarchic thoughts take over your head and threaten to jeopardise your carefully laid plans. I certainly was not going to give up then so I resolved to hit harder, throw faster and kick stronger – the horrendous bruises on my poor uke are testament to that! She clearly also thought the same and my wreck of a body is barely functioning enough to type this blog.
Lock after throw after choke after kick, the grading wore on and I was hardly able to catch my breathe when it was time for my favourite bit – modules – the bit where I get to show off the Meerkat skills like no other. After a shaky start, I soon got everyone’s attention with my jumping flying (yes Meerkats can fly) knee stamp – a real crowd pleaser and one that got many positive comments later in the day.
Then, it was all over, not with a bang, more with a whimper as my shattered body was then ordered to help clear away the mats. A nice certificate, some photos and lots of beaming faces, we all trundled off home to prepare for the gala dinner and dance in the evening.
It’s nice to know that we all did well. I got a real sense of camaraderie this time because a lot of my fellow training pals were grading at the same time. Quite a few seriously senior senseis complimented me on my techniques and mentioned how close I was to receiving a credited honour in my marks. I’m not fussed, just passing is good enough. At this level, you are not competing with anyone, you do these advanced grades more as a challenge to yourself, rather than any other reason.
There’s more happening this week with the club party and works party and loads more, but right now, my crippled fingers need a rest.