To teach...to bum...to walk your beagle

This week will be very stressful. Although the worst is over academically, the worst is beginning for martial arts. The new aiki sheets (edition 5) is finished, and we are all plugging away at the new techniques. It's all become daito-ryu now. We must learn all the ikkajo techniques omote style for our next rank, then ura for the rank after that. On top of that, Head Honcho sensei wants our reishiki to be perfect. Every move is like a little kata now. I like the hanza handachi techniques, but the izori, I could live without. The only thing about moves like hanmi-nage is the serious rugburn on your knees, and the havoc on your hakama. Then, there is karate...*sigh*. The tournament is this Saturday, and I feel ill-prepared to win any placements. I am hoping there aren't a lot of people in the 18+ green-purple kata and weapons division. Statistics will be on my side if I am right, and then I can feel better. If there are few in kumite as well, I will sneak in there and steal a bronze like I did last year (hey, experience, you know?).

I am trying to get some sort attention from head sensei, but there are so many kids giving him crap. Not only that, more than half of them aren't going to the tournament (the only one we go on) and we have yet another influx of new students to deal with. And for some reason, when there is an odd number, I am the one who gets to teach them. Not that I mind, I guess, I like teaching- but what are the brown and blackbelts doing that aren't going to the tournament? Nothing. They get to wander around and cause more trouble. I don't think that's fair.

Last class, we ran over in aiki so I missed half of karate, then I was assigned for the other half to teach two student two different katas. I got to review my katas for 5 seconds before being called over at the end of class to perform them for head sensei. He gave me some thoughtful constructive criticism that left me with more questions than answers. What if I hadn't chosen to do the tournament? Would he not say anything about those katas and let me continue to do parts of them wrong?

I am looking toward the future of my martial arts this spring and summer. The little senseis are testing for junior ni-dan *roll eyes* and sho-dan in sword, even though the smaller one has yet to move to an adult-size sword. My doppleganger is testing for junior sho-dan, and will most likely follow the pattern of never being seen again. After that, it is anyone's game. The rest of the brownies don't even have their first stripe yet, and are far from it. Verizon Guy might actually catch them. I offered my help for reviewing katas. Even though I know all my stuff for my stripe, I am pessimistic that I will get it any time soon. I am looking at possible ni-dan, as my waiting period is up at the end of September, but with chiro. college looming around the corner, it's dubious. I have my eyes on a tournament in July where I can perform sword as part of the traditional weapons division. The entry is steep, so I'll have to save up, but I really wanna go. I'll have to ask head sensei.