So tired...bork.

I've been recovering from starting a new job these past couple weeks, and nothing much has gone on. I've been working on my new sword kata and painting my sword case. It should (in theory) look pretty nice. I'm really tired though and my asthma is starting to creep back into my class routine. Last aiki class I thought I was going to have an attack. I'd like to go to the doctor but right now I have neither the time nor the money. I hope something happens soon so I can concentrate on something else- a new kata or something. My dog is driving me crazy. He loves to wake me up at night now that I have a day job. Bork! I have class tomorrow, and if I hear that again, I'm gonna take him to class to be an uke. That is an appropriate job for a dog named Bucket, after all.

That rubber-necker who watches class through the window

I had a rewarding and perhap roughest week of martial arts so far. I got promoted to ni-kyu in my iai class. It was unexpected for me, though I thought I was probably close. I'm happy, though a bit nervous as the next test for i-kyu is the last one before sho-dan. I feel knowledgeable, maybe moreso than some of my fellow students, but I feel also like a little kid sometimes. I enjoy the challenge of a new rank. Now, if I can only get the people around my rank to show up for class. I had a rough aiki week. On wednesday some chick showed up taking pictures for the paper and if there's one thing I hate most, it's probably a camera in my face. I was so pissed off at the presence of the camera that I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. I think the only pics she took of me was when sensei had to help me out with a technique. Blah, cameras. Anyways, at the end of class one of my sensei asked if there was anyone who wanted to go to the hombu the next evening for aiki class. I'd never been there, and since I didn't have anything to do, I went with him. From the time he picked me up, I learned new things- even how to get out of a ticket in a particular county. I got there, and it was packed. A lot of sensei go to class at the hombu, and I felt quite out of place. The closest to me in rank was a purple belt. Hnashi taught the class- he was really patient, and he helped me out a lot. I paired up with a brown belt in karate who seemed a little lost too, so that helped a bit. My ego, if I had any, was completely smashed during this class.There was one point where we lined up and did throws- since I was only a white belt, I felt kinda stupid, and I didn't know what to do. They told me "Do what you know" so we worked on o-uchi gari. I had a lot more trouble doing in on the senseis than I ever had in class. It was like hitting a brick wall. I learned I really have to work on off-balancing more, something they work at the hombu a lot, apparently. I learned a lot, but at the same time, I felt insecure. I shouldn't expect much being a white belt, I guess, but even so. I think when I actually do earn my blue belt, it'll be worth more than any black belt I ever get. Being dyslexic, asthmatic, and built like a stick doesn't do much for my ego in this art. Because of that I think I wanna earn this belt more than any other. Maybe even more than than elusive karate green belt. I went back to aiki on saturday and my senseis asked how I did. The sensei I went with told them all I did great job and that I was getting picked on all class (which I was)- apparently that's a compliment. Hanshi kept saying stuff like, "Where is she from? Does she have a note?" Head sensi laughed and said if Hanshi asked about me he'd deny alll knowledge of me by saying, "Who? Wait, you mean that red-headed kid who watches class through the window?"