So its been a while since my last post, exams and everything have sort of gotten in the way.

Its been two weeks since my black belt test and it already seems like it was a while ago.  My belt came in on Thursday, I picked it up Friday! (Picture will come soon) Things are already starting to change at the school.  More and more leadership responsibilities, a more casual relationship with my mentors, and a new form already!  I'm looking forward to the new techniques that are coming my way as I enter first degree status.

As for my honors experience (which is why I'm writing this blog), the original deadline for my reflection was the 14th, which was only 3 days after my test.  However, if I'm really going to write a reflection of a leadership project, I'm going to need to experience my new leadership position first.  So instead, I'm going to be submitting for the June 16th deadline, and I can tie in my new role.  I'm already happy I've made this decision, because in the past two weeks I've gotten much more to talk about in my reflection!

The reflection will most likely be a combination/summary of all of my blog entries, so I'm going to keep blogging to keep my thoughts in order as I start writing the essay itself!

Before: 

After:

Success!

Last night was my test, I was going to do a before/after blog to get a better view but that didn't pan out, so this is going to be my after view.

I got to the test on time, but told my parents to get there late because black belts typically test last, but at 7 he decided that all the black belts were going to go first, so I had to raise my hand like a first grader and say that my parents weren't there yet.  So that was fun.  But Master Kim decided to do half the test then and half at the end, because he wanted to demonstrate us for the lower belts.  We did forms and step sparring, which is what the lower belts could relate more to.

In other news, I broke the brick, so that's pretty exciting!  It's in two pieces on my floor right now, will upload a picture soon.  My hand's not in bad shape either, a little bruise but no pain after the first minute, which is pretty impressive.  Now that know that I can do it I really want to do it again.  I'm looking for more things to break. It's really fun haha.

I think I'm going to keep this blog up even, even after my experience is over, because it's a good way to keep my thoughts in order.  We'll see how well that works, but I really like being able to reflect like this.

Test is over, black belt is ordered, and soon I'll be official and teaching, cant wait!

 Half Brick (for hand toughening and technique practice)

THE brick (one I'm breaking friday)
figured I'd need a before and after photo

Flying side kick from a few weeks back!

So, I guess now is a good a time as any to talk about the brick.

Last night I got the brick that I'm going to break on Friday.  I practiced with Catanzaro for a while after class, forms, knife, rolls, anything he could throw at me I wanted to know I could do.  Then we did a couple brick techniques on the sandbag for practice, and I walked out of the school with the brick.  Its sitting next to me now, I kind of want to psych it out or something. "You're going down brick".  My roommate says I should draw a face on it.

The reason I keep obsessing over this I think is that I'm feeling pretty good about the rest of the test. This is of course roughly 5 years in the making (my fault) and so I'm pretty solid on most of my knowledge, and forms, and I've got enough take-downs to feel confident.  The only thing that's unknown, the only thing I haven't done, is the brick.  I know I can do it.  My hand is going to destroy that brick.  Its just that I need something to obsess over, so that defaults to the thing I've never done before.

The idea behind breaking the brick is all physics, which works well for me as a Mech major.  Instead of just being a normal strike, you move your entire body an extreme amount, do a "windmill" motion with your arms, then drop your hips and tighten up just as you hit, concentrating all of your arm speed onto the knife edge of your hand, coupled with a twist motion of your other hand and a loud kiyap (yell), the brick should be blown apart.  I definitely weigh enough, I'm definitely fast enough, I'm definitely strong enough, and I definitely have the technique.  It really is just the fact that its all I'm worrying about.

This week in general has gotten hectic, I've got two co-op interviews, new position in my engineering group, and then black belt. Gonna be a good week!

Last night was black belt class at the main school, which happens on the first friday of each month.  It's one of the opportunities for me to learn from Grandmaster Kim, and it's usually a very good experience.  We spent about 15 minutes of warm ups doing kicking drills, then advanced 20 basics, then we spent about half an hour doing impact drills, which is when we practice getting punched in the stomach and kicked in the sides. Fun time.  So I'm still sore from that.  My sparring partner during the class had lots of good advice too, and I felt like learned a lot.
In other news, I'm confirmed to lead class on Monday, so I'm going to think ahead about what I want to do for the class, and then also for second class because I've never had to lead that.  Mondays are usually small though so its okay and I should definitely be able to handle.  Its nice to feel like I'm taking a real leadership role in the school.
Since this is my last week before my test, I plan to attend class 2 or 3 times (maybe not a full class because it doesn't fit in my schedule, but after is a good idea).  What still worries me is the brick, that's the biggest hill to climb for me so far. Still going to blog about that soon!

This past Monday, the instructor who usually teaches was unable to make it to class on time because of car troubles and problems at work, and since I'm the only other black belt who can make it on Mondays, it was my responsibility to lead class until Mr. Banzhaf arrived!  Its not the first time I've done this, occasionally the black belts have me lead for a day while they observe the students closer and my leadership skills.  But, this is one of the first times that I've lead for nearly a full class without "backup", and it was a nice taste of what I have to look forward to after my black belt test!  The class itself was small, only 7 students, and that let me study watch each student closer, and correct technique.  There was also a new white belt, who's has about 2 weeks of experience, but is very young.  I had to pay special attention to him during the first class (6-7pm) before Banzhaf arrived around 640.  This was an interesting balance, having to watch the entire class and keep authority, while also helping this one student individually.  I feel like I am actively learning how to lead the class, and it feels good!

Next week Mr. Banzhaf's schedule is most likely going to be similar, so I'm also going to be leading then.  Even though this is good experience, with only 9 days until my test, I'm feeling the pressure, and kind of want to be a student again, at least for this week, where I want to be sure that I know everything I need to.  Maybe that'll be my next blog, what I need to know for black belt test: EVERYTHING. This brick is also beginning to look more and more intimidating. I've been hand toughening more and more recently, until I actually hurt my hand and took a break, but now I'm rolling back into it. A lot of it is mental, and I'll probably do a before/after blog on what the brick feels like.  Because right now, it feels scary. 

That seems like a good ending note!

I missed black belt class last night because I had relay for life, but I figured that would give me opportunity to talk about my at-college routine!  Its a much different feeling practicing Taekwondo outside the Do Chang.  Where we usually have direction and structure, trying to keep yourself disciplined to do your best technique with no one watching.  It teaches a different type of self control, different to the physical control we learn over our bodies at class; much more of a mental self control.

My usual work out starts with stretches, which I do the same way as at a normal class: starting with neck, then arms, working down to my legs and ankles. A lot of times I'll do this work out on the blacktop outside of my dorm, where I don't feel like I'm going to be getting many weird stares, especially when I'm doing my stretches.  Being able to do about 90% splits can exhibit some concerned looks.  After that, I run through my 12 forms without pause in between, to raise my heartrate and get my body moving.  This is less about technique as it is a warm up.  Then, I'll do kicks for the length of the basketball court, with some hand motions thrown in.

After this I start my technique practice, where I'll run through my take down techniques and step sparring motions.  These are just the basic "mock fights".  I also take this time to run through my forms again, usually my 5 highest, striving for perfect technique.  This is the part that most involves the self-discipline I mentioned before.  I usually end my workout with jump drills and jump kicks in an effort to improve my leg strength.  Working on building up for a 540degree kick, which is a spin and jump kick, where you land with the leg you kick with, making it a difficult technique to master, but it gives me a good goal to work for.

That about sums up today's entry!

Our black belt family!

This is my first actual blog entry about class, so I’m not really sure how it’s about to work.  I guess I’ll start with a quick summary of how class usually works:

When you first arrive at the school, you enter, bow to the black belts, take off your shoes, then enter the “do chang”, bowing when you cross over onto the mat.  This is meant as a sign of respect to the art, countries, and elder members of your school. Very exciting I know.  Roughly a month ago, I received a key to the school, meaning I could go train whenever I would like.  I’ve been going up ~15-30 minutes before class for the past couple weeks just so I can practice by myself, because during class time I’m usually helping to teach lower belts or lead the class as a whole.  It’s a weird feeling, because for the past nearly 10 years I’ve always been one of the people learning, and now that I have the key, I feel much more like a part of the teaching structure than I thought I would.

                Class begins around 6; we bow to the flags, bow to the instructor, and then begin warm-ups.  After 10-15 minutes, we do basic motion practice, which is essentially the foundation we use to do forms, sparring, and advanced motions.  One of Grandmaster Kim’s favorite speeches to give is about how without a solid foundation, it’s impossible to build high without collapsing.  If I have a leadership role on that particular day, I’ll either lead the class in 20 basics, or take a new student to the back to help them understand the fundamentals of punching, kicking, and blocking.  After this, we do forms, which are a series of motions meant to simulate a mock-fight (with no opponents), and are meant to demonstrate the basic and advanced motions in context.

                Springtime is usually a busy time of year for new students, and this year has been no exception.  My branch school has had 4 new white belts in the past 4 weeks, and as a temporary black belt, it is occasionally my responsibility to teach them 20 basic motions, their first form, and 5 sparring techniques so they can test and start seeing progress, which is important for a lot of people.

                That's a basic summary of what I do for each class! Hopefully after this setup, I can start being more specific with what I do.

The Story So Far

This is just going to be a quick overview of my history with Taekwondo.  I started when I was 7 with my best friend, both of us desperately wanting to be ninjas.  At that age, the strong ideals of discipline and self-control are harder to absorb, but being in that position, surrounded by these ideas, definitely shaped who I am today.  I had my temporary black belt when I was 10, but after that found it hard to progress.  Looking back now, I definitely think I wasn't mature enough to take the step towards a full black belt, and to accept the responsibilities that came with it.  By the time I was 12, my interests had changed, and I took a two month break that lasted four years.

My junior year of high school, however, I felt like I was missing something in my life, and I went back to the same school I had attended five years before.  I quickly re-joined, and spent a year and a half retraining to the point I was at before my break, and since then have been learning a lot!

I'm scheduled to test for black belt on May 11th, 2012, finally taking that last step! That is, the last step before I start my journey through all the levels of black belt.  Contrary to popular  belief, the black belt is not the end of martial arts; actually, it's where stuff starts to get good!

This blog is going to be my way of keeping track of my progress over my last month of training and spreading knowledge of Taekwondo!  Looking forward to this, not something I'm used to but I think it will be fun. That about sums up this entry!