Member

December 16, 2009 07:09

Tonight I'm grading to my Adv Brown belt (1st Kyu) - looking forward to it. Black Belt is getting closer now!

Yesterday the BBMA newsletter came out with some dates for 2010 - so now I can start focusing!

28th February - Sydney All Styles (run by the AKF) tournament.
8th March is the first of the 'fitness tests' for Brown Belts who are looking to go to their black.
18th-19th June is the Black Belt test weekend - this is my main goal!
18th September - BBMA Intramural Tournament. This years was a great, fun event. I'll be going in more of the open events this time around!

Time to start setting the goals for 2010 and working towards them!

Oh and btw, if anyone wants to come along to BBMA and check it out, in January they have some free training for friends (15th, 22nd, 29th at 6:30pm). I think it's more of a fitness class rather than a normal syllabus class, but might still be fun.

Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy

Member

December 21, 2009 09:37

Late good luck on your grading, sir! How did you do?

When the student is ready, the master will appear

Member

December 21, 2009 10:22

Thanks, all good! 1st Kyu now.

6 months until my black belt grading!

Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy

Member

December 22, 2009 16:57

Congrats Mike.

Pencak Silat
Hapkido
Gongkwon Yusul

Member

December 23, 2009 00:03

Well done Mike. This is a naive thing (and I'm sure you'll tell us anyway xD) but could you tell me how it feels to get your shodan? I'm one of the many people who grew up thinking "Wow, black belt, ultimate goal, mastery of martial arts!" etc, and even though intellectually I know that isn't true in my heart I still feel like I'm nothing in martial arts terms*.

*A guy at ninjutsu who went to Japan a 2nd kyu and returned a nidan told a friend not to get too worked up, "I'm still just a tadpole in the martial arts pond." My friend asked him "If you're 2nd Dan and just a tadpole, what does that make us?" He shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Spawn?"

Good luck for then though ;;

When the student is ready, the master will appear

Member

December 23, 2009 07:15

Thanks guys

Panda - you can be sure i'll tell you all about it I'll be going for my Shodan Ho in June, and confirming (Shodan) in December.

Shodan Ho is definitely a goal, but it's just one step on a longer journey I hope. I think a lot of schools would have a problem where people get their black belt, and then leave, never to be seen again. I guess they think they've achieved what they wanted to and then stop training.

I know BBMA have done a lot of work in the last 12 months or so trying to work with the brown belts and new black belts to set new goals for them - to set goals beyond Shodan Ho or Shodan, and looking further into the future. eg: Going for Nidan (2nd Dan), so that they stay with the school and the Kyu grade students see the black belts sticking around and continuing their training.

Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy

Member

December 23, 2009 07:27

I feel bad for teachers who have that happen (people leaving as soon as they have their shodan.) I feel that my main class is all about spirit and actually learning how to fight (it's taught by a man who's been training for 35 years, since he was 5, and used to work on the doors, and has studied with the likes of Geoff Thompson and I think Peter Consterdine, he knows how to scrap), so I feel by the time I get to shodan it will matter so much less than it does now (as I expect is always the way.) Anyway, hijacking your thread a bit, congrats again *runs away*

When the student is ready, the master will appear

Member

December 24, 2009 23:30

Hey mike, what is the Sydney all styles event about? Run by the alf sound promising

Member

December 26, 2009 07:44

Hi Matt

It's the AKF "all styles" event: http://www.akf-nsw.com/index.php?fuseaction=tournaments.allforms

The 2009 form is still linked there but they may update it soon.

Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy