Posts Tagged ‘Break’
Well we are almost there. The Black Belt candidates have been training for weeks now. This is there last week. All their training must come together this Saturday in one impressive demonstration. Keri Myers of Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs Colorado will be among them. The First of our students to test for black belt.
Keri has over come push ups. Achieving her 25 only a couple of weeks ago. She has turned 45 minutes of kihon into a 17 minute work out. And she has cranked out perhaps hundreds of katas. Sbe has even sustained an injury (though not karate related) that she must now overcome.
But that is all part of preparing to become a black belt. It does not matter how long you have trained. It does not matter how many dues you have payed. No one is awarded a black belt with out earning it.
Saturday is it. Friday they will all take a one hour written test. Then at noon Saturday the physical display of their skills will begin. Kihon, then crunches and push ups and right into kata. An hour and a half into it they may be able to get their first drink of water. Just a few sips and then back on the mat for another kata. Self defenses, One steps, and sticks. Then comes the sparring exam. This is it. This is were they will make or break, and a host of black belts will be there more them willing to break them.
If they do not break, 13 minutes later a black belt emerges. Beaten, worn out, drenched in sweat, and victorious. Ah yes VICTORIOUS!
My students are all invited. The Brown Belts to the test. And everyone else to the Black Belt Ceremony at 6:00. You won’t want to miss it. It is very inspiring. You will find yourself looking forward to the day when you can stand in the circle of black belts. I too will look forward to the day for you.
See you there.
Sincerely,
Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the finest training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs martial arts: http://www.wardsfamilykarate.com/colorado-springs-martial-arts/
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com
Keri Myers our highest ranking student is starting her journey to black belt today. Of course that journey began for all of you when you tied on your white belt. But this is a little bit of a different journey. Keri has completed all of her requirements for black belt. But at this stage she is still the unrefined iron that will be turned into the forged and tempered steel of the katana sword.
Though she knows all of the required material she must be hardened through much pressure. Worked over and over by the fire and hammer. Literally, gallons of sweat must be produced before she will be ready.
After she has been hardened she must still be refined. Like that fine blade she much be honed to a sharp edge. She will learn to strike with precision, to fly through the air like the singing blade of the sword, and she will hit with the force of the guillotine.
Now that is a deadly combination. And that is what it will take to become a black belt. It doesn’t sound easy does it. It isn’t! This is an achievement where few try and even fewer succeed.
Not only is it a test of the body and the mind, but perhaps most important it is a test of the spirit. If the body does not brake and the mind does not fail then the spirit will be put to the test. In her last test we will try to break her spirit and it is not until this last test that we will see a black belt emerge.
There is actually a moment in their eyes where you see it happen. That moment of utter despair when they decide I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! That’s it, that is the moment they become a black belt. If it were magically possible we would see a brown belt turn black before our eyes. In a way we do.
Keri is beginning five grueling weeks of training. On March 20th we will see if she has what it takes to become a black belt. Keri not only takes this test for herself, but she will be representing Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She will bear an even greater burden to become the first black belt of Ward’s Family Karate. She will hold the honor of becoming the first black belt in the linage of Ward Sensei that will lead back to Master Funakoshi and even back to Sakagawa.
Keri will be spending most if not all of her time training with the other 12 candidates. So we will not see her around our dojo. So pray for her, give here a call, send her a card. She will need all the encouragement that she can get as she make this very difficult journey.
I will be working with Keri and the other candidates on Saturdays. So I will keep you posted on her progress.
So Keri when the going gets tough “Drop and give me 25 push ups”.
Have a look at Keri’s pretest in this video.
Other videos of the pretest can be seen on my YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/SenseiWard
Photos are also available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34172288@N05/
Sincerely,
Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the finest training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs martial arts: http://www.wardsfamilykarate.com/colorado-springs-martial-arts/
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com