done, and beginning

I'm tired, I'm hot, I'm sweaty. And I'm a nidan.

My body is fatigued, but not broken or aching; because we were genuinely prepared for this test. It should go without saying, but make no mistake that being well-prepared for something makes it a lot easier to accomplish. Not to say it was easy, far from it. But we hit it head-on.

Deb & I were actually supposed to do this test 6 months ago. Her shoulder disagreed, and decided we'd wait a cycle. That turned out very well: we had such an amazing group, i can't imagine having tested with anyone else now.

After our own test, we watched & judged the shodan (first-degree black belt) candidates, including participating in their sparring exam. I think that at thirty-eight years old, having finished my own exhausting test, and still being able to spar several rounds...well, who cares if i've got some belly fat to work on? I am wearing the bad-ass badge for now.

There's something of a let-down that happens after big events like this. Something you've been devoting so much time, energy, sweat, and focus to, and suddenly you're done. I am looking forward to having some time back for other things -- hockey, biking, working the yard, not dragging the kids to the dojo 3 hours every day -- but i'm also sure i'm going to miss the feeling of being in a group with a singular goal.

At the same time, I'm so very much looking forward to my first nidan class, and many more. For a long time, I had lost a lot of my inspiration in karate; I've just fought a long, hard battle to get that back, and it's back with a vengeance. It's a fresh start in a way, and I cannot wait to get started.