YELLOW BELT

This afternoon, I tested for my first belt rank advancement in Shotokan Karate. I passed! Now I take what I have learned so far as a white belt karateka and build upon it as I wear my newly earned yellow belt (and the rank of 8th kyu).

In the dojo to which I belong, for each belt rank advancement, we have to earn eight stripes—techniques (kihon), knowledge, kata (forms), drills, versatility (weapons), kumite (sparring), self-defense, and momentum. For techniques, I had to know three basic stances and three basic blocks. For knowledge, I had to know how to properly tie my obi (belt), the meaning of basic terms related to starting class (yoi, kiotsuke, rei, yame), and how and why we bow into (and out of) the dojo. The kata I needed to learn was Taikyoku Shodan. The drill set was an offense-and-defense combination performed with a partner—an upper strike to the head on offense countered by a rising block on defense. The weapon I needed to know about and how to use was the yawara stick (also known as a kubotan). I had to know a simple sparring combo—a backhanded strike to the temple immediately followed by a lunge punch to the solar plexus. I had to know a series of five ways to break free of a wrist grab for self-defense. Finally, I had to perform a squatting backward fall for momentum.

Some of these came easy to me. For instance, I quickly earned the knowledge, self-defense, and momentum stripes. Some stripes were more challenging. I struggled to learn the choreography of the kata. I had to slowly learn the components, thinking through them carefully, and then likewise learn to not think about the moves. I found shuto uke (knife hand block) confounded me for the longest time. In fact, it still does a bit.

I have found karate classes to be something that I look forward to attending each week. I enjoy the physicality and the exercise. I am tolerating the camaraderie. I get the chance to challenge both my mind and body, and then figure out how to use them together to work through the "puzzles" of this martial art.

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I only have 80 more stripes to earn (10 more belt ranks to earn, since two of the kyu share belts) before achieving my first dan black belt. (Then there are nine more dan levels of black belts that follow!) 

This yellow belt is a baby step in my martial arts journey, but I'm not focused too far into the future. I've chosen to live in the now and enjoy what I'm doing.