# I did it! New Brown Belt!



## lkblair (Jul 20, 2007)

Woo Hoo!  I have been semi-dreading this day for a month now, and when I woke up this morning with sinus congestion so bad it felt like I had 2 cement blocks on my face, I almost flaked and didn't go.  But I decided that even if I failed, I'd have the experience under my belt for the next go round.  But I made it!  I didn't do well on my weapons self defense, but other than that I got high marks.  So now I'm home glowing with satisfaction and have ice on my shoulder (healing from a dislocation), with a brand spankin' new brown belt in my gear bag!  YeeHaw!

Lisa


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## Lynne (Jul 20, 2007)

Way to go, Lisa!  Congratulations.


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## MA-Caver (Jul 20, 2007)

:asian:*Congratulations Indeed! ​*


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## Shaderon (Jul 21, 2007)

Congrats!


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## stickarts (Jul 21, 2007)

congratulations!!


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## Tez3 (Jul 21, 2007)

Congratulations! Isn't it a great feeling! Bet you keep opening your bag to have a peek at it lol! Is it black next or do you have some more browns to do? I did Wado and there's three browns to get through. Well down, pat yurself on the uninjured shoulder! :asian:


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## Drac (Jul 21, 2007)

*Congrats...Well Done!!!!*


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 21, 2007)

Well done   :highfive:


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## lkblair (Jul 21, 2007)

Thank you, everyone, for the kudos.  It's a great feeling.  And yes, I keep looking at it. LOL  I have 2 more browns to get through before black, but this is first one was the big hurdle.  The next two are mostly about improving rather than learning new stuff, other than a new kata.

Lisa


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## Tez3 (Jul 21, 2007)

lkblair said:


> Thank you, everyone, for the kudos. It's a great feeling. And yes, I keep looking at it. LOL I have 2 more browns to get through before black, but this is first one was the big hurdle. The next two are mostly about improving rather than learning new stuff, other than a new kata.
> 
> Lisa


 
What style are you doing? Is the next kata Naihanchi by any chance?


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## terryl965 (Jul 21, 2007)

Excellent Job.


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## ArmorOfGod (Jul 21, 2007)

Very cool.

AoG


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## crushing (Jul 21, 2007)

Congratulations!


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## lkblair (Jul 21, 2007)

Tez3 said:


> What style are you doing? Is the next kata Naihanchi by any chance?



I am studying American Karate through the Austin Society of Karate (http://www.askmartialarts.com).  Our next kata is Chung Mu.  We also have to do 2 original katas before we get our black belts.  The black belt kata is Bassai Dai.

Lisa


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## twendkata71 (Jul 21, 2007)

Congradulations. Keep it up.:asian:


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## bluemtn (Jul 21, 2007)

*Way to go!* artyon:


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## stoneheart (Jul 22, 2007)

lkblair said:


> I am studying American Karate through the Austin Society of Karate (http://www.askmartialarts.com).  Our next kata is Chung Mu.  We also have to do 2 original katas before we get our black belts.  The black belt kata is Bassai Dai.
> 
> Lisa



Hmm, so you have kata from both Korean and Japanese/Okinawan systems.  Chung Mu is a Chang Hon form created by General Choi of ITF taekwondo fame.  Bassai is practiced in MANY, MANY different karate systems - I've seen about 6 distinct versions, and I'm sure there are more.  I'd wager the version you practice is probably the Shotokan one, however.

What's the rationale for an original kata anyway?  I think it's very difficult to come up with a meaningful one that has both a central theme and effective bunkai behind it.   Why reinvent the wheel, particularly before you make shodan?

Welcome to MT.  This is a fun place to relax and occasionally learn from.


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## lkblair (Jul 22, 2007)

stoneheart said:


> Hmm, so you have kata from both Korean and Japanese/Okinawan systems.  Chung Mu is a Chang Hon form created by General Choi of ITF taekwondo fame.  Bassai is practiced in MANY, MANY different karate systems - I've seen about 6 distinct versions, and I'm sure there are more.  I'd wager the version you practice is probably the Shotokan one, however.
> 
> What's the rationale for an original kata anyway?  I think it's very difficult to come up with a meaningful one that has both a central theme and effective bunkai behind it.   Why reinvent the wheel, particularly before you make shodan?
> 
> Welcome to MT.  This is a fun place to relax and occasionally learn from.



Yes, our system pulls quite a bit from TKD, as well as Shotokan.  Our other katas are H forms 1-4, which are very similar to basic TKD kata that I don't remember the name of, To San, Hein 4, Hwa Rang, and Tekki 1 (sorry about spelling errors).

I've not discussed the rationale with our director or my instructor, but I suspect that the purpose of the original kata is to force us to think outside of the prescribed kata - out of the box, so to speak.  Personally, I find that I get so focused on the particular kata that I am studying that I have a hard time seeing much else.  The exercise of creating my own kata, even if it ends up not being very good, is really helping me think through how it all fits together.  Geez, that was rambling; hope it makes a little sense.

Thanks for the welcome!


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## chinto (Jul 23, 2007)

lkblair said:


> Woo Hoo! I have been semi-dreading this day for a month now, and when I woke up this morning with sinus congestion so bad it felt like I had 2 cement blocks on my face, I almost flaked and didn't go. But I decided that even if I failed, I'd have the experience under my belt for the next go round. But I made it! I didn't do well on my weapons self defense, but other than that I got high marks. So now I'm home glowing with satisfaction and have ice on my shoulder (healing from a dislocation), with a brand spankin' new brown belt in my gear bag! YeeHaw!
> 
> Lisa


 

congradulations!  if it was like my brown belt test you left exosted and sore and ellaited all at once.


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## shesulsa (Jul 23, 2007)

Congrats!


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## agemechanic03 (Jul 23, 2007)

Congratulations on the new rank!!! I did Wado Ryu years ago when younger and enjoyed every second of it. Now I am studying Tang Soo Do and your black belt form is our Red belt form....Good Luck and Keep striving to push harder!!!


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## Jade Tigress (Jul 23, 2007)

Awesome! Congratulations! :asian:


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## chinto01 (Jul 23, 2007)

Congrats!!!!

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob


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## Catalyst (Jul 23, 2007)

Way To Go !!!
artyon:


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## Brandon Fisher (Jul 24, 2007)

Congratulations on your promotion


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## TheOriginalName (Jul 24, 2007)

CONGRATULATIONS!!

That type of courage is an inspiration to us at the lower levels!!


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## Carol (Jul 24, 2007)

FANTASTIC JOB!!!

Congratulations!!!


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## chinto (Jul 25, 2007)

lkblair said:


> Woo Hoo! I have been semi-dreading this day for a month now, and when I woke up this morning with sinus congestion so bad it felt like I had 2 cement blocks on my face, I almost flaked and didn't go. But I decided that even if I failed, I'd have the experience under my belt for the next go round. But I made it! I didn't do well on my weapons self defense, but other than that I got high marks. So now I'm home glowing with satisfaction and have ice on my shoulder (healing from a dislocation), with a brand spankin' new brown belt in my gear bag! YeeHaw!
> 
> Lisa


I gota ask.. you still sore from testing??  I was sore for at least a week as I remember.. the spirit training part was just plain rugged!


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## lkblair (Jul 25, 2007)

chinto said:


> I gota ask.. you still sore from testing??  I was sore for at least a week as I remember.. the spirit training part was just plain rugged!



Today is the first day that I climbed out of bed without hobbling due to my sore legs.  I'm actually still tight, but it's not too bad now.  I had physical therapy yesterday, though, and my therapist really helped me relax my muscles (and worked on my sinuses, too - what a blessing!).


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## chinto (Jul 26, 2007)

lkblair said:


> Today is the first day that I climbed out of bed without hobbling due to my sore legs. I'm actually still tight, but it's not too bad now. I had physical therapy yesterday, though, and my therapist really helped me relax my muscles (and worked on my sinuses, too - what a blessing!).


 

cool.  ya it seemed like I was at least a little sore for a long time after I tested.  little stiffness and soreness that just took a while to go away. but I think it was about 2 months till I looked at that belt and it felt like it was really mine.  brown is a really big step up in rank and in responsibility.


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## Ping898 (Jul 27, 2007)

Congratz on the new belt!!!! 
Glad to hear you are recovering some too!


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## NDNgirl4ever (Jul 27, 2007)

Way to go!


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## kingkong89 (Aug 4, 2007)

congrats, keep it up but dont forget the purpose of your studies and that you have one more plato to go. again congrats futre black belt


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## chinto (Aug 5, 2007)

kingkong89 said:


> congrats, keep it up but dont forget the purpose of your studies and that you have one more plato to go. again congrats futre black belt


..

... Ehh I would reather say "once again congradulations, and you have yet to make dan rank.  but remember that once you do make Dan rank, all you do is start over again."  ( well at least in the system I train in you have all the kata in the system for empty hand and several weapons kata by the time you are asked to test for shodan-ho.)


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