Missed Opportunity

I ended up missing Monday's class since I had to go back to the East Coast and do some family business for a long weekend.  The frustrating thing is that once I'm going regularly to class, breaking the pattern by just one class seems to throw me out of kilter. 

For instance on Monday I missed an introduction to European blocking.  This is a two person exercise in which there is a sequence of five moves ended with a throw.  Since I missed Monday I had to start out pretty slow and never made it past the forth exchange.  My partner, Sarah, was a pistol and loves to move fast and hard.  I find her precision and strength a welcome respite from the less aggressive/assertive folks in the class.  I can't wait for her to move up the chain in testing to where she obviously belongs. 

Sequences:

• left jab, right reverse punch, right front kick
• right back fist, left punch, left round house kick
• left jab, right reverse punch
• right coquette block low, punch, side kick (can't quite remember this one)

This was the last class before the big trip to the test in Yakima.  I gather this gather this occurs three times a year and folks travel in from all over the country.  It's a big deal because the amount of time before you are even eligible is measured in years.  So the best bet is to start young!  Ha!

I gather there is also protocol issues.  If your direct teacher is, say, a forth degree and you are eligible to test at the same level some folks will not test because they don't want to insult their teacher.  My best guess is that most of the teachers could care less, but what are going to do?  It ends up forcing the teacher to take their next level exam.  Yuck.  I guess the wife of the head guy has been stuck doing this off and on over the years.  I think she might be in her 50s and has a 6th degree.  Grueling at any age. 

I've got too much going on to go to the test.  This breaks my heart a bit, but we have guests coming in and I'm way behind on work at the house.  There is going to be a lot of hustle with little rest so I'm out of luck.  Maybe in years to come I can either go and watch or actually test in my adopted style.  Sensei hasn't mentioned it, but I don't think he talks about it much and I am, after all, the odd man out.

While I was out on family visit I had to go off the diet a bit, but I was relieved to be still at 195 this morning!  I feel wispy and thin, but my pants fit great.  Alternatively, I'm having nightly cramps in my calves.  Nothing severe, but just enough to wake me up and make move my feet in a way to relieve the pain and then fall back asleep.  The regularity makes me feel like I'm missing something in my diet or something.