Pre-rank test photo on December 6, 2015
Togisala Shorin Ryu had an awesome day for our belt promotions on December 6, 2015. I’m so proud of Team Togisala! My fellow students all showed so much heart and dedication. Sensei Butch pushed everyone very hard during the rank test but I know we made him proud. Oss!
Personally, I wanted to send an extra big Mahalo Nui Loa/Domo Arigato to our esteemed black belt panel. There were a total of twelve black belts on the review panel. We had a wide variety of martial arts styles represented, world champions, esteemed expert teachers, and, to my delight, three women. When I starters training, there was only one Black Belt who was a woman that taught us on a consistent basis. To have three women sitting on the panel, made me feel honored and humbled that day. I wanted to kick ass on my test and earn my rank.
But there were also Sensei on the panel who studied with Sensei Rabago. I felt a bit worried that my performance wouldn’t live up to Rabago Shorin Ryu standards. That was just my own insecurity and abnormally high performance standards. If one of them mentioned Sensei Rabago, I would have cried. At my core, I am a sentimental sap.
Another lesson from my training is that as an individual, I have power and control over my life if I stay focused and disciplined. In 2003, Sensei Rabago brought in boards for some of the students. The physical part of breaking boards isn’t difficult, what usually holds students back is over thinking it. The idea of breaking a solid board seems intimidating and perhaps challenging. In fact, all one needs to do is focus the power of the strike past the board.
When I asked why we didn’t break boards more often, Sensei Rabago said that boards don’t hit back. I giggled.
All of these lessons stay with me. And even though I don’t train to spar anymore, I use the ideas and principles of being disciplined and focused to spar during my belt test. Despite being physically tired, I knew that the fighting wouldn’t last multiple rounds like a UFC match. My experience has taught me that sparring during a belt test is more about heart than strength. I’m confident in my heart and passion for training. What I didn’t expect was to fight a brown belt from another dojo. Check it out below:
I wound up with some gorgeous bruises.
The best part of this test was having my little dojo brothers and sisters give me high fives after I sparred.
DiversityNerd 