End of Year

I passed my grading OK & am now having a break.

Next year I should achieve my 1st Dan. My back feels good, I've been swimming in the ocean.

Looking forward to the new year. OSU.

Another One Down

Well, another grading down, another one next month.

Everything went as per normal. The steps are pretty straight forward, I find.
There's no great surprises. My back feeling it today but.

I guess I can take it easy now and check in with the physio next week.

The dojo will be closing over the Christmas break anyway. Hopefully by next year I will be fully recovered and ready for a new year. OSU.

Shinsa Time

I've been training well and I will grade tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll do well, I don't have many techniques to do. Just yonkajo from shomen, yokumen & katate-mochi. Also, irimi-nage from katate-mochi, kata-mochi, shomen, yokumen.

That's about it. Not too much. Tomorrow awaits. OSU.

Hot & Bothered

The heat has returned, summer has arrived.

All of last week it rained and the summer coolness was wonderful. But now, the clouds are gone and the sun is back. You can feel all the water evaporating out of the ground.

Yesterday at training I was soaked with sweat. The humidity feels as if it saps your strength as your muscles turn to jelly. It's good to be back. OSU.

Physio & Shinsa

They're two words that don't normally go together, but in my case they do.

I'm recovering from my back injury well and I'm training for the next shinsa. The grading will be on 18 December 2004. That gives me plenty of time to prepare.

I don't feel any pain now and next week will probably be my last appointment.

After this grading the dojo will have a break over the Christmas period.

I'm looking forward to next year, a new beginning and new goals. OSU.

It's That Time Again

Shinsa training already.

This will be the last one for the year. It's a sogo, so we have 2 weeks to train. I'm going to need it, I've lost so much training lately due to work & injury. It will be good to get back into into it. OSU.