Lesson in Patience

Well, I had my test, or rather, my test had me. I went into class with a lot of confidence and mentally prepared, but throughout the class, I felt my concentration start to waver.

I did ok, but felt my form was a little sloppy and I wasn't as focused as I'd like to have been. The test was held at the end of class and while that gave me a chance to practice the forms a bit more, I don't think it helped me mentally. I tried to maintain my focus for a full hour before the test, but that just made it so I couldn't focus during the test.

My kamae (stance) didn't feel strong, and when I did my zenpo kaiten ukemi (forward rolls), I kept drifting off center. This kind of got into my head and I felt awkward for the rest of the test. I was able to relax a bit for the kihon waza (basic techniques) and felt I did alright on that section.

Results on Tuesday...

Next time I have a test, I need to remember not to psych myself up so much and wait until just before the test to sharpen my focus. As long as I put in the training to learn the forms, I can just relax and let my body move naturally, leaving my mind to focus on breathing and mantaining a strong kamae.