A funny thing happened to me on the way to the orange belt …

So the way things in our dojo works is that (a) testing is done every other month (generally the third week of an odd-numbered month), and (b) at lower belt levels you need to train in class at least three months.  Which means (for those doing the math) that you’ll actually end up training at a belt level for four months.

The semi-unwritten rule, though, is that testing is at the discretion of Sensei.  You only test if he thinks you’re ready — in some ways, then, the test is the confirmation of what Sensei has already accepted.

The last few months, Sensei has been grumbling a bit about entitlement — mostly, though not exclusively, amongst the kid classes (and there mostly amongst the parents).  I.e., “Little Johnny has been in your class for four months now, so he’s entitled to test.” “But he’s not ready to test.” “Well, then, that’s your fault, he’s entitled to test and get his next belt.”

This is definitely not the tack to take with Sensei.

You may or may not see where this is going.  If not, I’ll end the suspense.  Though my three (four) months as a yellow belt would qualify me to test for orange next week, Sensei told me this evening that, no, I’m not ready to test.

I am, of course, disappointed — but more in myself than in feeling like I’ve been gypped or something.  I don’t know that I’m ready, and I have enough hints that I’m not to be more than willing to accept Sensei‘s judgment.  I’ve had the sense that he’s been watching me particularly for the past couple of weeks, so it’s not a whim on his part (nor is he the type to operate on a whim).  So if he says I’m not ready, considering both my respect for his abilities and my own awareness of my problems with various things, I bow and resolve to do better by next time.

Which, coincidentally, will be (chronologically) when Katherine would be qualified to test.  And it may be that the best lesson here will be for her — if Daddy didn’t get a pass into testing, then she (if she follows the logic) really needs to crack down a bit more at the practice.  Which practice is actually something we’ve been doing together of late, which has been kind of cool.

Karate is an interesting thing, really unlike anything else in my current activity portfolio.  Most of the things I do I’m pretty good at, by training or talent or both, and the things I’m not I tend to shy away from.  By getting involved in something like karate, which depends on talents I’m not graced with (coordination chief among them), and by doing it in the context of a regular class where my attendance is expected and I hold the teacher in respect, I have set myself up to — well, not fail, but certainly be challenged in ways utterly unlike anything else I’m involved in.

As I said the other day, karate teaches many things, and humility is definitely high on the list.

And, in turn, determination to continue to improve — to (as the dojo kun has it, among other things) seek perfection of character, be faithful, and endeavor.

If it were easy, anyone could do it.