InArts
Dec 31, 2010
Undergraduate / "my first-degree black belt" - MIT -- Most significant challenge [4]
Edited the ending:
It wasn't my plan. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have gone at all.
It's been three months since I got my first-degree black belt. Throughout my three years of training, I've miraculously avoided going to martial arts competitions. This time, however, I failed to intercept the flyer sent home to parents.
And so, on a cold Saturday morning, I got up at 5:00 and started packing for the two-hour drive to Hastings. Even though I was tired, I couldn't sleep a wink the entire time.
The place was big, divided into six rings. I was to spar a girl from Kearney in ring 4.
By the time I stepped onto the mat, the butterflies in my stomach had already propagated through several generations. I wasn't confident, I didn't expect to win. In fact, I was hoping I didn't lose by blackout (5 to 0). When the judge signaled to begin, training took over. It was a blur until the last 5 seconds, she was readying a slide side kick, so I spun for tornado kick. Time was called as soon as my feet touched the mat. I looked to the scoreboard.
I won, 5-4.
At around noon, I walked out of the gym with a second place trophy. I had lost only once that day. I had beaten six others. But, more importantly, I had beaten myself. Confidence comes from doing, and yeah, it gets easier.
Edited the ending:
It wasn't my plan. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have gone at all.
It's been three months since I got my first-degree black belt. Throughout my three years of training, I've miraculously avoided going to martial arts competitions. This time, however, I failed to intercept the flyer sent home to parents.
And so, on a cold Saturday morning, I got up at 5:00 and started packing for the two-hour drive to Hastings. Even though I was tired, I couldn't sleep a wink the entire time.
The place was big, divided into six rings. I was to spar a girl from Kearney in ring 4.
By the time I stepped onto the mat, the butterflies in my stomach had already propagated through several generations. I wasn't confident, I didn't expect to win. In fact, I was hoping I didn't lose by blackout (5 to 0). When the judge signaled to begin, training took over. It was a blur until the last 5 seconds, she was readying a slide side kick, so I spun for tornado kick. Time was called as soon as my feet touched the mat. I looked to the scoreboard.
I won, 5-4.
At around noon, I walked out of the gym with a second place trophy. I had lost only once that day. I had beaten six others. But, more importantly, I had beaten myself. Confidence comes from doing, and yeah, it gets easier.