Calculated Risks...and a throwback.

This past weekend I performed a kata that wasn't ready yet. I have been working it for a while, and while it is loads better than it has been, it still has far to go. I performed it because I haven't been winning with the kata I normally do, and I thought what the heck, worst thing that can happen is I don't win, and that's already happening. I ended up with second place in the division, but one judge gave me the 9.99. I always want to win, and while I didn't win the division, it was a win.

I have gone back and reviewed the video several times, which I generally hate doing, lol. I have always hated hearing myself or watching myself, so video review is usually one of my least favorite things. However it is helpful in the pursuit of getting better, so if there is video of me, I watch it, however painful it feels.

Watching my video of Suparimpei I could see what was better than it had been, what still needs work, and some stupid mistakes that came down to nerves of running a kata I'm not comfortable with. A couple days later, Facebook sent me the daily "here is what you were doing on this day..." and it was a video of me doing a form from four years ago. And it doesn't even look like the same person. Now that video, that was hard to watch, lol. Oh it was soo bad. I cringed so many times watching that video. It made watching my most recent video a lot easier.

It also reminded me, that despite my current struggles at not winning my forms division, I am improving, even if sometimes it feels like little by little. Because this past weekend me would kick the snot out of 4 years ago me. It's about being better than you were yesterday; constant improvement.

And so for your viewing pleasure, the kata Gojushiho from 2015.

UPDATE - Several people have said the embed video isn't working, so if you don't see a video you can head to this link to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1yWev28zL8&list=PLF1gUmUDtdpvwgDv3MnXAptjoAatM-wlm&index=21&t=0s

#hulkifer #juststrong #trainhard #usankf #persistence #karate #karatelife #slowandsteadywins