Got my 2nd degree!

And I did good, despite the feeling that the whole process was a little, shall I say, "rushed". I got the equivilant of one A and all B's, it's scored on a ranking of 1 to 5, 5 being the best, and I got one 5 and all 4's. Apparently, that warranted me getting chewed out by the grandmaster in front of tons of people...I have never seen him that negative, it was ugly. And it wasn't just directed at me, the first degree candidates and the other 2nd degree candidates were on the recieving end. He just seemed really negative, I mean, I know he cares and want's us all to do our best, but humilation in front of a crowd is wrong. And I am not trying to be disrespectful in saying that.

I knew this was a possibility though, because he has enormous standards for excellence, but I still did my best and did a very good job. All my classmates said I did great. It just pisses me off the way he chewed me out. He said I need to follow the rules better. What?! I didn't know what to tell when he said that, because I thought I had been following the rules, again, the whole process was rushed it seemed. They barely gave me time to set up my board breaks, and I couldn't do what I really wanted because of that.

Also, I got chewed out by one of the other instructors (not mine, from a different school) for having the wrong footgear. I told him quite clearly, that I had ordered new footgear LAST DECEMBER, and he says "Don't talk to me like that, you're a blackbelt, you're supposed to have it.". Excuse me, all I can do is place an order for them, they aren't sold in stores, and I can't use any ordinary footgear because they don't have the school logo on it.

As far as I am concerned the only difference between the footgear I have and the one I am supposed to have is color. Mine are red, apparently they have to be black, and have the logo on it. It's unacceptable to chew me out for something I have no control over. The ordering process in this organization is terrible. They always take 6-12 months to get things to you. That's what made me mad the most. This was probably what triggered the "follow the rules" speech I got. Don't get me wrong, I in no way intended to show disrespect by wearing the wrong footgear, but it's the gear that I have had for years, I got it sometime after my 1st degree test, like 6 years ago, and I did try to get new gear. It was wrong for them to chew me out like that. I cannot control the mail.

I know I'm not the most flexible person in terms of my legs, but I did great, I broke all my boards, and knew every self defense technique they asked me to perform. I definitly have things to work on, so I am NOT blaming the organization for my disapproval by the grandmaster. I could have stretched more often and done better with my kicking, altho I am fairly loose, compared to some people, haha. Just kidding kevin... I just can't do a split, or come close, well that's vague, it makes me sound totally unflexible.

Hapkido is a great martial art, the best in my opinion.

PS. I didn't have to defend the bamboo sword.

PPS. I lost weight today. I weighed myself when I got home and the scale said 186! This is why I take hapkido, it keeps me in shape, and it's fun.