grading a bit worried

[Giuseppe_S]

hello to all, i have just recently started training in Kung Fu and come the 25th of Feb. i have a grading to attend, however i am quite nervous and i'm worried that i will end up failing. what was the general feeling for other kung fu practitioners when you attended your first grading/competion, and how did you overcome the nerves.

Regards


Giuseppe

[laugarkuen]

Hopefully if you have a good sifu then they will not let you grade unless they think you are ready.

The chances are for the first grading you won't be expected to do that much. If you have been given a copy of the syllabus then you should know what you will be graded on.

Ask yourself this. Do I know what is required of me?

Can I do it all.

If there is anything that you are still unsure of then now then speak up and ask your sifu or a senior to go over it with you and explain it blow by blow :D

On the grading day its self don't practice. If you don't know it by then, then you won't learn it on the day. Also if you start practicing on the day you will start questioning yourself and try to change what is probably right in the first place.

Above all else, what is the worst that can happen if you fail? If you do ask for feedback and improve upon it, then test again.

Don't see it as a test. See it as a chance to show off what you have learnt!

Michael


p.s. - I was sh1t scared the first time I graded.

[Chief Fox]

My wife gave me great advice one time before a test that I was nervous about. As I was walking out the door to go to my test, she said, "Have fun."

I thought to myself, "she's right, this should be fun, this is nothing to be nervous about. After all, I enjoy doing this stuff so why should I be nervous?"

So I'll give you the same advice. Just go and have fun.

You either know the stuff or you don't. If you do, great! If you don't, then there's always next time. Kung Fu is not a destination, it is a journey. Don't waste your energy being nervous.

Make your journey a fun one.

Good luck.

[7starstudent]

I've been nervous before every one of my tests. I stay pretty nervous all day long, and by the time the test actually begins I've always got butterflies in my stomach and my hands are a little shaky. I'm not normally one for a nervous reaction to anything, but I guess this is what happens when I'm really passionate about something. Here's what I do:

1. Practice - long before test day you should practice the test by over and over. Do it at the same pace, do the same reps, do everything you can to replicate the actual test. If your sifu likes to throw in surprises (like mine does), then practice some of the things you think he'll throw at you. This way, when it comes time for the real deal you've already done any number of times. Sweat equity - you'll do better and you'll feel more confident.

2. Follow a routine - do the same thing on test day as you do every other training day. Stretch, warm-up, chat with your kf brothers/sisters before class, etc. Do whatever you normally do. After all, the test is really just another training day.

3. Relax. Every time you feel slightly nervous, try to focus that energy into being calm and relaxed. So, when you start to feel the butterflies, focus on breathing deeply.

4. Stay loose - When I'm nervous everything seems to tighten up. So I take a hot shower before heading to the school for a test. Keeps the muscles loose.

5. Abstain - no alcohol, no sex for two weeks before your test.

In reality, for every test (even when I didn't follow the advice above) I forgot about the nervousness within five minutes of starting. I don't know how difficult your test will be, but if it is anything like mine have been you'll be too busy struggling to breathe or straining your muscles or ignoring the pain to worry about nervousness anymore.


Good luck.

[David Jamieson]

don't be afraid of failure! it's a great teacher!

practice and try not to worry so much.

you'll succeed just by getting through it!

good luck.

[NJM]

Everyone progresses at different rates. If you're not ready and fail the test, then you just need more experience. Try your best, there's nothing to fear. Have fun with it, and remember what your master says.

Here's a tip though; If more than one guy is being tested at the same time, don't look at him/her as an example, because they could be very, very wrong.

[Royal Dragon]

Abstain - no alcohol, no sex for two weeks before your test.

Reply]
Why no sex? I have heard this for as long as I can remember, but in all honesty, I am stronger, faster, more flexible and have greater endurance if i have been laid right and propper reacently...maybe because I am Italian?

Does anyone else feel like this, or do the rest of you actually get weakened by sex?

[Shaolinlueb]

sex will weaken your performance if it is done the night before.

just go out and have fun. its your first grading your teacher shouldnt be looking for much.

[Giuseppe_S]

thanks to everyone for all the advise, (i'm also glad i'm not the only italian on here) as far as i'm aware of my sifu is putting me through my grading, i do know that i will be doing kicking sequences, Blocking sequences and punching sequences, which are all demonstrated by a senior and then we have to follow suit with the same movements, after those sequences i have to do my form which i already know and my application which i also know. i suppose with it being my 1st ever grading i cant help but being nervous.
P.S thanks again to everyone to make me feel more at ease.

Regards.

Giuseppe

[MasterKiller]

but in all honesty, I am stronger, faster, more flexible and have greater endurance if i have been laid right and propper reacently

So you're saying you are basically the girl in your relationships?

[xcakid]

5. Abstain - no alcohol, no sex for two weeks before your test.




I agree with everything but this. Sex relaxes your muscles so you are loose the next day. When I use to compete and had a GF, I would knock it out the night before. Always felt refreshed and better the next day. In one of my black belt test, I knocked it out the night before and that morning. Managed to perform flawless during my 4hr test. :D

I say knock it out before or if you don't have a significant other, rub one out yourself.

Alcohol is a definite no-no. You will drain your body of fluid and you will feel like crap. Do abstain for a week or so prior with that one.

[Shaolinlueb]

So you're saying you are basically the girl in your relationships?

yes he is saying that i think.

[David Jamieson]

no sex is a myth.

retention of semen is a myth.

if you let it out, testosterone will build and give you even more umph in the morning.

that's antiquated thinking right there and there is no actual evidence that it is true.

just pointing it out.

p.s people used to believe for certain that the world was flat.

[Blacktiger]

hello to all, i have just recently started training in Kung Fu and come the 25th of Feb. i have a grading to attend, however i am quite nervous and i'm worried that i will end up failing. what was the general feeling for other kung fu practitioners when you attended your first grading/competion, and how did you overcome the nerves.

Regards


Giuseppe



Think of it as your graduation night and you will be fine :D

[EarthDragon]

David J

I usually almost always agree with your posts however i this case I total disagree.
From a TCM standpoint sperm the essence and vitality of man is very important for sustaining energy and strength. This fluid is a major part of the kidney and liver functions. It is essential for certain types of training to withhold ejaculation fro several months. There is a qigong pratice that actually teaches you how to orgasm without ejaculating cool to impress the chicks and you can do it over and over wihtout losing well you know... but anyways I have studied many years to eventually to become an O.M.D and ejaculation comes up in almost every topic of accupuncture and qigong.
i.e
Kidney Yang deficiency causes low libido, weak ejaculation, impotence, seminal emission, low sperm count, slow motility.. etc etc

Kidney Yin deficiency causes seminal emission, slow mobility, low count, thick sticky semen from Heat &/or lack of fluids,

Liver Qi stagnation
Liver meridian blockage in the local area (genital) makes it difficult to ejaculate, related with impotence and low libido,

Qi and Blood deficiency
worry, over-thinking, stress, chronic illness, impotence, low sperm count, short sperm life, slow mobility,
so while the newbie might not notice withholding your manhood will improve nerves, increase strength and mantain proper blood flow..... so before a fight or test in this case dont cum for a week. tell your wife or GF its her turn for a change ...

[David Jamieson]

Mike H.

Sorry, but the TCM standpoint has been shown to be very screwy in a lot of it's concepts ergo it is not a regulated and accepted mediacl practice in Canada, the USA or just about anywhere else.

attribution of 5 phases/elements to organs and bowels is antiquated and outmoded backward thinking on so manyt levels.

now, there are of course many useful aspects to TCM in the practice of applied herbalism and acupuncture, but time and again diagnostics and prognosis methods have been shown to be wrong more often than right.

You cannot produce any empirical evidence whatsoever that semen retention has value or that by screwing you are weakened by anything more than the rush of the physical activity and the orgasm itself.

much of ones sexual activity and how they feel afterward is based on age and ability to replenish and so on.

I would also add that the source of many of these obscure and wildly incorrect thoughts drawn from 1000+ year old ways of thinking are more often than not dashed against the waves of scientific evidence only to be dragged out and held up as soon as the noise dies down.


In some respects, tcm has validity, in some respects, it is downright ridiculous. On the subject of semen retention giving vigor and vitality, I gotta pin that to ridiculous.

One can psychosomatically convince themselves of anything and therein is the whole "physician heal thyself" message.

empirical evidence and codified standardization is important in medicine. It also doesn't exist in TCM in many respects although I do give props to it's ability to relieve psychosomatic symptoms and in its approach to health with a holistic and preventative sense which are trwo things it has over the western medical thought which tends to treat only the acute and this is often too late.

But you tell me, if you were in need of majour surgery, where would you go for that? St Mikes Hospital, or Joe Fongs back room grocery store?

myth and anyone can dig through reems of info using google to show that it aint so.

also, I have had occasion to talk with angelo dundee, a famous trainer, and even he says its BS and he trained Ali for cripes sake. (even though ali would go without while training for personal reasons) :p seriously, let go of some of the religious hogwash that is tied to TCM. take that which is useful and let the rest fall away.

anyway, here's a quote on the low down and look at any medical journal or site and you'll find more or less the same thing ie: it's mostly psychological and mostly unfounded, but...
But scientists say there is no physiological evidence to suggest that sex before competition is bad. In fact, some studies suggest that pre-sports sex may actually aid athletes by raising their testosterone levels, for example.

It is unclear, however, what psychological effects sex may have on an athlete's performance. Some scientists suggest that abstinence could help some athletes concentrate better.

"There are two possible ways sex before competition could affect performance," said Ian Shrier, a sports medicine specialist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

"First, it could make you tired and weak the next day," Shrier said. "This has been disproved.

"The second way is that it could affect your psychological state of mind. This has not been tested," he said.



you will find more along the lines of this than GB13 and liver/wood misplacement aren't aligned with the chi flow through the triple burner. etc etc. lol
not too mention, i personally do not feel run down after sex, in fact, i feel great! not tired and able to perform my duties at work or in kungfu practice and class without any problems whatsoever.

[Giuseppe_S]

i actually have a quick question, why do some kung fu schools have a grading system i.e belts or sashes and some other kung fu schools dont have a grading system, i was wondering if anyone could help me out with this question.

regards.

Giuseppe

[xcakid]

i actually have a quick question, why do some kung fu schools have a grading system i.e belts or sashes and some other kung fu schools dont have a grading system, i was wondering if anyone could help me out with this question.

regards.

Giuseppe


Most old school TCM kwoons will not have belts/sashes. These will typically not have many kids classes. They are more about teaching the art rather than worrying about awarding someone. You pretty much determine hierchy by the material each student knows. A Sil Lum school I went to when I was in Jr High did not have a belting system. There were no kids class. I was maybe one of 3-5 "kids" that was grouped with adults. You basically got new material whenever the sifu felt you mastered your currently material. I recall doing stances, block and basic punches/kicks for 3 months before I even learned my first aplication for it. Then another month before I learned my first fist set. These would probably be learned within 2 months of being a white belt with other schools that have a belting system.

More commercialized school have the outlook that you must give someone small rewards in order to keep students. Westerners need to have something tangible to show achievement. So majority of the kwoons will have a belting system. It is also a way to breakdown material to be taught and be able to have a curriculum/syllabus. Somewhat goal setting for the student and can also be an organizational teaching tool for the instructor.

I am always for no belting system and letting material and skill talk for you. However, having been an instructor and owner of a school in the past. I can understand keeping a large student body to keep food on the table and bills paid. Typically, your white to blue(intermediate level) belt students are going to be your revolving door students. After that, people for the most part start to get it that it is not all about the belt.

Heck even I sometimes get frustrated and have to remind myself. :D

[Giuseppe_S]

thank you for the info you have provided me, so its basically mix and match some TCM Kwoons dont have a grading system such as the colored belt/sashes system but where as some non traditional CMA schools have the colored belt/sashes system.

Regards.

Giuseppe

[EarthDragon]

David J,
I hear what you are saying brother and you are right on most points however I have been taught by 2 chinese masters 1 for kung fu, tai chi and TCM and the other for qigong, both stress the importance of semen retention and its effect on the body.

They also stress and swear that you should not drink cold beverage while ingesting warm food, it throws off the ying yang balance. Also they suggest standing facing the northern direction while practicing certain qigong and meditational excersices.

Can any scientific proff come from these or are they theories?. Hell people in the 50's thought chiropracticers where scam artists and that there was no scientific proof that bone setting has medicinal purpose. but now we all know that is does.
I guess you go with what you have been taught and what you believe. I dont trustr western medicine that much. We have a cure for cancer gene 51 but it will never be realsed becuse there is too much money wrapped up in cancer care and reasearch. this country is only interested in money and how to justify its behavior so i would not use the A.M.A as a good resource.

BTW angelo and I are friends, he used to train my good friend baby joe mesi in buffalo NY for many years as well as given seminars and vists to my schools in Buffalo, although he is a great source of infor for westen boxing and diet i would not consider him an expert on TCM.

[David Jamieson]

:p angelo is a pretty cool old dude though. I met him when i was working on cinderella man up in T.O he and had occasion to sit and chat a few times with him.
and no, i wouldn't give him tcm expertise rating either. anyway, you are right about belief and such, but some things are empirical and others are dependent on belief.

the whole no cold drink while eating hot thing is a cultural thing and doesn't have a lot of actual scientific validity, however, most people in health care will tell you that by keeping your potables refrigerated will lower the likelyhood of bacteria forming in them and meanwhile, your own body is more than capable of bring to temp anything you put in it. YOu can normalize the temporary heat or cold of anyhting that is within range of cooking temperatures. if something was too cold or too hot, your body would simply reject it and give you pain, such as when you get a brain freeze or when you get a throat scald. the range of tolerance is otherwise high and there have been no proven ill effects to eating a hot meal and enjoying a good beer, but you see higher rates of bacterial infections in countries that believe everything should be room temperature. :-)

---as for the belts and sashes thing, that is for the benefit of the western mind that needs to feel like progress is being made with a show of external proof of such. Very traditional pais don't use belts, but use a family heirarchy if they follow the confucian wu de model ie student/disciple/master and that's it.

heirarchy exists in different form and is acknowledged differently in real traditional schools. but that's not to say ranking is a bad thing, for the most part, people here like to be graded. it's good for their egos. :)

I don't mind it personally either way. In the end, you transcend all that anyway and it's not importan anymore. Being true to yourself is far more important.

[Hung Gar Kid]

I've been nervous before every one of my tests. I stay pretty nervous all day long, and by the time the test actually begins I've always got butterflies in my stomach and my hands are a little shaky. I'm not normally one for a nervous reaction to anything, but I guess this is what happens when I'm really passionate about something. Here's what I do:

1. Practice - long before test day you should practice the test by over and over. Do it at the same pace, do the same reps, do everything you can to replicate the actual test. If your sifu likes to throw in surprises (like mine does), then practice some of the things you think he'll throw at you. This way, when it comes time for the real deal you've already done any number of times. Sweat equity - you'll do better and you'll feel more confident.

2. Follow a routine - do the same thing on test day as you do every other training day. Stretch, warm-up, chat with your kf brothers/sisters before class, etc. Do whatever you normally do. After all, the test is really just another training day.

3. Relax. Every time you feel slightly nervous, try to focus that energy into being calm and relaxed. So, when you start to feel the butterflies, focus on breathing deeply.

4. Stay loose - When I'm nervous everything seems to tighten up. So I take a hot shower before heading to the school for a test. Keeps the muscles loose.

5. Abstain - no alcohol, no sex for two weeks before your test.

In reality, for every test (even when I didn't follow the advice above) I forgot about the nervousness within five minutes of starting. I don't know how difficult your test will be, but if it is anything like mine have been you'll be too busy struggling to breathe or straining your muscles or ignoring the pain to worry about nervousness anymore.


Good luck. Hi 7star student! im new in kung fu too and i have grading coming although i did it before so i am quite confident about myself but there is one thing that interests me. U said no sex 2 weeks before grading. now, i understand that abstaining from alcohol may help you but how exactly sex can do. i think if i abstain from it i couldnt concentrate on things. it what calms me down:) please explain mate. it would be great to know your broader oppinion regarding this disscusion.

[Giuseppe_S]

Hi Hung Ga Kid, like the name its pretty cool. i also study Hung Kuen here in Rochdale. i'm actually enjoying the Kung Fu experience. does anyone know of any decent books on the history of Hung Gar Kuen.

Regards.

Giuseppe