Ok so this is a bit random and probably quite specific to me, but I just need to vent so feel free to leave me to ramble!

Ok it's my kickboxing grading tomorrow! I'm well prepared I can do everything. I'm a bit shaky on my back kicks (well quite frankly they suck!) and I really really want to practice practice practice today. Well I'm at work - and the disabled toilet is too small to practice in! I've decided I might squeeze some side kicks in now and again when I go to the loo!

Then when I get home I want to really go at it hammer and tong for an hour or so. But what if they're still not great!? I'm so MAJORLY annoyed at myself for not doing more during the week (I was really really tired on Wednesday so I didn't do any practice).

So hopefully that will be ok, but my ambition! God I really need to do something about my attitude because I'll end up a nervous wreck tomorrow! I really really REALLY want to get a grade 1 in this belt (which is basically an A* type grade) but I know it's not very probable that I will acheive it! Especially with the back kicks being as they are.

I know tomorrow I'll probably be "fine" but - and here's the REAL problem - I want to be MORE THAN FINE! And I know it's highly unlikely so I'm going to end up really upset when I get my grade 2 (which is ok - I mean that's a pass and it means I can do the next belt).

Oh heck and to top it ALL off my sciatica is playing up really badly from last night's class (where I did the splits) so it hasn't been right since!

I'm going to stock up on Deep Heat and ibuprofen gel and general massive pain killers and see what happens!

Oh I really want my 1!

Do the best you can do. Attitude probably plays a BIG part (at least in Tae Kwon Do I know that matters to the instructor alot!). If you are working as hard as you can, doing the best you can (I have sciatica too, plus two bulging discs in my lower back, so I understand your pain), then your instructor will recognize that. If you give it all you've got, what more can you ask of yourself? Don't let it get you down, ok? You'll be fine!

Kathy Bahr
Merritt Island, FL

yeah I can only do my best!

I'm feeling happier because I think I may have fixed what's griping my old back injury - I've just made myself a new motorbike seat, so hopefully that will help!

I know the instructors know I'm working my a*se of so hopefully they will be generous with their marking! They'd better be!

2F! I'm sorry to laugh at your rant, but this is the funniest thing I've read all week:

Come on...you've been working hard for this, working out, doing everything you can. Calm down. You're going to get hurt before the grading trying to practice in a toilet stall!

Cool it, girl! You know you've down all you can...take a deep breath, get a good night's sleep and wow 'em tomorrow!

Mel

Mel - now I've come out the other side I can see I was a bit crackers!

Yeah it went ok - I probably couldn't have done any better without injuring myself while I was at it and henceforth screwing up the rest of the grading! I feel ok about what I did but I'm not sure it's good enough for that precious 1! Anyways I will find out in a week or two!