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Rather like being hit by a bus... or a buffalo
Well, I have some interesting memories from my first Tae Kwon Do tournament...*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
The great big empty gymnasium with confusing squares of tape on the floor. The lights are yellowish lamps, which make it hard to see colors very well, so everyone who walks by looks like a black belt.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Master Kim's smile when he came in the door, and the first thing he saw was a bunch of his students stretching out. He shook my hand and wished me luck.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
The wood floor, whiny and freshly waxed, that would cause problems for everyone in our group. We're used to a softer mat surface, which is less slippery when you're sweaty and less sticky when you're dry. I remember that floor like I remember the first time I saw the Death Star on screen. It's the dark side of the force embodied.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Kirstin sitting on the top bench of the bleachers, reading A Light In The Attic.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Registering and making my weight public knowlege for the first time ever. (I weigh 145 pounds, there you go.) It was really strange, but strangely liberating.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest performing Koryo in the forms competition, and looking every bit the sweet, adorable man I love, while at the same time giving the impression that he is really strangling someone and breaking their knee. Koryo is pretty cool, and he did a nice job, I thought. He got 2nd place in his division.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Sitting on my knees next to my assigned ring, waiting to be called to perform my form. I was utterly terrified, and had to force myself to calm down. Forms are a competition with oneself, and I wanted to achieve my best performance. It was nervewracking, and I didn't want to show that.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
"Cheryut, Kunei, Choonbee." Those are the commands they shout that instruct you to come to attention, bow, and ready stance for your form. They seemed to take forever, but made me feel better because they are so familiar.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
"Shejat". The command they shout when it's time to start your form. It felt GOOD. I didn't have to think, I just let my body go. I know my stances were good, and I felt confident it was going well.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Ouch! I stepped out for my first sidekick, got stuck on the floor when I tried to pivot, and almost fell over!! Oh my gosh, there's no recovering from that. I pulled myself together, and stayed in my rhythm, improving the second kick, but didn't come to a complete state of balance until the next turn. I remember thinking the judges might have missed that, and turning up the intensity on the rest of the form.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Those were some great middle blocks and punches. They'll like those, I thought to myself. As it turns out, that's one of Forest's mental pictures from the tournament, too. They must have been pretty punches.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
"Komat" The command to bring you back to attention. I don't remember much after that, they score in secret. I remember Forest giving me a look of sympathy, he'd watched as I almost fell.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
"First, Second, Third, Third". Wow. Despite almost falling down I'd tied for third place out of a field of 21 people. That was nice. I didn't feel particularly deserving, but shook hands with the grand master and accepted the first trophy I've ever gotten in my life. It was a strange experience. They make you stand on a little three-levelled platform and pose for pictures even. Wierd.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
I sized up Ariana, the girl closest to my size and weight in our division. I was most likely going to have to spar with her later, but hadn't met her, and had no idea what she might do. Looked like an ordinary young woman to me.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Watching my first set of tournament fights. Wow, that girl got kicked in the head and didn't get up. That girl split the whole bottom of her foot open. I decided not to watch until I had to.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest's face as he checked my gear and gave me last second advice. He was my coach, for which I was grateful. He looked professional and unconcerned, just what I needed.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Realizing that I wasn't scared. Not at all. Why was I terrified of forms competition when I was perfectly calm going in to spar?*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Bowing in. Gosh this is all happening very fast. Ooof! That was her foot in my stomach.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
I tried to sidekick, she got out of the way.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
A whole bunch of kicks landing on my tummy. I wish like mad it was legal to use Aikido on her.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Me landing on my back, almost in the laps of the onlookers. Good thing I know how to fall, I thought to myself. Grit teeth. Get back in ring. Three seconds count from the Ref, and back at her. "I'm not going to let her do that ag..."*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Blam! I'm back on my butt outside the ring. Okay, now I'm getting irritated. I almost grab her and Aikido her on instinct, but then the little voice in my head out of sheer desperation thinks "What would Jeff do?"*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Thunk. My fist in her stomach, with all my weight behind it. She backpedals desperately trying to get her footing, and lands outside the ring on her back, ironically echoing my previous position. Gee, that felt pretty good.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Next thing I knew, it was break; 1 minute had gone by, and I got 30 seconds at the side of the ring, in a chair. Master Ron ran by and said "Get busy," then left. Forest was in front of me talking to me. I knew she had landed dozens of hard kicks all over me, and I had only managed to really punch her once. By the end of the round I'd figured that if I stayed in close I could deck her and she couldn't kick me. I don't remember Forest's advice, because Master Ron's "Get Busy" was echoing in my head. I think he told me to get in close and crescent kick her in the head. That sounded like a fine idea to me.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Uh oh. She's back from break and her coach obviously told her to not let me close to her anymore. After a few more attempts to get in and kick her, I was reduced to thinking "how am I going to get her away from me?"*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Thank god, that's over. Why do I do this again? Since we were the only two people in our weight class, I got second place, even though I lost. Interesting, but a little annoying. I don't want a trophy to remind me that I got knocked out of the ring twice. Then again, I got back into the ring, both times, and that felt good. How often do you show yourself that you can get severely beaten and still stand up and try to beat someone down?*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest's family all arrived in time to see him fight, and cheered me up quite a bit. Forest cheered me, too, by informing me that at his first competition, he doesn't think he did a single thing he was proud of. At least I could be proud of that punch. (And I AM proud of that punch. It rocked.)*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest sitting in the stands before black belt sparring was to begin, saying "I have a really bad feeling about this," and offering to take Kirstin and I home rather than sparring. He later revealed that he always has about 10 minutes of panic at a tournament. I'm glad I just stood by and waited it out.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Eeek! We were sitting in the front row when the first set of black belt sparrers came reeling into us, and nearly landed in our laps. In the back of my head, I hope like hell Forest doesn't have to spar ThAT guy.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest sitting in front of me while I tied up his Hogu. The beautiful curve of the back of his neck. I couldn't help kissing it, and love him all the more for turning around and giving me a lovely kiss back, even as he probably shouldn't have.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest getting crescent-kicked in the head, hardly noticing, and getting a look of death on his face -- and immediately booting his opponent in the head, HARD. His opponent fell down and Forest pulled back his next kick.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Knowing that Forest had won before his first round was up. He just kicked that guy's ass. Guy was no slouch, either.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Second round, Forest slipping and falling on his knee; getting up and finishing the guy off anyway. That guy was just plain toast.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Forest sitting with his foot up on the medic's table, getting iced. The guy he had fought sitting next to him, getting iced. Both of them laughing.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Master Jay, looking like something out of a Jet Li movie, utterly decimating his first opponent. He's a 5th degree black belt at age 28, and easily 80 times faster than his competition. He's also Forest's next opponent if Forest chooses to continue.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Meeting Forest back at the ring, and helping him decide whether to continue. He chose not to, and I was glad.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Kirstin's rapt face as she watched the event. She started out the day being bored and wanting to be somewhere else. By the end of the day she was everyone's staunchest supporter. She was so great that everyone was glad she came.*cue scooby doo flashback effect*
Helping Forest limp over to the winner's pedestals to get his trophy. He'd won third place, even though he'd decided not to continue. Master Jay had his 5-year-old daughter up there with him on the 1st place pedestal. The second place guy's wife joined him. He turned to Forest, and said, "Don't you have anyone to be up here with you?" He had a big smile on his face. So I stood on the pedestal with Forest and the shutters snapped away.After the tournament we all went out to Olive Garden with Master Ron and the gang from MSU. Everyone including Master Ron agreed that it was best Forest sat out his fight with Master Jay. It wasn't worth pain and risk of injury, particularly since Forest has class to teach tonight and already had a sprained ankle and knee. I insisted on walking next to him so he wouldn't put so much weight on it, and encouraged him to keep it elevated and iced.
We left the Olive Garden quite early, and drove through McDonald's instead. Kirstin had been so good all day that she deserved a treat, so we took her to see Chicken Run. The three of us laughed together nonstop for most of the movie. It was really great fun.
On the way home, Kirstin fell asleep, and Forest and I recapped the day. I have decided that if I can get two hits I'm proud of in the next tournament, I'll be happy. Forest pointed out I should be glad I'd gotten one, with my level of experience compared to hers. She'd fought in 5 tournaments before this one! It made me feel better.
We got home, and Forest put me right to bed, and cuddled me to sleep. It didn't take much; I don't think I've been more exhausted in my life. While I was dozing, he whispered a lot of really nice things about me, how much he loves me, and things he admires about me. No one has ever called me 'brave' before that I recall, so that's the one that sticks in my head. He says I'm one of the bravest people he knows. I've always wanted to be a courageous, brave person, but never knew if I would be brave when the chips were really down. I can honestly say that I don't doubt it now. I'm a brave person! I'm really proud of that. So I guess if there's one thing I learned at the tournament, that was it.
I woke up on Sunday morning feeling as though I'd been trampled by a herd of buffaloes, or hit by a bus. (I can only guess, since I've got no basis of comparison for busses or buffaloes.) We slept in a long time, and Forest was very cuddly. We barely got him to the Store on time for work. Most unfortunately, his leg was pretty sore, and got worse when he was on it. At least my dumb ribs felt better when I was upright. I left him at work with strict "stay on your butt" instructions, but he couldn't really keep those and wait on customers, despite his dad's best attempts to keep him from it.
Kirstin and I went swimming with Forest's mom and cousin Tina. It was 85 degrees outside, and a lovely day for being outdoors. I didn't feel up to swimming, but walked into the water and back out again when I got hot. It was quite pleasant. I had my first signal that Forest's mom has started to think of me as one of her own, and I had to laugh at it. We were sunning ourselves next to the pool, and talking about the gym facilities being installed in the area next to the changing rooms. She laughingly poked at my thigh and said "yeah, Wendy, you really ought to do something about those chicken legs, get some muscles built in there!"
I laughed then, and I laugh now! It's just the sort of thing my mom would say. A not-so-subtle 'you ought to work out more' sort of hint. It's classic 'Forest's momism', too. Ahh, well. It made us both laugh, and made me feel like one of the kids, so I don't mind a bit.
After I couldn't be in the sun anymore, Kirstin stayed at the pool with Diana, and I went back to the Store to check on Forest. It was not going well. He was gimping about looking utterly bothered. I had wrapped his ankle in an ace bandage for him in the morning, but he'd tried to redo it and couldn't get it on there right. I sat him down and propped it up in my lap and started to wrap, pointing out that his knee was swelling up, and he needed to either compress it or get off of it. I kept him sitting there for the better part of an hour, and he was close to tears for part of that, because he was in lots of pain. Finally his dad and I convinced him to pick Kirstin up and take her home, and I would stay and close the Store in his stead.
It was a hard thing to convince him of. He NEVER misses work. Thing is, there's no way to do that job if you can't stand up without tears and agony.
So I closed the Store last night. We were really really busy, and I still felt like I got run over by something heavy. Thankfully I had assurances that Forest was home and resting, which made me feel a lot better. I was glad to be useful, in an odd sort of way. It was my first time working with his dad, and I was happy to see him cheer up after Forest was safely at home. He worries about Forest, and doesn't like to see him hurting himself for the sake of the Store. For some reason, I can understand that, but Forest doesn't. It's strange.
I'm off to lunch with my sweety!
