Belt Up!

‘You’re having a f***ing laugh, right? I can’t f***ing believe what I’m seeing! Jesus H f***ing Christ! I’m really f***ing unhappy about this!’

This was one potential reaction when I glanced at the new hapkido syllabus during a busy day at work on Monday and discovered things had changed and I maybe wouldn’t be getting my much longed-for red belt after my grading on Sunday.

Instead I quietly seethed most of the day then went home and was very grumpy. Sulky even… So I explained my predicament to the Missus who was quite puzzled and suggested I speak to my instructor about my concerns.

So yesterday I dropped my instructor an email asking what belt I graded for. The reply came back that it was red. So I was going to reply and ask how this could be because on the new syllabus there was new stuff for this level that I had yet to learn.

Fortunately I was no longer manic at work so I double-checked the new syllabus before I sent this email – and this time I realised I’d actually read it wrong. The new stuff was for the next belt, which I now discover I already know the skills for as they were included in my previous belt before everything changed. So in theory I’m actually closer to the next grading rather than further away.

There’s a moral in there somewhere about not trying to make rational decisions based on wrong or misunderstood information. Or maybe it’s the sort of story my instructor and her teacher would tell about seeing things for what they are and not through the eyes of personal insecurities or a hassled mind.

Or there’s always the Missus’ point of view when I explained my error to her:
‘You really are a f***ing idiot at times…’

Either one works…