The important thing was, pass or fail, to just get through it. After a year of annoying injury that has limited several of my martial arts ambitions in both Hapkido and BJJ, it was good to actually get something solid under my belt. The journey between first and second dan will take a bit of time so it's important to stay on course and continue to refine everything.
There were many things to admire throughout the grading: seeing junior belts go through their paces, seeing the more senior belts (who will be bypassing me pretty soon) look very impressive, and seeing my teacher and her teacher interact in that tender and respectful relationship that they have.
The highlight of the grading, though, apart from testing alongside the ever-fierce Other Woman, was seeing the Other Woman Who Loves Other Women (or Miss Other Woman Who Loves Other Women now she's a grade higher than me) get her second dan.
She's an astonishing martial artist. She has a relaxed grace, speed, balance and power that I constantly marvel at. She's awful to spar with because I often switch off and enjoy watching her and forget there may be a roundhouse kick en route that I'm more than capable of walking into, despite her best efforts to pull it.
It's the sort of good day that makes occasional bad ones worthwhile.
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