Forced to Lead

Last class I got the dreaded last minute phone call from sensei H that he couldn’t make it. He asked if I could open the room and then do what needed to be done. I’m not so thrilled about the idea of leading the class, for a variety of reasons, but usually I get a break and some of the black belts show up, or Master H is usually a pretty reliable presence. In the worst case scenario, class will just be cancelled. Anything but being the teacher.

We got there and nobody was around, so there was still hope, but eventually some of the newer guys showed up. One of the lower belts, who is very dedicated and a great student, arrived along with two of the newer guys who are just starting out. The stage was set.

As we cleared the room and got ready, I kept my eye on the door for either Master H to show up or one of the black belts, but as the clock ticked, all hope was running out. Eventually, it became painfully clear to me that I was going to have lead the class. Bummer. LS came, and she’s the same level as me, plus she’s really good, so I had some backup.

You know what? It wasn’t that bad, and I might even go as far as to say that it was a good class. Not so much because I was leading it, but because it was small and we got a lot done. The blue belts need to learn/practice their katas for their next belt, while the new guys have plenty of material to cover. We divided the class and I worked with the blues while LS worked with the new guys.

I still had to lead, and we did our standard stretches and exercises, and then I led them on drills. These are standard strikes, blocks, and kicks that they will need for their tests, but more importantly, are the fundamental building blocks to combat and self defense. It was a great way to go through class, and as a student and stand-in teacher, helps a lot to maintain perspective on the purpose of the moves. In other words, I got a lot out of the experience, and feel empowered for the next time... yeah, right.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Sucker for the pic.