After being a white belt in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu for a year and four months, I finally became a yellow belt. Trying to learn the Japanese terminology wasn't easy, and it was a challenge for my instructor to try to make sure I understood how some of the moves are done, the philosophy, and history of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu.
I'm deaf, and the only adult female in his class. We do have two teenage females and the rest are adult males. My instructor also has a beard and a mustache which makes lipreading hard. In spite of all that, I can see he is a good instructor who is trying really hard to convey the information.
I am probably the only person in his class who remained a white belt the longest. It doesn't matter--I wanted to be sure I knew the stuff before being promoted. Part of the delay is also because I put off taking the test. Even then, I still wasn't entirely sure by the time my instructor thought the delays were going on long enough, he wanted to test me anyway.
I didn't feel confident with Jujitsu. I love Kenpo and I feel so comfortable and at home with Kenpo--there I feel assured and in my element, I feel like I am among "family". I still don't feel comfortable or confident with Jujitsu. I'm never sure with the culture and the procedure, whether I may say or do something to offend. Maybe someday, I will feel as comfortable with Jujitsu as I do with Kenpo. In spite of how I feel there in Jujitsu, I have very good partners, and my instructor is patient.
I also wanted to be sure that just because I study in Kenpo doesn't mean I can move ahead [quickly] in another style. It was a challenge for me mentally since I kept seeing things with a Kenpo view. It was not until recently, I finally was able to view Jujitsu upon its own merits and for what it is, rather than thinking of how I can use it as part of my Kenpo. For now, I am starting to really appreciate Danzan Ryu Jujitsu more. When I become more experienced later on, I will be able to blend them better. For now, I am able to focus more upon Jujitsu and I think my Jujitsu instructor sensed that too.
I brought some flash cards with me that I made recently showing the Japanese terminology used in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. When my instructor saw me reviewing with them before the test, he decided to use these cards as part of the test (since saying them to me would be meaningless as I'm so nervous I probably couldn't even lipread him at all).
The best part, however, was after the test, he took my flash cards and finally wrote down underneath these words the meaning and breakdown of these Japanese words. Now I finally understand what they mean, instead of just trying to memorize the words to represent something without knowing the meaning behind them.
I think that day of the test, we finally understood how to work together and help each other. It wasn't easy--we both are very different (my learning style vs. his teaching style)--we knew we would eventually make our training experience work out somehow.
Things are getting better. I definitely feel like I earned my yellow belt.
- Ceicei
I'm deaf, and the only adult female in his class. We do have two teenage females and the rest are adult males. My instructor also has a beard and a mustache which makes lipreading hard. In spite of all that, I can see he is a good instructor who is trying really hard to convey the information.
I am probably the only person in his class who remained a white belt the longest. It doesn't matter--I wanted to be sure I knew the stuff before being promoted. Part of the delay is also because I put off taking the test. Even then, I still wasn't entirely sure by the time my instructor thought the delays were going on long enough, he wanted to test me anyway.
I didn't feel confident with Jujitsu. I love Kenpo and I feel so comfortable and at home with Kenpo--there I feel assured and in my element, I feel like I am among "family". I still don't feel comfortable or confident with Jujitsu. I'm never sure with the culture and the procedure, whether I may say or do something to offend. Maybe someday, I will feel as comfortable with Jujitsu as I do with Kenpo. In spite of how I feel there in Jujitsu, I have very good partners, and my instructor is patient.
I also wanted to be sure that just because I study in Kenpo doesn't mean I can move ahead [quickly] in another style. It was a challenge for me mentally since I kept seeing things with a Kenpo view. It was not until recently, I finally was able to view Jujitsu upon its own merits and for what it is, rather than thinking of how I can use it as part of my Kenpo. For now, I am starting to really appreciate Danzan Ryu Jujitsu more. When I become more experienced later on, I will be able to blend them better. For now, I am able to focus more upon Jujitsu and I think my Jujitsu instructor sensed that too.
I brought some flash cards with me that I made recently showing the Japanese terminology used in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. When my instructor saw me reviewing with them before the test, he decided to use these cards as part of the test (since saying them to me would be meaningless as I'm so nervous I probably couldn't even lipread him at all).
The best part, however, was after the test, he took my flash cards and finally wrote down underneath these words the meaning and breakdown of these Japanese words. Now I finally understand what they mean, instead of just trying to memorize the words to represent something without knowing the meaning behind them.
I think that day of the test, we finally understood how to work together and help each other. It wasn't easy--we both are very different (my learning style vs. his teaching style)--we knew we would eventually make our training experience work out somehow.
Things are getting better. I definitely feel like I earned my yellow belt.
- Ceicei
