So here is an update on my progress. As I posted back in August I made 1st Kyu in Goju Ryu, one rank away from First Degree Black Belt. My sensei has told me I need to work on some of my stances in some of my katas, particularly some of the stances in the Seiunchin kata, and that I also have to fine tune some of the techniques in the Saifa kata. Im very grateful for the feedback. I know my sensei is not going to hand me the black belt and I wouldn't want him to do that, but the important thing is that he is telling me what I need to work on to get it. Obviously I will have to do the work to earn it, my sensei is not going to magically make me so that Im able to do the techniques and katas properly even if he could, but the important thing is I know exactly what I need to work on. Hard work alone isn't enough, you need the right kind of hard work. That's where senseis come in, they tell you what kind of hard work you need.