I like the people I'm surrounded by

So today in kendo, I sparred for the first time. It was fun! It was a tie, with neither of us getting any points, but I'm not sure what that means. The person might have just been being nice to me. Blocks were easy. The shinai is so big and slow that I could see all the techniques he threw long before he threw them. And because I'm smaller than most of the people I spar in karate, I have to get in close and fight fast if I want the advantage. In kendo, we both have to stay far from each other. I have to ignore my instict to get in closer. But it's okay. I thought I wouldn't know what to do when they gave the word to start, but they gave the word and I did just what I was supposed to do. I fought. I went for strikes. Far from good, but not bad for my first time. Not as bad as I expected it was going to be. My Sensei was really impressed. My friends tell me he was grinning and clapping and practically jumping out of his chair when I did this one technique, a strike to the, err, midregion. I didn't think much of it and when I heard the whole kendo club gasp, I assumed it was because it was a really poor technique to do at that time, but afterwards they told me it was good and they were are all impressed. That was nice.

I also learned two katas today. It felt really great. I love katas. I know some people who think they're a waste of time and some people who think they're a good use of time, but just don't like them anyways. I love love love katas. My katas were as short as short leapord form and probably the easiest katas I've ever learned, but they felt really great. Mostly, it was just walking to the opponent, striking, and backing away. Nonetheless, it felt really great. I love the mechanics of katas. I love that everything has a purpose and when put together and everything is alligned just the right way, the technique feels really good. I love the snap of the body and the feeling of projecting my power into my opponent. These new katas I learned are dramatically easier than the last kata I learned (Dancing Dragon? Flowing II? Something like that), but they felt just as good. Better, maybe. Oh yeah, and they're done with the wooden sword. Not the shinai (bamboo sword), but the wooden sword that we have at White Eagle that nobody but the Sensei's know how to use. Not me. Except now I can do a really simple kata. Yeah. And I was able to effectively ask questions and understand the reasons for where my body was where it was. I love martial arts very much. I was afraid I might stop and lose everything in college, but I'm not afraid of that anymore. It feels way too right to stop anytime soon.