Is this thing on?

Been a long day today.. up at 9 after a top night catching up with the crew in Frome and then all day officiating at a grading examination at my school.

Pretty important exam too, as in addition to the group of regular students, I was testing two for their first degree Black Belt and three more (including Kelly) for their final coloured belt, which indicates their status as official Black Belt Candidates.

I was sat at the grading table from 10:30 this morning until 6:30 this evening and boy did I know it! Worth it though as all the candidates were up to scratch and hence I now have two more Black Belts in my school, making a total of 10 so far. Not bad for a small school eh…

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, grading, students

My mate Rob made the most monumental pillock of himself tonight.

It’s bad enough that he has a completely over-the-top infatuation with a girl who isn’t even remotely interested, and that he seems to spend all of his time trying to win her over by saying/doing/buying anything and everything that he thinks she likes in some pathetic attempt to make her interested in him, but tonight really was his most impressive…

Karen is into sports bikes and racing in a big way, so Rob decides he’s going to get a sports bike… Now he passed his bike test a few years ago and had some kind of Harley Davidson clone but nothing resembling a sports bike and as far as I know he hasn’t ridden anything for a couple of years.

Anyway, he picks it up at 5:30 this evening and comes straight to the school to train, we finish as usual about 9:30 and were off outside ready to leave so Rob jumps on his new bike, revs it up like he’s on the starting grid and drops the clutch.

Stage 1 : The back wheel spins like a catherine wheel and the back end wobbles all over the place
Stage 2: The back wheel finds some grip and the bike launches forward like a catapult
Stage 3: the front end comes up at 90° and then careers off sideways as the rear-end overtakes it
Stage 4: Rob hits the tarmac as the bike does somersult right before his eyes.
Stage 5: We check that Rob is unhurt
Stage 6: We all point and laugh, a lot
Stage 7: Rob learns that its not big and its not clever…

written by RiK \\ tags: accident, bike, Friends, motorcycle, students

Felt decidely crap earlier… had a banging headache all afternoon, undoubltedly caused by the fact I’ve not been drinking enough water…. slapped wrists for Dr RiK, must learn to practice what I preach. Got a litre of H2O and a couple of neurofen inside me and I feel right as rain now

School was good tonight, kids classes were buzzing, loads of energy… It’s interesting to note that some of the new students that have joined recently have really taken to the training like a duck to water which is great. There are however a couple of the existing students that are really not up to scratch, nor are they putting in anything like the effort that they need to which will only show itself next time they come to take a grading… To be honest if they aren’t going to pull their weight then I will probably kick them out as I dont need dead weight dragging down the energy of the school. The kids classes are always full and we frequently end up with a waiting list so I can afford to be selective with the students that I enrol.

I was speaking to a friend (another professional instructor) earlier and explaining my thoughts on screening students, like the principle of a gardener who has to know when to cut away the dead wood to let the good wood grow… Although I have a business to run, it is important to the long-term success that the school is based on quality first rather than quantity. I am damned sure that my school has more to offer than any other in a 15 mile radius and as a school we are committed to constant improvement. I have a certain set of criteria that I expect of my students, starting with dedication, focus and a consistent attitude. Technical standards develop in time, but I expect a student to work for their progress. If they are not prepared to do this then as far as I am concerned then they fell at the first hurdle and failed the entrance exam.

It’s not just about whether we perform as a school, it is whether the student meets our criteria for membership as well… time for a wake-up call for a few I think…

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, students

And it was rather pleasing too…

First night back at the school tonight, and everyone seemed on good form which was nice. I was particularly pleased at the attendance, especially from a few of the students who are usually a little shaky in that respect.

It’s a good feeling when you see (the majority) of your students working so well and seeming to be pretty well focused. It is a shame that some of the more senior ones don’t set the example they could, or should be setting. Hopefully the fact that they will soon find themselves with a significant number of the lower grades snapping at their heels, and even overtaking them might make them sit up and take notice. If it doesn’t and they fall by the wayside it will be a real shame, but c’est la vie.

A skilled gardner knows that you need to cut away the dead wood to allow your plant to grow.

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, students