So it's funny how something so small in the real world can mean something so large to a person or a community. Take electrical tape. 6-8 inches of electrical tape is a relatively small and worthless thing on its own. Really not even very much to do the job it was intended to do. It's not really something, taken alone, you'd run down the street crowing about.

For many martial artists though, that electrical tape is the culmination of months of blood, sweat, tears, aches, pains and intense learning. I've never worked so hard for 6 inches of electrical tape in my life as I did over the past six months. At my current belt rank, 1st degree brown in Isshinryu karate (an Okinawan style), we have to develop 15 ippons, or self defense technique and learn 5 new ways to throw a person to the ground. It's a big jump from what one has had to do up until this point, which was learn pre-set self defense techniques. There are certain standards for the ippons. The may not be ones you already know. There must be 5 attacks from the front, 5 from the side and 5 from the rear. It is generally expected your uke, your partner end up on the ground. The 5 throws you learn and are a high and low hip throw, two reaps (sweeping the person's leg out), and tomoe nage, which is falling backward and pitching the person over your head, also known as a sacrafice throw.

I might have been able to do this sooner, but I had to work through several really rough month long migraine spells, and the ongoing achilles tendinitis in my right ankle. I worked with my husband, alternating between our living room and the dojo to develop all 15 of my techniques, blessing his aikidoka (student of aikido) heart for being so willing to be my ever patient uke, taking fall after fall and tapping out of joint lock after joint lock. And teaching me multiple new aikido joint locks patiently, while I worked to master "sneakeo", nikyo, kotagaeshi, and different blends, cuts, and setting him up for safe falls. Truly, I recommend all martial artists marry a patient uke. It is a blessing.

Yesterday, before my scheduled time to test in front of my Hanshi, I was as nervous as I ever get, truly, butterflies in the stomach, antsy, can't sit still nervous. Thankfully I got through all of it, and only had to repeat two techniques. So I couldn't have been happier when I earned my 6 inches of electrical tape from Hanshi's own hands.

A dog and her kitten.