Last weekend was the Weekend of Tactical Decision Making in Atlanta. Nik was invited to teach on Sunday, do we traveled up for that. I wanted to go for more days, but we couldn’t work out transportation.

His class was really good, and it felt good to have a sword in my hand again. After lunch we had free time. I sparred a little bit, but I was having a rough time. I wasn’t necessarily doing poorly, but I didn’t feel in my element, and I kept crying for no reason. It really cramped my style.

I’m back home now. I went to Krav this evening. I had intended to teach defense against chokes from an angle, but we had a lot of new faces, so Eddie took lead. Plus I was late, so he already had the class warming up when I got there. I’m glad we followed his vision tonight. The class had a great energy.

I’ve made arrangements to fence on Wednesdays, and this will be my first practice in months. I’m looking forward to being there.

I came home from CIC 2 and rested a little bit before getting back on the road for Bonnaroo.

That trip involved a lot of walking and dancing (my fitbit logged over 20K steps one day!). The multiple climates, elevations, and pollens were unkind to me, so I have a sinus infection (it started bothering me on Day 2). Other than that, I had a great time and saw a lot of amazing acts!

Fyi, when I left for CIC 2, I weighed 202.2 lbs. When I came back, I weighed in at 201.2 lbs (keep in mind that I was carrying some water weight). After Bonnaroo, the scale read 195.4 lbs. I think I may have been a little dehydrated from the road, and I know I was walking off more calories than I was eating because festival food is expensive, and most of the camp food was fruit. That being said, if I can stay below 200 lbs and make sustainable changes to my diet and exercise, I think I can make some permanent changes to my body and health.

CIC 2 Day 10

Test day!

I went in today calm and ready. We tested B1, B2, A1, and families (plus a fitness test and some sparring drills). I passed!

I am now a full instructor for Krav Maga. It was one of the hardest things I ever did, and I made a lot of progress.

Now I’m drinking beers with my friends and defragging.

CIC 2 Day 9

Today we did our teaching tests before lunch. I wasn’t nervous while I was teaching, but I was so relieved when my lesson was over. I still have ways to improve, but I passed. All that’s left now is the physical skills test.

We practiced after lunch and did some yoga to cool down. I feel so ready and serene. I was fairly calm this morning, but when we bowed out this evening, I felt so focused and ready.

Tomorrow we meet at 9 to do our final test. Tonight, we rest.

CIC 2 Day 8

Today we covered one final technique (one used for getting through a crowd) and then prepared for a demonstration. Right before we left to do that, we took our written test. Everyone passed!

The demonstration was, no joke, at a renaissance faire. We got to enjoy the faire a bit as well as show off our technique.

When we got back to the gym, we had a short lunch break and then went over our B2 and A1 skills (plus some “families” of related techniques). Then we did some light sparring and called it a day.

I took a pretty hard blow to the head. It stunned me, but I kept going. I have a nice knot coming up, but I don’t think I have a serious injury.

My roomies and I went out for dinner. I had a soak when we came home, and my final lesson plan (for the class – obviously I’ll make more for teaching) is done!

Also, thanks to practice today and the mock B1 test we did before, I’ve done everything I will do during my skills test on Sunday. I feel at ease. I’ve practiced all I can, and I feel confident in my work.

I’m simultaneously nervous and calm. Tests can be stressful for me, but I also know I’m prepared. It’s a weird place to be.

CIC 2 Day 7

Today we worked on lifted bear hugs in the morning. We learned some tools for working with tall people who are unlikely to be picked up off the ground during regular practice.

We also did a mock test. I understand the skills we covered, but I get nervous and make bonehead mistakes. I hope that doesn’t trip me up on Monday.

I led the afternoon warm-up. I felt much more like myself today than I did yesterday. It was a good warm-up, and I’m working on being more mindful with my language.

After that, we took turns doing stress drills and final drills from the lessons we prepared. Finally, we studied the curriculum. I studied some skills that I haven’t practiced very much but are crucial to my test.

We received our assignments for our teaching test. I’m fortunate to have drawn a skill that I’m comfortable with. I started on my lesson plan tonight, and I’ll do the rest tomorrow.

All in all, I’m nervous because I want to do well. I need to trust my abilities and trust my principles, and I’ll be fine. All I can do is my best.

We’re down to the last few days!