Back to the dojang.

I finally got my knee brace about two weeks after the February entry. It fits perfectly and while I've read a lot of material that's discussed how the post-op knee brace doesn't necessarily protect my knee from ACL reinjury, it still feels more appropriate for me to wear it for now. My surgeon told me that I should wear it until I feel comfortable working out/playing sports without it, which could take a long time (A year? Two years? Don't know . . .). It's a pretty lightweight brace - weighs about a pound and has been set to prevent my knee from hyperextending. I initially had to get used to activity with the brace on; six weeks later, the only thing I'm still not used to is being able to stretch my leg all the way.

I've been working with Cindy and Francis every Sunday for two hours on forms, from white belt to first degree black belt. Cindy has been an amazing help, pointing out the (millions of) areas for improvement. Granted, Francis and I have had to work on basics at this point to make sure our performance of the forms looks much better, but we now understand why each technique is executed the way it is.

During Wednesday forms classes, I'm able to take my learning from Cindy (who learns directly from JHK) to the other black belts. It's great to see someone's improvement over a period of time, especially when you know that you've helped them on that road to being better. Some of the black belts I've been in class with now know the nuances that Cindy first made me aware of, since I've been there to offer constructive criticism. It's times like these when I want to keep working towards at least third degree. Who knows if I can get there with my knee the way it is . . .

I'm looking forward to the test, even if it gives me butterflies in my stomach. I've been working hard for this and I know that I will do well when the time comes.