That means that the senseis think my performance of enpi kata is adequate to grade on. (You have to get three tips on your belt, for combinations, kata and semi-freestyle sparring, before you can grade.) I wasn't even going for any tips. I just did the course because it was compulsory for brown and black belts. At the start of the course, I didn't know all of enpi and I couldn't do the jump.

This course really brought home how much fitter and stronger I need to be, as a brown belt. Afterwards I was just exhausted. I sat on the floor, drank Lucozade and ate cake for twenty minutes until I had the energy to get up and get changed. (Much like after the Halesowen Aquathlon, where I spent twenty minutes sitting on the changing room floor, eating cake, rubbing moisturiser into my chapped belly, and staring into space.) In a year or less, I'm going to have to do that, plus a four-to-six hour grading afterwards. Oh god.

OKAY! Now I'm off to the gym.

I had my first capoeira class yesterday. It lasted three hours, and subsequently I hurt. It's zero-contact! Why do I hurt? (Because it requires leg strength and flexibility that I just don't have. Yet.)

I like it, I think. It's so totally different from karate that years of muscle memory is kicking my ass. I see a kick coming, I smack it out of the way and counter with a punch. Or I catch it and knock them over. I certainly don't turn my back on my opponent and do a cartwheel!

I went with falling_softly, and we were both very shy. I think we found it difficult, too, because we're used to the Japanese etiquette of karate. When in doubt, "osu, Sensei" and bow. Karate is honour-based and capoeira is trickery-based. Karate is lawful and capoeira is chaotic? Yes, that works.

I was also amused that my martial arts career has gone Kyokushin karate --> quick dabble in Southern mantis kung fu and kick-boxing --> Shotokan karate --> capoeira. I started off with the nasty full-contact stuff, and got gentler over the years.