Gradings help you stay focused! In our busy day to day life it can be hard to see regular and obvious improvements. Working out at the gym, doing laps or regular jogging are all great, but who is there to challenge you? When are you asked to go a little harder, push a little further, Northstar Gradings do just that. As trainers we ask the question; Are you going for grading? If not why not?
Don’t just work out, go the extra distance and be rewarded when you achieve a result. You may work hard and gain more money, a better car, a bigger house, more responsibility, less time with the family. Northstar enables you to have some time for you AND keeps you motivated to stay in shape as you achieve small regular goals. The great part of this is it gives you a better and more alert state of mind, you feel better and healthier because you are fitter, so you perform better and are able to ‘go the extra distance’ in all you take on. Going for grading takes you the ‘extra distance’. It moves you past the mediocre and onto excellence, and you pass a lot of people on the way!
How was your grading experience? Would love to get your thoughts and feedback.
Dear Andy Sensei and Northstar crew,
What a fantastic grading, full of energy, with so many Juniors and adults grading to black belt, 2nd Dan and 3rd Dan!
We were pleased to have 11 of our students be part of this great event as part of their journey towards their black belt.
Thanks again for having us and we look forward to returning at the next grading.
Regards,
Rob, Corinne and everyone at Arrow Martial Arts
As a trainer it was awesome to see the spirit and committment of the students. Watching their endeavours challenges me to recommitt to improvement and striving for excellence.
The grading was challenging but rewarding. For me personally I proved to myself that I can come back from a setback stronger, better and more focused. In the lead up to grading the support from trainers and fellow students is just awesome, friendships are also made. Friday night grading, yes it very tough, but you feel like you are not going through it alone, the vibe of the night is hard to describe.
So my next goal, attempt to grade again in September!
Dear Sensei Andy, it is a privilege to train under you and be in your training team.
I am humbled to be presented with my Black Belt and will do you proud.
Thank you to everyone who helped us through this weekend. We couldn’t have done it without the fine support crew.
Jack
The grading was amazing!! I was lucky enough to be there for the three days and I could see how far the red belts were pushed, and that made me want to go that extra step! In doing so I saw how far I could go, and how far I could push myself in the future. It was also really good to see all those kids training with us, at every grading they get better they get faster and stronger, and I think they don’t realise it untill we push them and it clicks that they have never gone that hard or fast before!
Thank you Northstar for this amazing experience!!!
People asked me today at work what a blackbelt meant. I couldn’t offer anything tangible, so I settled on a response that what it signified was an individual’s desire to be more than mediocre. Everything around us wants to drag us back down to mediocrity (the office, the pub, the television, our aloof domestic interactions), so a blackbelt must therefore be the polar opposite of medicore. It demands better of us. This weekend, watching the junior blackbelts breaking boards, watching peope who had previously given up on themselves dig in, watching our red belts defy doubt to complete 100 breakfalls. Thats what its all about, and i dont refer to martial arts, I refer to life.
Well, the grading has come and gone, BUT WHAT A GRADING. Going for my Black Belt was one of the most physically demanding challenges I have ever undertaken. I have also realised how weak and strong the mind can be and what can be achieved when you control your thoughts. As for the grading, the support from the Northstar community was unbelievable, I can’t recall being as nervous for anything else. The Friday evening session was physically challenging and I was pushed to my absolute limit. Saturday sparring was brilliant as this was the one component I have never enjoyed so to walk away on Saturday with “that was fun” was a great feeling. As for Sunday, well, the nerves kicked in again and I had to remind myself to take a few deep breaths and to be still throughout the day as I was close but at the same time not quite there.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Matt, Mel and Mei Lei for their guidance over the last few years and all my fellow students and teachers who have helped in achieving the above result.
From a very brused student
Hadley
I found it very challenging to learn the self-defence syllabus for this grading so I felt a great sense of achievement upon receiving my red belt yesterday. I couldn’t have done it without the skill and efforts of trainers, the black belts who guide and encourage us and all my fellow students. Thanks everyone.
My first ever grading on the side lines, proved to be an eye opener. Instead of being pre occupied with my own grading, I witnessed a huge collective energy that was nothing less than inspiring. The comradary, raw emotions that surfaced, the spirit ( and a sea of red sweaty faces), although sounding like a cheesy cliche, all were there, and are the things that made the weekend awesome, and left me itching for the next round! Well done everyone!
I wasn’t grading this time around, but I was lucky enough to be a part of the sparring support group for the red belts on Saturday. Not only was it great fun to spar against some controlled and determined opponents, it was eye opening to see a small part of what it takes to be a black belt. My respect for everyone who has passed this milestone has gone through the roof as a result. While fitness played a large part in getting them through the weekend, it was their sheer determination and willpower that kept them going through twenty rounds of exhausting fights.
I look forward to taking part in grading sparring in the future helping others, and hopefully as part of my own journey.
Andy Sensei,
Gradings are such a personal experience…it’s hard to capture the raw emotions felt by individuals as they complete each belt level, and achieve their own significant milestones. Each grading throws up unique challenges, and last weekend’s was no dififerent. I try to use gradings to sharpen my focus and push myself a little further, and I find it a great way to learn new things about myself and about how I react under pressure.
Thank you for sharing the awesome Northstar system of martial arts with all of us.
Grading for my black belt was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. Over the three days you really do learn more about yourself and forget the word ‘can’t’.
Of course, this achievement would not have been possible without the unconditional training and support from the Northstar trainers along with the continual encouragement from fellow students.
Rick V
Unfortunetly this time wasn’t my time to grade, but it truly was awe dropping all the energy and focus that was exhibited in every single person aiming to achieve their next level in their martial art journey. The friday night was packed full of sweat and spirit and the energy in the room truly filled me and hopefully everyone else in the room and the technique in everyone’s multiple defence was truly amazing. Saturday, the red belts showed all their ferocity and concentration while maintaining a safe sparring situation for the people helping out on the day. It was inspiring to see that every single red belt successfully finished 20 rounds with plenty of energy. The board breaks on sunday were amazing, unfortunately i didn’t get the privilege of being there during the kids grading but the junior black belts did the trainers proud with their board breaks.
Congratulations to every single person who graded at the winter super session and succeed.
AP
I have always believed the joys and challenges of being a parent was one of the few things in life that you really needed to experience to understand…..and can now add the journey to the ‘end of the beginning’, becoming a First Dan Black Belt, to that very short list of life experiences.
There is a great sense of pride and achievement from having ‘physically’ fulfilled the requirements. It is even more fulfilling when I recall the absolute commitment from the entire ‘organisation’. The clarity of leadership from Andy, extraordinary support from the black belt group in class and in more subtle ways such as occasional comments in the past few weeks along the lines of ‘yes, that’s it, you will be ready’, the other red belts who were selfless in their support of each other, and the yellow belt who apologised for hitting me to hard on Saturday, smile.
Sunday’s board breaks were a great example of technique under pressure, and yet in the end collectively we made it. I have seen a couple of different videos of the throws and it really is a great testament to our conditioning, commitment and the support we receive….as with my practice three weeks earlier around throw 34 I was still ‘thinking’ and by 62 had embraced and accepted the situation, in the 90’s I had to keep going…it wasn’t about me any more, thanks!
John