I had only two weeks notice of my Shodan grading. Even though my Mum and Dad told me to learn all the history and theory, I had to learn loads in this short time and it was hard work. I had a lot of help from the Dan grades at Clapham which I am very grateful for.
I was dropped off at the Kempston Dojo and I was a little nervous. I was confident I knew my kata, kumite sets and the history and theory. I was nervous about free style kumite and the thought of fighting the adult Dan grades made me more nervous. The best bit of the grading, other than getting awarded Shodan, was when I pinched Sensei Waterhouse to get out of a head lock.
I was exhausted after the grading but very proud to have achieved my first black belt.