Surprise!

First live IHC class last night.

For those of you that don't know me, I'm the type of person that likes to be prepared.  I like to know what to expect.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I like surprises that involve balloons....gifts....puppies....cash....but otherwise I don't like to be caught off guard.  This is why you'll see me post questions about upcoming events or classes.  And if you recall....I specifically posted the following question recently...verbatim...

Hello Team! Tomorrow will be my first live IHC Formal Class. Is this an instructor led class or more like open training? Should I be bringing my knives? Is there anything else I should be prepared for?

Just for future reference, I feel like demo'ing our forms in front of the entire class of 30(ish) should have fallen under that last inquiry. 🤔😂  I won't lie....I was not expecting that last night....and I had a mild panic attack.  One good thing about the masks is nobody saw my jaw drop.  I literally found myself doing a quick head count....glanced at the clock....and thought to myself "oh Sifu Brinker will let me be last for sure....or maybe I won't even have to go because it's my first class..."  

I should know Sifu Brinker better by now.

If anyone heard that massive pounding sound...that was my heart.  I think I now know what the beginning of a heart attack feels like.  But what was I going to do?  Decline???  It's my choice to be there!...so I walked out there and just did it.  Well I think I did.  I actually don't remember much in detail now.  There's actually one spot where I switch my knife to my left hand and I need to be careful to turn my blade at that same moment.  I don't remember doing that...so I might have been attacking my opponent with the spine of the blade.  Thank goodness for fake opponents right??  But most likely nobody was watching anyways.  Oh wait...that's right....literally everyone was watching. 🤣

But honestly, and joking aside.....it was A-MA-ZING.  What a surreal experience to be training together with so many of the people that train me....that are my mentors.

I can't even fathom the stuff I'm going to be exposed to and the things I'm going to learn being a part of this group.  CanNOT wait until the next class.