... and a fly crawled into my nostril.

[still learning]

Yesterday was discussing my recent attempt at 6th dan [Iaido]..... and was detailing the disastrous day I had had.

1 hour before lunch-break on grading day I caught my big toe in hakama in mid-kata moves. Toe dislocates; I fall face down [holding a shinken on a very busy floor].; in falling... toe somehow manages to snap down and fold under my foot....
Toe breaks - - nails splits - - -blood flows.....
Left the floor; medic-aid occured; ice-pack applied; pain-killers consumed. Band-aid and strapping applied.

4 hours later - - went out and tried to perform; did pretty well - - considering....

After 1st kata; withdrawing to 'start position'; fly lands on upper lip.
I try to snort it away; no joy.......... I snort again, whilst lowering into tate hiza..... still no joy.

Bastard fly walked up my right nostril - - - I snort HARD...... but it's feet are stuck [I think].
After 2 seconds of consideration - -- I raised my right hand, smoothly - - gracefully - - with Zanshin..... and squished it inside the nose.

Carried on!......................... strangely - - was not awarded Rokudan.

Any other disastrous distractions or calamities out there?

[Scott H]

dafuq did i just read?

[Lloromannic]

This is the best thing I have read.

[Mr Yellow]

Were you able to get any feedback from the judging panel afterwards?

[tango]

can't say i've had any kind of calamity close to that in kendo... nor have I seen/heard anything close to that in iaido... WOW!

[dillon]

reminds me of this

[Tort-Speed]

That was great (though not not-passing). 6-dan attempt will be more remembered thusly than if you'd passed!
(Only semi-disaster...so far...happened before mastering the art of standing pee whilst in full attire, into that faraway receptacle of a Japanese squat-type toilet in the floor. Got hakama a bit damp but luckily, on an inside fold of a blue one: felt bad rubbing against leg for rest of keiko.)

[Wookiesmurf]

This is secondhand, but my sensei told me the story of how she was really sick in the days leading up to her kyudo sandan grading.

Because she had a high fever, she didn't have the energy to check her equipment beforehand, but figured it'd be OK. Come grading day, as she's drawing her first arrow, she realizes too late that her bow isn't strung as tautly as she thinks it is, causing her to draw the bow back too far and drop the arrow on the floor.

Apparently she kept her cool and went through the motions, instead of (gracefully) diving for the arrow, but still managed to fail spectacularly.

[MiddleEarthNet]

Yesterday was discussing my recent attempt at 6th dan [Iaido]..... and was detailing the disastrous day I had had.

1 hour before lunch-break on grading day I caught my big toe in hakama in mid-kata moves. Toe dislocates; I fall face down [holding a shinken on a very busy floor].; in falling... toe somehow manages to snap down and fold under my foot....
Toe breaks - - nails splits - - -blood flows.....
Left the floor; medic-aid occured; ice-pack applied; pain-killers consumed. Band-aid and strapping applied.

4 hours later - - went out and tried to perform; did pretty well - - considering....

After 1st kata; withdrawing to 'start position'; fly lands on upper lip.
I try to snort it away; no joy.......... I snort again, whilst lowering into tate hiza..... still no joy.

Bastard fly walked up my right nostril - - - I snort HARD...... but it's feet are stuck [I think].
After 2 seconds of consideration - -- I raised my right hand, smoothly - - gracefully - - with Zanshin..... and squished it inside the nose.

Carried on!......................... strangely - - was not awarded Rokudan.

Any other disastrous distractions or calamities out there?

This just cheered me up no end. I can't stop smiling at the comedy of it.

Bad luck on your grading though.

[still learning]

This just cheered me up no end. I can't stop smiling at the comedy of it.

Bad luck on your grading though.

I am so glad that you see the humour............. although, at the time, [literally - during the grading] it did not seem even slightly humourous.
Agony messages from right foot - - and 'disgust' messages from right nostril - -kind of undermines 'mushin'.

A few years ago I was observing some 4th dan candidates........ in Brighton; I was behind the grading panel.

I noticed that one chap [Stefano, Swiss guy (I believe)] had a developing problem. His grading number - written on a sticky-backed piece of paper - was about to fall off.
It duly did - immediately after reiho - as he was standing up and turning left...... preparing to offer 'Oroshi' [from memory].
As he turned - the large, sticky thing became attached to his heel [right foot]. I was watching closely..... and adjudged that he was at a loss as to how to deal with this situation.[Definitely a 'slip hazard']
Helpful as ever - I smartly moved forward - signalling him to stop and hold his position; I bowed to Ishido Sensei et al, an apology for interupting the grading - moved towards the chap, knelt down and plucked the sticker from his foot. Before I could reverse away he grabbed my Gi and muttered 'Look at my face'.
He had a very large wasp on his right cheek!
Pulling out my tenegui, I brushed it to the floor and splattered it. [No-one grieves for wasps.........]
We all resumed our positions and carried on.

I believe he passed.