4th Dan Master Pretest During the Week

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST

June 11, 2012 was the first day of my six day pretest for 4th Degree Master. The first day was the "Mental Day" which was facilitated by my mentor, Professor Lisa Sargese. A little background of our history, Lisa was my college professor at Montclair State University in 2008. When I met her, I KNEW she would be the one to teach me things psychologically and spiritually that would help me reach new levels in my training. I told her back then she was going to be my "mental training mentor."

I don't know how much she believed me back then, but sure enough my premonitions are ALWAYS right. A year ago I had breakfast with her at this quant little restaurant and I told her about this six day test and I wanted HER to be a part of it. Once again, I don't know if she realized what I was getting her into, because here we were one year later and here she is running the first day of my Pretest for 4th Degree Black Belt!

The first day Lisa set up as an educational seminar type setting where I had to do question-answer on psychological and philosophical notions we've learned based on psychology, the law of attraction, qigong, hypnosis, and aromatherapy. I had to demonstrate suggestibility tests, muscle testing, put someone under hypnosis and do depth testing, apply essential oils to emotional releasing, and create an oil as well. We filled up three hours of everything! It was so fitting to do all the skills I wanted to acquire as a master and to have THE mentor who made it all possible there to run it. It's funny when you are in the very moment where you find life coming into a full circle.

Professor Lisa Sargese questions me about the law of attraction.

Me putting Miss Volk under hypnosis for depth testing

Applying essential oils for head ache.

June 12, 2012 was day two, "Conditioning Day" which began with part 1 at 11am in the morning with Mr. Valentino. We had accomplished many physical challenges I have done in past Black Belt tests that were my goals to overcome and to not only accomplish them but to do them in harder iterations which Mr. Valentino came up with magnificently, and beating my personal best each time. Things like hopping on one leg for five minutes, sitting position for five minutes, planks for minutes, I did a fit test where I had to do push ups, sit ups, punches, kicks, and combos totaling a specific number (I broke 500), and then a circuit where I did a total of 5,000 jumping jacks 100 kettle bell squats, and 1000 jump ropes, beating my personal time in between each set.

Part 2 of conditioning was run my Mr. Lisciandrello who started me right off with 5,000 jumping jacks (that totaled 10,000 jumping jacks for the day--my poor feet!), then I had to do a speed and agility obstacle course while wearing my gear. Robert made me do an abundance of speed drills, beating my personal best each time, stamina drills to test my endurance, muscle endurance drills, push ups, situps, I don't think anyone has ever done so much for a conditioning test! I was very proud of myself.

Robert knew that I had a deep fear inside of me, not having done a test like this in a long time. The question of whether I was still able to do what I used to be able to do in the old days. After the conditioning day, I really made a deep gash in that fear. I was so proud and so happy to have done what I did.

I had to do 10,000 jumping jacks for the day!

Speed and agility obstacle course with gear

Mr. Kranich showed his support by joining me in the abs drills. He knew I could do it.

I HATE push ups -___-

June 13, 2012 was Forms day. Lisa was nice enough to drive with me to Spotswood, NJ where I met with mentor Master Kevin Balon of Fastkix Taekwondo, District Director for AAU and President of NJ AAU Taekwondo. I did ALL of the ITF traditional Taekwondo forms with him for about 3 hours at his school. This was our last meeting before the real test. And Lisa got to see us work together and witness his great knowledge of the forms.

Almost as soon as we got back to TMAFC, my part 2 of the day began with three hours of Robert testing me on my forms. I know a total of 40 Taekwondo forms. I had to performs all the traditional Taekwondo forms, all the Olympic Taekwondo forms (both systems that I know), and all the Black belt forms. Then Robert challenged me to do forms backwards, blindfolded, facing different directions, start and end on the same points, doing them in time restraints and beating my best each time, and balancing a cup of coins on my head while doing them as well.

A lot of these drills were from past tests and of course Robert added his own spice to make them more challenging for me. I love forms and I had a blast. I smiled with each new challenge. But after doing all the forms that morning with Master Balon and having done ALL the conditioning for the six hours the day before, my body was feeling it. So it came a time to apply the little qigong I knew to stimulate qi, relax my muscles, and give me strength and focus when I needed it. I impressed myself with how much I was able to gather. EVERY TIME I did it, I achieved exactly what I was looking to do. And again, Robert asked me if I felt that I was able to do what I used to and THEN some. I did.

June 14, 2012-- Day 4 for "Self-Defense day", Mr. Valentino brought me to a martial arts school down south to meet a Krav Maga instructor.  My self-defense mentor, Master Samuel DeJesus has been teaching me the Haganah system of Krav Maga and this was a test on George's part for me to see how an outsider would view my form for this self-defense art, and see if I can pick up on anything new to bring to the table for part 2 of the test that night, and for the real test. It was great to train with George like that, it's always a great feeling to train with someone who loves it just as much as you do.

At night Robert had made me do an instructional way of explaining the different leverage and level of forces of self-defense and then demonstrate them. I did loe level escapes, higher level self-defenses, the high level Krav Maga that I learned that morning and from Master DeJesus, gun defenses, knife defenses, ground defenses, and had multiple people attack me, blind folded me, and I had to teach non-training people self-defense to show my ability to teach these systems.

Then June 15, 2012 was "Basics day" where on day five I demonstrated my basic blocks curriculum, kicks, and kicking combinations where I showed cleanliness of technique, stance work, foot positioning, balance and control, and test of focus. I had to stand on boards for while maintaining the stances for long periods of time, balance on stack of boards and kick with one leg for a certain number, and do all my combinations in a number of time. Then Robert threw in some boards breaking. I did a three board turning back hook kicks, two board ridge hand, two board jump spinning knifehand strike, a five board downward palm strike, and a five board sliding side kick. The boards I broke were one inch thick, 12 inches long, 10 inches wide.

I as very pleased with the first five days of testing. I had done more than I ever have on any Black Belt test before. I was really feeling like I was on my game. But the test was not over. It was always the last day that brought the most surprises, the most challenges, and I would need the most of myself. After being brought to my peak physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, the true test would be what I can bring forth as a master on the final day.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Yours in service,

A TRENTO