Last night, I earned my Nidan (second-degree black belt) in Okinawan Kenpo and Kobudo!

I had a lot of anxiety leading up to the test because, over the past few months, I’ve been sick and injured, limiting my usual training. Before I left for the test, I posted a quote from my former Kajukenbo Sifu: "When you make a mistake, make it the best damn mistake they ever saw because it’s your mistake, and you made it!"

That advice came to fruition.

At the very beginning of my tonfa kata, I dropped one of my tonfa. In our system, you're not supposed to pick it up, because in a real fight, doing so could leave you vulnerable. Plus, in our style, the movements with weapons can be used just as effectively empty-handed.

People often say, “I’m not going to train with any weapon I won’t have in a fight.”

We say, "It doesn’t matter. You can use the same movements empty-handed. Each weapon teaches you something unique about grappling. While nothing is better than training with a partner, when you don’t have one, your weapon becomes your partner."

So, I proceeded with one tonfa in my left hand and my right hand empty. I demonstrated that I could fight effectively both with and without the weapon.

With my left hand, I showed my proficiency with the tonfa. With my right hand, I proved that the same movements work empty-handed.

The judges were very impressed!

When I finished the kata they asked me questions about it. They ask me to demonstrate bunkai (applications from the kata) in which I showed how I used my tonfa in my left hand to trap my opponent’s striking arm and pulling it in while delivering a right hand hammer fist to his temple— illustrating how the same movement is just as effective without the tonfa.

Truly, it was the best damn mistake they ever saw. And it was my mistake, and I made it!