Chapter 13: The dreaded date for grading had arrived...

Its hard to believe that this time last year I was panicking about my first grading to White belt and now I was to grade for Orange... eek!
The only thing that I was looking forward to was having some circulation in my hands and feet as my last grading was in October and it was freezing!
So I turned up nice and early, purly to quell the butterflies zooming around at supersonic speed in my stomach to find the three grading examiners had decided on wearing Hakkanmas for the evening. Now don't get me wrong I like Hakkanmas, but the fact is a scary black belt becomes a really really scary black belt once they put on a Hakkanma.
Anyway, to cut to the chase so to speak, I did it! I graded to Orange, Yipee! I was aching all over, dripping like tap with sweat and covered in brusies, but I don't care, I did it!