Well… Level Testing was held yesterday. Level 1, 2 & 3 students were tested. And, although in attendance, Level 4 students didn’t test. For them, the day was a review of prior Level material as well as some material for their Level.
Past practices for testing have been that each Level was tested separately. You would start out with a review of the required material to go from your current Level into the next. Once that review was finished, the actual test began. Now… as you can imagine, once the review was completed, you’re exhausted. And that’s where Krav Maga instructors want you. They take students to a point where they think they’re about to quit.
Yesterday’s Level Testing was done differently. There were no reviews. All reviews were conducted over the past two weeks. This past Friday’s class afforded all students the opportunity to review any technique(s) that they felt needed further review.
Level 1, 2 & 3 students took their tests together. Everyone started at 9:30 with the Level 1 material. Once the Level 1 test was completed, Level 1 students were excused and the remaining Levels continued with Level 2 material. Once the Level 2 test was completed, Level 2 students were excused and the remaining Levels continued with Level 3 material. Once the Level 3 test was completed, Level 3 students were excused, but although utterly exhausted, the Level 3 students stayed to review the Level 4 material. I think that’s called esprit de corps!
Knowing that we were going to be testing for several hours nonstop, I prepared like a marathoner. I hydrated heavily during the week and carbohydrate loaded Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday morning, my breakfast consisted of a Met-Rx drink and a banana. Thirty minutes before testing I took a pre-workout drink called Arnge Krush. During the testing I consumed 96 ounces (approximately 3 litres) of an electrolyte drink called e-Fuel. I had 4 Balance bars with me, but I didn't have time to consume them during the testing. Two of those bars ended up being my post testing meals during the ride back home. Next time I'll take a post workout meal like After Glow.
After all of that, I still ended up cramping. About the time we got to the Heel Kicks in the Level 3 material, my right calf was cramping up on me. I guess after four and one half hours, something had to start breaking down on this old body. And, of course, every muscle was sore by then. The only injuries I sustained were a strained right thumb and some scratches and bruises on my right forearm.
So… I now start the process of recuperation for a couple of days and then get right back into the Krav Maga training mix. Hooah!
