Instructor Josh Gable, Marvin Duong, and I all passed our second degree tests on Saturday, April 12. Woo hoo!

So now what?

Getting better.

When I passed my first degree test, just over two years ago, I did not do so with any particular "flying colors." One or two things I did well. The applications, for example--I love the applications. But on most parts of the test, I did no better than adequately--and some things I could only have passed on the basis of effort rather than accomplishment. Gifts, really.

I felt better this time. My self-evaluation--take it for whatever you like, and Master Adams may beg to differ--is that I did really well on just over 1.5 hours of the material. Of course, put that in perspective: It was a 3.5 hour test.

The other ~2 hours weren't entirely terrible. Some of it was pretty good, and some, not bad. I was pleased, for example, to have improved markedly on forms like Buddha Palm that I have not "gotten" until the last few weeks. And most of my choreography is fine.

But a lot of it... Um... Well... Let's just say, "OH! MY! GOODNESS!!! Isn't there a lot of improvement to be had?!" There isn't a single form or style that couldn't use improvement. There isn't a single form or style that I don't wish I could express more richly, fully, and idiomatically.

But regardless of what I did good, bad, or indifferently on this one day, the Tao of Testing is far more important.

Tests are great "forcing functions": events that cause us to train especially diligently, to try to get "everything right." But at our low level of expertise, of course everything isn't right. A lot of it isn't good. The more I train, the more I do right, sure--but also, the more I see how much isn't right, isn't good. My skill and technique improves, but my perception also improves--often out-pacing the improvement in my ability.

But that's OK. It's feedback--whether my own understanding of what and how I'm doing, or from an instructor--that "completes the circle."

If I understand what I need to do better--if I can see what needs to be improved--I can work on it. If I couldn't see, I might be happier with my performance, but I wouldn't have any solid understanding of what to improve.

A few years back, Scientific American ran an article ("The Expert Mind,") about how one becomes an expert, in whatever field. The article is more than worth reading, but long story short, experts are made, not born--and the way they are made is through continued "effortful study." It's not enough to go through the motions many times; that's why there are so many "duffers" who've played golf for many years, or so many lousy drivers, even after years of driving. One has to work at a thing--constantly, effortfully, mindfully--to master it. It's about finding what's weak, and making it better; and finding whatever is strong, and (pardon the trite but appropriate phrase) "taking it to the next level."

Through my test, I was delighted. Delighted that I could participate--that I could do things at a reasonable enough level to take part in this test. Delighted that I could see--even in the places I didn't especially like what I saw. Two years back, I could not possibly have done this; five years back, when I started training, it was unthinkable. I rejoice in that development--and the similar progression and improvement I seen in many others in training.

I am better than I was, not as good as I will be. It's all about the Tao.

Now, back into it...