My Brick, My Buddy, My... Nemesis? (And Other Tales of Costa Rica Prep Insanity)

Alright, folks, gather 'round. This is it. The grand finale. The culmination of our year-long training saga, and the final chapter in our Costa Rica journey. And yes, it involves a brick. Yes, a literal brick.

Let's rewind to January 5th. Shihan Ray, bless his heart, decided our knuckles needed a serious upgrade. Apparently, punching air just wasn't cutting it. Enter: The Brick. We were instructed to acquire a brick, name it (more on that hilarious chaos later), and treat it like our new best friend, or worst enemy, depending on the day.

Shihan Ray with his brick

Lucie and Lise challenging each other

Mady in action

Four times a day, for at least 15 minutes, we were to commune with this brick. Knuckle push-ups, knuckle stands (yes, STANDS, for up to TWO MINUTES), you name it, we did it. Our knuckles went from delicate flower petals to something resembling… well, tougher flower petals, maybe. But definitely calloused.

And the names! Oh, the names. We had "Mrs. Umbridge" (because it relentlessly imposed painful 'educational decrees' on our knuckles), "The Punisher" (because it delivered swift, concrete-based justice to our hand weakness), and the ever-reliable "Dusty" (because, well, it was a brick, and bricks are dusty, and sometimes you need a reliable, if gritty, pal).

But the real test? Smashing Mrs. Umbridge, The Punisher, and Dusty (or just smashing, you get the picture). Yesterday was the day of reckoning. Everyone got a shot, unleashing months of hard work and brick-induced hand-pain. It was like a therapy session, but with more concrete dust and a lot of complex feelings about a piece of building material. We even let the kids have a go with big, padded gloves. It was a beautiful, chaotic mess, and a fitting end to the brick chapter.

Samuel and Cameron

Lea and Mark

Zachary and Jasmine

Now, here's the kicker: after all that training, after all those bricks, NO ONE who fought in Costa Rica did their grading while training. That’s right. We came back with sore knuckles, amazing memories and the need to get our belts.

So, what's next? Four weeks of intense training to get those katas sharp and those fights ready. We're talking 20 fights, folks. And for our green and brown belts? Boards, bricks, and… baseball bats.

Look, this whole brick thing, the relentless training, the constant push, it’s not just about breaking bricks or winning tournaments. It’s about pushing our limits, finding our inner strength, and maybe, just maybe, developing a slightly unhealthy relationship with a collection of named bricks.

So, to everyone training, to everyone pushing themselves, to everyone who’s ever named a brick: keep going! Keep pushing! And remember, even when your knuckles are screaming, and you’re covered in concrete dust, there’s always a good laugh to be had.

Osu! (And may your knuckles be forever strong)