Fifth Day : The Gradation Day
Our grading started from 8:30 in the morning. We were told to warm up within a short time. It was an indoor grading, on the large veranda of the first floor of the Youth Hostel. We were divided into two groups. In one group 5 senior sempeis (3 for shodan and 2 for nidan). Uttam Sempei and Santanu Sempei were appearing for nidan. On the other group were the other senior (age 15 and above) were appearing for belts up to brown. Including myself three persons were appearing for brown belt. One from Ajamgarh and the other from Uttar Pradesh. The first group were told to perform each technique 100 times, we three 50 times and the others 20 times. We always descended the first group. All was going fine, but we were running out of our breath, the ground was soaked with our sweat and the whole building shook with our roars of kiai.
First the seniors performed the kicking techniques and then we followed while they rested, etc. After the leg and hand techniques were completed we had our breakfast at about 10am. Then we were back to perform the ido-kihons and katas. I had to do kata pinan-yon. I performed with all my concentration. The whole building seemed to shake with my loud kiai. Then we had to do running, frog-jumps and duck-walks.
With this the morning session of the gradation was completed. Now, the only thing that was left was kumite (full-contact fight).
I really had nothing left in me after this session. My thighs were trembling with pain and had swelled as the double of the normal size. I had to pull myself to the dormitory bed and gulp two spoons of Glucon D (which I had bought just two days before). The dormitory was empty as all the others (who weren’t appearing for the gradation test) had gone to the sea. All the other times we had gone to the sea was for water training, but this time they had gone only to bathe. I missed it and I didn’t have the energy for the next 2 hours to go to the bathroom and bathe. I kept rolling in my bed soaring with pain all over my body.
They all came back after a while and we had our lunch. I could hardly keep my eyes open during the lunch. I came back limping to my bed and had a painful sleep.
I woke up at about 4 pm. Now we were taken to the vast green field for the last session of our gradation. As I said three students were appearing for the black belt (shodan). So, there had to be at least 30 fights.
These three started with great spirits and energy. They promised to drench out the last drop of dum they had in them. But after 6 or 7 fights they hardly had a single breath left in them, these big strong boys started to cry in agony --- every one of them. Big tears soaked their cheeks. Everybody around them inspired them, but in the fights the seniors gave them a very hard time, we could hear the sounds like drums and khols and every type of base instruments as punches and kicks landed on them.
Then one of my compatriots, Amit, had his turn of fight. After a while he started to use bangla punches and kicks. But a very sad incident happened which made the fights delay for a while. While he was fighting an orange belt student of the head quarters, Bablu, a very gentle and good guy, Bablu, suddenly turned back and Amit intentionally used a powerful Jodan Mawashigeri to kick right in the side of his face. All the seniors including Shihan gave him a stern look and warned him. But just after 9 seconds exactly the action reply of this incident happened. But this time he hit him with tremendous power. Blood came bursting out of Bablu’s nose and wetted all his upper gi, he crumpled down like a log and started to cry writhing in unbearable pain. This time Shihan came up and slapped 8 times on Amit’s face. The slaps were so hard that the sound echoed all through the field. He turned Amit immediately out of the field and cancelled his gradation. All of this labour was lost just for the mistake of a heated moment. Everybody swore not to talk with him anymore.
Then came my turn. I was very aware not to commit any foul. But the opposite happened. I fought 4 fights. None of my fights was very convincing, but in the last fight something terrible happened. I had been practicing a technique to rush to the opponent and throw him out of the fighting area. I had been doing this but somehow, while falling out of the arena, this orange belt from UP managed to land a Jodan Hizageri right in my larynx. For a moment my trachea was blocked then a tremendous pain in the throat engrossed me, but as the fighting time was not yet complete, I had to continue with the fight.
After that I realized that not a single sound could make its way through my throat. Hence silence started its reign in my throat for the next 2 months. This is really very irritating and highly painful. It was swollen like I had tonsils.
After a few more fights of the other seniors who had appeared for the gradation, this session came to an end and hence the gradation test came to an end with the dusk.
I limped back to my dormitory and crashed into my bed. I was taken into a deep sleep immediately and had a great night except waking up in pain of mosquito bites.
Sixth Day : Camp Fire & Shopping Day
I awoke very late the next day. We were taken for bathing in the sea. The beach was as usual very dirty and the water was muddy. However we went to somewhat deeper into the sea and bathed nicely. But as we came back to our dormitory our bodies and ear holes were full of sand and had to undergo another half-an-hour of bathing to get the sand off.
We then had our lunch and again slept. In the afternoon everybody went for shopping and I also bought some girlie things for bou, maa and bringshu. After coming back we had some cultural programs involving all. But I could not stay awake as my body was hurting and so I had another round of sleep. Then for the first and last time we had chilly chicken and fried rice at dinner. Though they were my favourite dishes, I could not eat much as my throat was hurting way too much and I was feeling very sleepy. There was somewhat partiality as the seniors got meaty pieces and we got the bones and blubber.
After that we had the camp fire. The fire was arranged by Proshanto Sempei. Wooden planks and dry sticks were arranged in a conical fashion, while barrels of kerosene oil were poured into it. Everybody danced round the huge fire arranged inside the campus and sang along with the music system. After a while I came back. Prosenjit sempei did a great dance with a classic party dress. Western rock music, Indian film songs, pop songs ruled the charts. This was almost a whole night program. I could stay awake till 11pm, my bed was calling me so desperately that I couldn’t refuse it. I jumped into the bed and found myself immediately in a dreamland.
Thus our camp came to an end. We reached Harish Park by 6:30pm the next day. I found mother waiting for me in our world-famous goli. I had lot of tales to tell them. I also found out later that I had lost 10kg.s in the 6 days!
It was really an exciting experience, which will definitely possess a piece of my ROM for the rest of my life.
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