Profile (recorded February 2009):

Sensei: Melonie Mitchell

Grade: Black belt

Favourite Kata: Sepai

Favourite Technique: Sumo Stance (It’s not that I’m good at it but it is the stance that challenges me the most)

Dojo: Emu Plains Primary School Thursday Nights (7.00pm to 8.30pm)

Memorable Moments:After 9 years of training there have been many moments that I can draw back on and smile.
One was when my class did so much fund raising to get me to the UK for the World Titles. I won a second and
third over there but to know that I had such support back home was humbling.
Another was the friendship I had when I went for my black belt. There were 3 of us girls (known as the 3
Amigos) who trained and supported one another so well that it made that grading such a great day. If I
can say - find a group of friends who have similar goals and it makes the journey so much easier.

Words of Wisdom: I am a chaser! I chase my goals so hard sometimes that I do nothing but frustrate
myself. I don’t acknowledge my small achievements on the way to the big picture and try so hard to get
there that I just manage to trip myself up all the time. That was until a very wise man told me to “Let
the butterflies land” That was my saying for the rest of my life. Sometimes you just have to stop chasing
butterflies and just let them land. Reflect on what you have achieved and count the blessings of each
lesson you go to – each is a butterfly that has just landed. It is up to you whether you take notice of it
or not. If you have ever had your sensei say “just relax a little” Then you know what I mean. Many
times we try so hard that it is impossible to relax so we slow our technique down because there is effort
in every part of the technique. The strength is at the end of your movement, not all the way through. If
you trust yourself that you know what you’re doing and let your sensei guide you then you can have
faith enough to relax. The only thing that stops us becoming a black belt or even the next grade is not
training – Try to reflect on the journey not so much the goal.