Exceptional Student Oct 2016
Amina F.
Big congratulations are in order for Amina, the Hikari Ryuza Center’s newest “Student of the Quarter!” Amina has earned her position through hard work, dedication, maturity, and kindness toward her fellow students. We interviewed her so everyone could get to know her a little better. Without further ado, we present: Amina!
Interview with Amina
by Professor Shizumi
P: How old are you?
A: 14 Years Old; recently turned 14.
P: What grade are you in?
A: I’m in 8th grade.
P: When did you start training in Hikari Ryuza Bujutsu?
A: I’d say the end of 2011. I’m not that good at remembering dates, but it’s been about 4 years.
P: What is your favorite roll?
A: Bogyo Mae Chugaeri, along with Tobi Mae Chugaeri – Still need to progress.
P: How about your favorite fall?
A: Hiji Sutemi. I feel like my favorite things are the ones that are hardest for me to get.
P: And what is your favorite technique?
A: Oh my goodness; Arm Hold Four on Jokyu Yawara.
P: Why is that your favorite?
A: I really like the drunken monkey part in the beginning, and beautiful juxtaposition between letting someone continue doing what they started.
P: Do you have a favorite color?
A: I would say my favorite color is blue because I absolutely love all shades of blue, but I do wear a lot of black
P: What about a number?
A: 13. I don’t know why… I’ve always liked that number.
P: Can you tell us something about yourself that maybe not everyone would know?
A: I have the potential to be really serious and attentive towards something and at other times to be very lax and go with the flow. A lot of people don’t know this about me because they only see one or the other.
P: What are your reasons for studying Hikari Ryuza Bujutsu?
A: My first reason is that it continuously pushes me to learn new things and work on improving something to become better. My second main reason that brings me to class every time is the people that I get to spend time with.
P: What are some of the important things you are learning?
A: To not complain. When I was younger and I came here, I learned not to say the “c” word and that complaining if I wasn’t able to do something was not going to get me anywhere. In conclusion I’d say that not complaining is definitely something I’ve learned.
P: Why do you think you were chosen as the Student of the Quarter?
H: That’s a big question. Personally, I have felt a change in the way I approach my training and the amount of energy and devotion I have, and after this change I was given this privilege by you and SGm. My theory is that this new insight that I have towards my training was and is manifested in the quality of participation that I bring with me, and therefore it was recognized with this honor.
P: If you wanted to invite a friend to Bujutsu, what would you say?
A: I think it depends on the friend that I’m talking to because I think that you need to talk to people in different ways to invoke their interest, but for example for a friend that is interested in Martial Arts I would tell them: ‘Aside from this system being really, really awesome, there is an experience that comes with it, which can be taken into your life and improve your life later on regardless of what rank you achieve, and it gets better the longer you stay.’
P: What is your favorite part of class?
A: I have two favorite parts. My first is stretching and a bonus of stretching is talking to people and seeing how their week has been going. My second is working with someone who has a lot more knowledge than me because I can learn additional things from them, not just about techniques.
P: How far do you want to go in your Bujutsu?
A: I would like to be a junior black belt. It would mean a lot to me, but this is not necessarily as far as I want to go.
P: Is there anything else you would like to add before we conclude this interview?
A: No, not at the moment. I did enjoy getting interviewed though.