It had been ages since Jaime had tested. No matter how many times he had faced a panel of black belts who judged his every move, Jaime was still nervous. He was used to drawing attention, usually the negative kind. Being judged was a state he was familiar with, but this time he wanted to live up to the expectation he saw in Sempai Tyler’s eyes. The kindness in his eyes and the way he treated Jaime made him feel like anything was possible, even if Jaime wasn’t so certain. For Sempai Tyler, Jaime wanted to be better than he even believed he could be.
Everything was going according to every other grading that Jaime had taken part in. Over the years he’d spent in judo, Jaime had become familiar with the drill of testing. Basics at a blistering pace. Forms repeated ad nauseam. History and phil
