A two minute no-glove kumite match was my sparring test during my Shodan test for Uechi Ryu Karate Do and Shotokan Ryu Kime Karate Do. The test was October 4, 2008. My partner for the drill is Zach, who was promoted to Shodan in Shotokan a year ahead of me. The supervising instructor is Dr. Steve Velasquez, among other ranks he is a Nidan in Uechi Ryu Karate Do. I had taken two amateur MMA fights before this, but was still timid in my karate sparring. Zach shows me what a mistake that is. For Shodan I should have pushed the pace to prove myself, not waited back for Zach to take his shots. This round was the biggest glaring problem during the test. I’ve continued to train and learn from mistakes.