2nd 1st Degree Black Belt

I had gotten my 1st degree black belt through Master Yu in Ann Arbor, then changed schools to Kerry Roops Superkicks. Mr. Roop said he would honor my black belt, but I felt I had to prove to the club that I was worth my rank.
The test took place in a building that had a gymnastics floor. It was very springy. I had never even walked on a floor like this let alone worked out on one. It was way cool! Sort of.
Mister Roop's instructor, Master Yu (different Master Yu), was the judge and Mr. Roop ran the test. I had to do all my patterns from white belt through black belt. I had to do 1, 2, and 3 step sparring. I had to free spar one then two different people at once. What fun!!!! Fortunately, one of the two was a very small woman, so I grabbed her and used her as a shield against the young man who was trying to hurt me. Whatever it takes. I got a few kicks and hits in myself.
Then I had to break boards. Mr. Roop made me close my eyes and had people surround me with boards. He arranged them in the type of attack I would have to use to break the board, then told me to open my eyes and break. I had to assimilate where the boards were and what my best attack would be as fast as I could - either hand or foot. Then came the real test. I had to do a flying side kick into 5 boards and break them all.
Remember the gymnastics floor? I didn't. My first attempt my foot went over the top of all the boards. I fell on my back feeling like a fool. I laughed and picked myself up for my second attempt.
My second attempt was spot-on, but instead of powering my way through I snapped the kick and broke the last board, not all of them.
Master Yu stopped the test and told Mr. Roop to hand me a board and break it with my fist since it was the last board in the pile that I broke with my foot. That wasn't a problem. My adrenaline was so pumped that I broke that silly little 12x12 inch board with one pop of my fist.
Third attempt (and last attempt) I lined up and with everything I had and powered my way through all four boards. I landed with my left foot still cocked in the sword edge position. The floor absorbed my foot and didn't give me the time to land flat-footed. I went down.
The next thing I remember was Mr. Roop leaning over me and asking me a question. I said, "You want me to do what?" He said, "I asked you if you are o.k."
Nope. I wasn't. Bruce and another guy had to carry me off the floor. I couldn't stand up on my left leg. I refused to go to the hospital until the testing was over.
When I was finally diagnosed, I was supposed to go into the hospital as an out-patient for micro-surgery on my left knee to repair my ACL. They had to cut my knee on each side and completely re-attach my ACL. I woke up in a hospital bed with my leg in a cast from thigh to toes. Not fun. I had to stay three days.
Was it worth it? Oh, yeah. I love the martial arts.