Tag Archives: Karate

Belt Tests!

Posted on by
2

Lex and I had belt tests last night. Lex tested for (and got!) his solid blue belt and I did my first belt test and got an orange belt. Lex hasn’t tested since last October (an admitted oversight on their part) and he was very happy to be testing again!

image

I love his concentration face!

Lex did several katas on his own. He is soooo brave!

The weapons katas no longer “count’ towards their belt progression, but they are encouraged to show them if they know them. Lex brought it!

image

New belt, blue belt!

Eve is taking a break from karate this month while she’s doing Girls On The Run (they are on the same days and she was exhausted after doing both for awhile!) so she didn’t test today. She was mentally ok with it ahead of time, but kind of fell apart during and after the test. Turns out seeing Lex progress without her was harder than she expected. We talked about ways for her to catch up and I *really* hope she gets back to karate next month!

The kids’ belt test ran long, of course, so we ate a super rushed slice of pizza for dinner then hurried back to the dojo for my belt test! Fortunately there were only seven adults testing, not nearly 50 like the kids, and we were all very low belts, so the whole thing was over and done with in 20 minutes, not the two full hours that the kids’ test ran!

Eve and Lex, once settled after our rushed dinner, were happy to watch me and cheer me on. Lex wanted to make an iMove of it, but the iPad is old an out of space (sooo sad!), so he just made some videos on my phone. He is a funny photographer!

image

Me in my white belt. I can’t deny Lex when he asks for a picture, since I take so many pictures of him! :)

That’s me on the far left, and my buddy Mike right next to me.

This is my first kata that I had to do all by myself!

I earned my first new belt! :)

I was so spaced and rushed (and hot!) after Lex’s test that I forgot to get a picture of him in his new belt. He took a picture of me in my new belt, but he didn’t get the belt in it and I look terrible, so you all don’t get to see it! :) But we got them and we are both very happy and ready to get started learning new katas!!

New weapons in karate

Posted on by
Reply

The dojo finished up the Tonfa sessions and moved on to Nunchaku, or nunchucks!  These look like the hardest weapons to learn! 

image

I was amazed no one smacked themselves in the head with these things!

I think the kids like the coolness factor of sticking them in their belts.  :-)

image

That's Lex on the right.

Also

Posted on by
1

Also, I told this kids this morning that I joined karate and they were super excited. All thoughts of embarrassment apparently forgotten. Eve offered to teach me the first kata and Lex said I would be great at it. They were so sweet. When they got home from school Eve asked how my karate class had gone and, when I told her I had trouble with one of the blocks, she demonstrated it for me and had me try it with her. So sweet. Lex did ask, hesitantly, if we would be belt testing together, but I reassured him that grownups test at different times than kids. I asked if he would come to my belt tests and he said “yes, definitely!”

Blue/white belt! (part 2)

Posted on by
2

Lex finally got his belt test tonight.  They took him from the regular lesson and brought him into the small dojo for a private belt test.  I really appreciate how understanding they are and how willing they are to work with the kids.  Lex was so disappointed that he missed the belt test two weeks ago and he was worried he’d have to wait for the next one.   It was so nice of them to do this private one for him.

image

They invited me in to watch. Lex did great. He was worried that he was rusty on a few of the katas, but he did them well anyway.

He rejoined the class after the test and at the end of class they gave him his new belt while everyone watched. There was lots of cheering. Sensei said that to earn a striped belt you need to demonstrate that you know all of the moves for all of the katas up to that belt, and to earn a solid you need to know them solidly with sharp movements and defined motions.

image

I love this picture because it looks like Eve is cheering for him. I don’t know if she was or if she was just jumping around (I was focused on him at this moment), but in the picture she looks like she’s giving him a big hooray! :)

image

Funny angle and zoomed. There were so many kids in the group today that I couldn’t get a good shot. Oh well. He’s got a blue belt with a white stripe now and a huge smile!

Karate

Posted on by
4
image

Straight-jacket? Giant marshmallow? Michelin man? Nope – just me and my new gi!

I signed up for karate today. That’s my big news of the day. They offer a buy 2-get 1 free (BTGO?) deal and since I’m already paying for the kids to go, I started thinking maybe I should try it too. It has been so beneficial for the kids and I’m at a point that I really need to do something with this body. I know a few other parents who have joined recently and I’ve been chatting with them.  They promise me it’s fun and they promise the Sempais won’t yell at me ’cause I can’t do proper push-ups.  :)

On the drive over today after work I was SUPER nervous. For no good reason. I almost backed out a dozen times or more. I even had to turn the radio off and have a serious chat with myself. What if I don’t like it (stop going). What if it’s too hard (it won’t be). What if the kids are better than me (they will be, at first) and I’m embarrassed (I will be, at first). What if I don’t have time (I don’t). Why am I being so lame (ummm…) I’m at a point where I really need to do something though, because my mind/body connection is out of whack.

I eventually talked myself in to going, or at least prevented my self from turning around and going home. Everyone was glad to see me and one of the Sempais that we know well gave me an hour long intro class, just one-on-one. It was embarrassing, and slightly uncomfortable, and just fine. Before and after we watched a bit of the adult class that was going on and we talked about how it was similar and different from the kid classes I’ve been watching for the past two years. When I was in the changing room at the end, a few other women were there too and they were all so nice and encouraging. One of them is someone I’ve seen around because her three kids do karate too, but I had’t ever really met her.  Now I have.

It was a good decision. I’m going to go back again on Wednesday for the next adult class. If I don’t chicken out! Wish me luck!

PS.  I haven’t told the kids yet.  Shhh…..  When I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was thinking about it, Lex said, “Mooom, that would be so embarrassing!”  I told Sempai Spencer the story today and he said, “Just tell Lex that my dad does karate too and it’s not too embarrassing!”  For those who don’t know, Spencer’s dad is the owner and Sensei of the dojo.  Big boss!  I will tell my little bosses soon enough.  I’m sure they’ll be happy for me, eventually.  :)  

Blue/white belt! (part 1)

Posted on by
2

Belt test day!

This is our life at the moment. Eve had a field hockey game and a belt test today, both at the exact same time. She put a lot of thought into it and decided to go to the belt test since they are fewer and farther between. (I was happy because I that meant I didn’t have to get the kids to two separate places at the exact same time!) Alan is out of town. He left early this morning. I had to work today and therefore had to rush the kids out the door early. Eve did walk-n-ride and I dropped Lex off at school early (early care, he hates it). He was a mess this morning – tired, fussy, slow. He also felt very hot, but I told myself it was just because he had been huddling under the covers and crying. Then I told him to have the nurse call me if necessary. She did. Right at the end of the day. I picked both kids up and he was clearly ill. The nurse said he had a fever of 99.5, but he was super pale and she said he was “paling” right in front of her. I brought them home and he fell asleep on the couch. I was left with an excited child ready for a belt test and a sleeping sick boy. Eve was so sweet and took great care of Lex, unpacking his backpack and getting him water and a blanket. So sweet.

It was a tough call for me, but I ended up writing Lex a note (I told him about it before he fell asleep) and taking Eve to the belt test. She did excellent and moved up from the “beginner belt range” to the “intermediate belt range.”

image

Look at that kick! She’s a powerful girl!

image

She’s also a very silly girl! She was actually standing still and serious, but when she saw me taking a picture… well…

image

Goodbye yellow belt! Hello blue!

Now, for the first time ever, the kids have different belts. Hopefully not for long though! Sensei said he would give Lex a separate test next week.

We got home and found Lex sitting up in the chair with a book. I tried to get a little dinner in him, but he got half way through a yogurt before sliding off the chair and on to the floor. I asked why he was on the floor and he said, “It’s the closest place I can find to lie down.” Back to the couch! A few minutes later that yogurt came right back up. :(

I’m feeling fortunate that my new job is only four days as a week so I don’t have to worry about missing work. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a sick boy home with me tomorrow.

I don’t mean to overshadow Eve’s belt test accomplishments! She did excellent on her test! I’m so impressed without strong and focused she is in karate. Apparently she did an entire kata with her tongue between her teeth. Sensei commented on it, as did a few friends who had a better view. I think the tongue helps her concentrate. :)

One busy week

Posted on by
Reply

We have had a busy week and a busy “stay at home” weekend and a busy week coming up! It’s the last week of school though, so maybe things will settle down a bit after that. Maybe.

Here are a few pictures of what we’ve been up to lately.

image

We are loving the Rick Riordan books. We are on book five, “The House of Hades.” Sometimes the kids like to fiddle with things or draw while I read. This is a picture Eve drew of Percy (middle) and Annabeth (left), following Bob the Titan (with Small Bob the cat on his shoulder) through the depths of Tartarus.

Last Thursday the kids had another belt test. They both did awesome and moved up from a yellow belt with a white stripe, to a full yellow belt. I was there for the beginning of the testing, but then I had to leave and go to the spring concert at my school. I was sad to leave their belt test, but I had responsibilities at the concert, and it was adorable. :) Alan was very impressed with the kids’ karate skills.

image

Can you find Eve and Lex from the back?

On Friday it was Crazy Hair Day in Eve’s classroom. Awhile back Eve and I were talking about her crazy hair and joking about how funny it would be to straighten her hair for the next Crazy Hair Day at school. She woke up Friday morning and said, “Oh, Mom, today is Crazy Hair Day!” Not a lot of prior notice, but we managed to get it straightened and still get everyone to school and work on time. Actually, it was much quicker than I was expecting. Her hair is fine and thin, so the straightener did it’s job quickly.

image

Half curly, half straight. A work in progress. Maybe we should have left it like that. Would that be extra crazy or just half crazy?

image

Straight hair. Mostly. I noticed later when looking at the picture that there are still some waves in there. :) I love her face in the mirror.

image

Who’s that girl?! That hair. That face. That big girl look. Where is my little girl?! Crazy!

By the time she got home it was looking pretty wavy, and after her shower Friday night it bounced right back to curly!

I already wrote about our fun Saturday. Sunday started with a long walk (for me), more garage work (for Alan and Amanda), and plenty of no-plans relaxing for the kids. In the afternoon we had some friends come over to hang out. My friend has volunteered to do face painting for Field Day at school this year and wanted to practice. She invited us over, but I told her I already had five kids at my house and maybe she’d like to come here instead. She and her boys hopped on their bikes and headed over.

image

It was like a carnival at my house with the kids lining up for face painting. Eve chose to be a lion.

image

We have a lion, a pumpkin, a pirate, Iron Man, and Lex digging a hole. They are planning to build an underground mansion just for kids. The first step is a very big hole. Two other boys were hanging around too, just not in this picture.

Next week is Spirit Week at school, and the last week of school! Mix-it Up Monday (wear crazy mismatched clothes), Tie-Dye Tuesday, Superhero Wednesday, Field Day Thursday, and Fancy Pants Friday (wear nice clothes for 5th grade graduation and step-up day). Can you guess who in my house is excited and who is not? :) At my school the kiddos are done on Tuesday and I have in-service for the rest of the week. I’m hoping it won’t really take all week. :) Thursday afternoon they are letting me leave a bit earl so I can volunteer at Field Day and maybe, just maybe, Friday won’t be a full day of work. A gal can dream, right? I’d like to say I would relax and enjoy, but likely I’d just spend the time trying to get packed up for Eve’s first track meet, happening next Saturday, 2.5hrs away. Sigh.

Life is busy, but life is good.