Tag Archives: Karate

Family, Music, Photo-A-Day, Vlog

He Earned His Orange Belt

Belt Graduation
Photo-A-Day #4372

Today was Andrew’s graduation to the orange belt in Karate. He’s been taking Karate since August. This was his first big graduation. The last graduation was held at the karate studio and was a smaller event. Today there were many more kids and families at the graduation ceremony. There were demonstrations from the higher ranking kids and what they could do was pretty incredible.

In this ceremony Allison did the parent part. I like how they do this. One parent sits with the child and gives them their belt. The child gives the parent a small ribbon the color of their new rank in a symbol that earning the rank requires a team and not just a single child. After the child receives a rank or stripe or anything new they go to their parents and give them hugs and thank them for helping them with their achievement.

With Mom

Andrew is now going to be one of the highest ranking kids in the group of white, yellow and orange belts. Sensei took him aside the other day and told him that he will be moving up and when he does he will have to be a leader and an example to the younger kids. I think that this is going to be really good for him.

Tonight we were having dinner, Andrew and Eva had been watching Go Noodle during the day and they learned about beatboxing. Because of that we had some silly moments and I was able to pull an April Fool’s joke on Eva. I talk about it in today’s video.

Family, Photo-A-Day

Andrew Earns His Yellow Belt

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Andrew Earns His Yellow Belt
Photo-A-Day #4271

Today was a big day for Andrew. first he had his Christmas program at school. He and the other children have been working on special Christmas songs to sing for their families. Andrew had Allison and I there along with my parents. He was all sorts of dapper in his collared shirt, sweater and Finding Dory themed bow tie. Bow Ties are his thing, he loves wearing them. He and his classmates sang a number of songs and they were adorable. After the songs we were presented with a gift that he made for us. He made a special ornament using his fingerprints. He also made a couple of foam ornaments as well. Then we had cake for Jesus’ birthday and headed home.

Christmas Gift from Andrew

In the afternoon Allison and Eva returned home and they brought along Uncle Jim. We then went over to America’s Best Defense in Mansfield for Andrew’s graduation. Andrew is part of the Little Dragons group there and he has been working at the school since the end of the Summer. He went one day for Buddy Week as a guest of our friend’s, The McCanns. While they were not there that day, we have been going together on the same days ever since. One of the kids graduated with Andrew and she moved up to her Orange belt. Her older brother moved up to Green belt in the Karate Kids class.

At the start of the graduation Andrew was probably the worst behaved he has ever been in class. Distracting the other kids, not sitting still and not focusing at all. All three instructors had to say something to him and I was stressing out. I take his behaviour to heart whenever he is acting out. Did I get him enough sleep? What is causing this to happen? I don’t know and I am one who doesn’t like getting in trouble and so I am uncomfortable when the kids get in trouble. Andrew needs movement for his focus. He has a really hard time being quiet and focused. That will come, in time. When the class began to do their demonstrations then he got focused. He loves doing his blocks and other movements. Punches and kicks and the whole form that he has learned is something that he can get behind doing. So, I breathed a little easier when he was actually doing his forms, and then held my breath as the other groups, the yellow and orange belts did their forms.

When he actually received his belt the Senseis and Instructor invited parents to come out on the mat with the kids. We sat behind the kids and a ceremony took place. It was a really nice ceremony and I appreciated being a part of it. I talk more about it in today’s video.