Another grading

Today Ethan and I went for another Taekwondo grading. It is nice to know we've been consistent for most of this year. He went for his yellow belt, and I went for green. We're still in the first year, but I think we've both moved a little beyond beginner, which is pretty cool. It was overcast and rainy, so it was a bit colder than normal. Fortunately, they worked both of us pretty hard so we didn't really have to worry about the cold!

Ethan has come a long way since he first started. He now yells at the top of his voice whenever he has to punch or kick. Well, he does most of the time! I know he also loves to free spar, which I'm sure he's into because it means he gets to chase me, his mother or the dog around the house. His front kick is quite impressive too, as he can lift his leg up quite high. Every few months he seems to go through another stretching growth spurt, so its been interesting to chart his progress in technique along with his growth in height. The tall guys at taekwondo seem to have an extra oomph about them, although I don't think I'd want to have to fight any of the black belts in a dark alley!

We got to watch a number of students from our club grade, as well as a number from our club who were going for their black belts. Unfortunately, not all of them were successful. This was largely due to the amount of work that they got put through, including board breaks and almost half an hour of continual sparring. It is hard work, and I'm proud that in our group it showed you do have to earn it to get through. I'm sure those that didn't will keep striving!

Ciao for Now, Keepin' on Kickin' Angry Dad.