Belt Test for February 2010 (David Pre-Black)

Saturday was the first Belt Test of 2010 and it was surreal! First off, David was testing for his Pre-Black and he will be celebrating 2 years of MA next month. Man, he moved up quickly! I managed to get his Bo-Staff patch on, but then things went downhill.....

I was striping the uniforms and putting on patches. Other than David's patch, I only had three uniforms (A&A were going to be my last ones to do since theirs weren't necessary since they were not testing) and I managed to break FOUR needles on Ariana's Singer Sewing Machine. FOUR!!! Sunny's uniform was done, but Lizzy's has one hemmed pant-leg and one held in place with fusible webbing. Chris's patches were held in place by the same fusible webbing. I tried changing the tension and changing the bobbins (they threaded funny), but it wasn't until noon that the solution dawned on me: it was the needles. I needed stronger needles, probably ones made for denim. Since the belt test was at 1pm, and I hadn't showered, those needles were just going to have to wait.

Sheryl and Chris took the news well - thank goodness! I took lots of photos and videotaped most of the test (it's hard to do both at once) and there were no major melt-downs and no major injuries. There were also no Lifetime Idiots interrupting the test (who me, hold a grudge? NEVER!) Ariana & Alex were there to help and that's what they did. Of course, Quinlin was more interested in sitting the Board, but Sheryl says the Jr. BlackBelts aren't ready yet. Geoff and Keith are obviously a totally different matter.....

Afterwards, several of us went to Genghis Grill. Love that place! In Target it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe the bobbins could be part of the problem since I have been using the ones from my Husquavarna that probably also needs bigger needles. Then it was onto Jo-Ann's where I purchased the biggest denim needles they had. Went home, switched out the stuff and it worked!!!!!! No broken needles, no nasty words. Chris got her ghee today and the patches are on but good!

So today I put the kids' Bo-Staff patches on their uniform pants. I put both of them on the wrong leg......

Averting Kama-tastrope!

Poor Alex! He loves weapons, he really does, but he is still only an 8-year old boy. Last night was the Bo-Staff test. I missed it due to a commitment at church (that is a whole other story!) and thus arrived really late to pick up the kids. Sheryl had the kamas, but was waylaid talking to someone who is interested in the program, so by the time she got back, it was just the four of us.

She realized that she had left the wooden kamas in the kid care, so I went after them while she showed the metal ones to David & the kids. By the time I returned, Sheryl was adamant that Alex only have the foam-blade kamas; seems Little Mister Weapons Fanatic immediately took the metal kama and struck the wood floor with the tip. Later, he was using the foam kamas (referring to the blades here since all have wooden handles) and hugged David from behind. If they had been metal, he would have slashed his father's neck. Not goody, as David says.

Alex was upset, but understood after awhile that he needs to earn the right to use metal, just being a Jr. Blackbelt is not enough. Ariana, however, looked at the kamas, touched them, but didn't immediately try to create a form with them like Alex did with the foam ones. Not sure if it an age or sex difference.

Oh, and yes, both kids earned their Bo-Staff patches. Alex's grade overall was a 9 and Ariana's was a 10. David earned his patch by grading the students. Guess I need to get out my sewing machine since Sheryl threatened David if he did NOT have his patch on his pants for the Black Belt test in June. He wanted to wait for his new uniform, but she was not having any of that.

It is really funny to see our petite Sensei threaten my big husband!

C'mon Kamas!

Tonight Sheryl gave the kids a letter informing us that next week will be the Bo (staff) test for patches. Kamas begin the follwing week. The choices are foam and metal. David, obviously is going to get metal. His foam nunchuks died an early, painful death, so we ordered wood for him. Not going to do that (ordering again) twice. Alex and Ariana were a bit more difficult; whenever possible, we prefer to purchase the best quality weapons, but kamas are basically curved blades with handles and Alex can get a bit wild with his weapons. Ariana can be a killer, but she is more aware of her surroundings.

So, I talked with Geoff, Sheryl and Kellie. Kellie was willing to go foam all the way, but Sheryl pointed out that Corwin has been wanting to do kamas for quite some time, and thus we decided to make the cut-off 11 years (for our four), giving Alex foam and Ariana metal. Aliera is going to be 10 on Sunday, so we needed to go up one year.

Alex took it quite well. I began to tell him that he could have metal kamas when we go to ISKA in 2011 near his 10th birthday - and he informed me he also wanted a sai! That's like a sword with two smaller points coming out out from the base. It looks dangerous and it is a sword - right up Alex's alley. Kamas, not so much, I guess.

Did I mention that David is at a dinner and has no idea of all of this?

No More Stripes!

Yesterday A&A went to the Tuesday class as per our new norm and we discovered something - no more stripes! Every few weeks, when the kids have shown sufficient progress on what they are learning, they get a stripe. After so many stripes (you would think I would know how many by now)and a sufficient length of time, they are eligible for the next belt. Well, the Jr. Black Belts cannot test for close to two more years, and the 2nd degree form is not yet on the horizon (well, not on Sheryl's, David - of course- is already attempting to master it and teach it to the kids), so they don't get a stripe. If they did, their belts would be full by the time they actually got to test.

So, now Sheryl has to come up with a way to reward them. Alex's suggestion was an embroidered red stripe - conveniently what the adults have to distinguish them. Alex REALLY wants a red stripe (one of his favorite colors)!

Please, oh please, don't let it be something I have to sew onto the belts....

On Time this Time!

A&A were terribly worried about arriving on time to MA tonight. They made sure to get ready the first time I told them to and even shut off the television without my having to tell them!

They were disappointed that we arrived only a couple of minutes early to class. I was thrilled. They were hoping for 10 minutes. Maybe next time.

Of course, that depends if they can get David motivated to be on time on Saturday.....

Late for Class? Bear Crawls!

Today I was Banshee Mommy. A&A were in their own little time world this afternoon, not really getting that when I said we had to get ready to go to MA, I meant it! It was my semi-annual rant about how I shouldn't have to tell them FIVE times in twenty minutes to get ready and that getting ready means pants, dobocks, belts, whatever gear they need and coats.

They were apologizing profusely by the time they walked into class. (A ten-minute chewing out will do that; that's how long it takes to get to Lifetime.) I asked Sheryl to make them do extra push-ups as a punishment for being late (hey, sometimes she gets through to them MUCH better), so she gave them bear crawls. They really dislike bear crawls. They weren't really happy with me. Not sure the rest of the class enjoyed them, either. Hey, they are black belts. They need to show respect.

Let's see if they can be on time tomorrow!

A&A Have Their Niche

Ariana is over the moon! Sheryl told the kids in class today that our not-so-little Dragon Princess will be able to sit the boards when she turns 12 in September. It is supposed to be 13, but Ariana is doing so well in teaching and working with others, that I guess Sheryl decided to bump her up a year. It is a way to get them to listen to Ariana and understand that they need to show respect to the Jr. Black Belts.

Problem is that Alex and Quinlin are only 8 and they also want to sit the board. They are a bit hyper still, so not sure what Sheryl is going to do.

Alex's strength is his ability to use weapons. He is great with the bokken and figured out how to do figure-8's with the bowstaff in just a short while. Ariana's fans were no problem at all for him. He grabs David's wooden and metal nunchuks every chance he gets and is dying for a katana. He is just a weapons' master.

Sheryl is afraid that A&A are going to burn out on martial arts, but I don't think so. They have found their niche and are enjoying all that comes with it.