Karate Kid(s)

The big boys started Tae Kwon Do. They're in two different classes right now, but the instructor is incredible and tailors his interactions based on their individual personalities.

All was well until Davis' second class when no one else showed up. This meant it was a private class and he had 100% of the instructor’s attention for a full thirty minutes.

Which if you know Davis at all, you know that 100% of anyone's attention for thirty minutes is like a DREAM COME TRUE! Do you know how many stories he can tell in thirty minutes?

Like fifty! 

But somehow during that time, in between teaching the instructor the proper way to do a swan kick (as seen on Karate Kid), Davis was able to earn four stripes on his previously all white belt.

High block! Low Block! Breaking a fake board! He was a natural!

Oh the JOY!

And Pride!

Until Hayden's class started to trickle in and I quickly realized that he was not going to get the one-on-one attention.

Which meant his brother was going to be four full stripes ahead of him. How traumatic!
I know I should be more sympathetic. Really, I do.

But, it's worth mentioning that in toddler tae-kwon-do, “stripes” are also known as electrical tape, so if I was an unethical person, there was an easy solution to this problem.  Instead, I took the higher road and explained to Hayden that Toddler Tae Kwon Do is totally different than Junior Tae Kwon Do...thinking one more Life's-Not-Fair-Conversation would buy me at least a little more time. Finally Hayden became somewhat content and resigned to the fact that his little brother had more stripes (of electrical tape) wrapped around his belt.

Then the next week rolled around and Davis landed himself in another private class.

A few kicks and twenty five dollars later and he had earned an orange belt.

Mr. Wilkenson must have sensed that this was going to be a touchy subject, so he actually spent an equal amount of time testing Davis as he did coaching Hayden (who, if you are keeping track, is still a WHITE belt) on the proper way to respond to his little brother's big achievement.

Whatever Mr. Wilkenson said must have really impacted Hayden, because although he has made sure to tell us in private that he is still 11 belts ahead of Davis, he's been very congratulatory to Davis. Going so far as to tell him how "solid" his new belt is (that must be the new lingo).

Which makes me think we started karate Tae Kwon Do entirely too late.

 ***

Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid:
In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.
Daniel-san, karate here. [taps his head]
Karate here. [taps his heart]
Karate never here. [points to his belt]
Understand?