David Brin wrote:
Actually, it's tang soo do (Korean) karate. Less heavy contact, more like a dance. Kids, esp girls like that better.
My son, Ryan (7) and I started tae kwon do this year, at a do jang that prides itself on combining marshall arts and performing arts. Their "West Coast Action Team," led by Master Ernie Reyes, is widely considered the premier martial arts performance troupe in the US, and one of the best in the world. We're lucky to study at Master Reyes' home do jang in Santa Clara, so we occasionally have one of the world's leading TKD performers at hand to sharpen our form and inspire us to reach higher.
On the topic of "less heavy contact," I've been frustrated lately (I'm a new green belt -- about equivalent to sophomore level) in that there's only one other green belt in my evening classes, and he's very edgy about contact. While our instructors try to remind us that this is, in fact, marshall arts, so we might expect to go home with bruises now and then, this guy is constantly flinching and telling me to back off. Of course, we /are/ beginning to work with weapons (sticks) now, and I'm green in more ways than my belt, so perhaps there's reason for caution :-).
I had to insist on this course, for a while. Now she's enthusiastic.
Had the same issues with Ryan for a while. He's been stuck at the "Gold Dragon" level (little kids are called "little dragons" in Master Reyes' system) for a while and wasn't making progress, at least in part due to his own resistance, which slowed his progress even more... We joined the "Black Belt Club" recently, which has gotten him re-inspired.
I figure a black belt will help keep her from going insane at 13.
Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac when he was 12 years old? Because at 13, it wouldn't have been a sacrifice.
I wouldn't become too attached to any particular outcome when she reaches that magical age...
Anyway, thanks for sharing a little about her martial arts adventure. It's inspiring for me, too.
Sincerely,
Dave
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