21 Guitar salute

(brief warning: there is no political or music content in the following post. Bear with us; the uncontrollable ranting will resume)

(incidentally, a recent internet poll indicates that about 40% of the politically oriented bloggers do it "for therapy". So anemic readership aside, I'm basically in good company.)




That picture there is of my son taking his first test in Taekwondo, in 2002. From White Belt (which represents the student as blank slate, pure and without knowledge of Taekwondo).

Saturday, he tested for Black Belt.

He had just graduated to a stronger board to be used for board breaks. He's always been a bit iffy on board breaks. He was very unsure, and actually up to the Wednesday before, had not decided on which break combination he was going to use. In practice on Saturday was the first time he ever broke the green-graded boards; but he did manage to catch on to the concept of aiming beyond the board, which becomes crucial to breaking the more powerful boards.

During testing, he took two tries to break with his elbow, and missed the first two tries on the jump front kick (you only get three tries). Third try he went through it with a powerful crack. Talk about milking the drama!

Although technically, results are not actually announced until a bit later, there is little doubt. He will be awarded First Degree Black Belt Decided in a formal ceremony sometime later this month.


The ceremony itself is kind of entertaining. Rather than just go through a series of demonstrations, the candidates have to do a skit or presentation of some sort, 'movie style', that they write themselves, designed for entertainment value. Then they have to stand in front of the crowd and tell their Taekwondo story. Should be intersting.

Anyway, just a brief interlude for a bit of traditional old fashioned paternal Boasting.

We'll resume slagging Bush shortly.