Saturday, 07 February 2009
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I've Got a Karate Kid
by Mama Bee 
My son has been in karate for 2 weeks now. In addition to our already packed schedule, we added 3 nights a week of karate classes. It's been great for him and I've seen him be more confident and make friends easier than I've ever seen him before. Even though I would like to start dinner earlier and be in bed at a decent hour, seeing my son who is changing in front of my eyes, makes it worth all our extra time and money.
On his first day of school he clung to my legs and cried. He begged for me to take him home and even said "Mommy, you don't want me to be home with you?" and cried. He started to do better after about a week of me staying for 30 minutes with him until he got settled in class. I didn't mind though, I was missing him as much as he was missing me.
My baby was in school and it was going to be an adjustment for us all, as any new thing is. He is a Momma's Boy and doesn't like to leave my hip often.
He now goes to school with his head held high, shoes tied, and rockin' some cool hair and brushed teeth sans his mommy, I stay at home and count down the hours till my sons are home.
His karate wasn't anything like the first day of school, though. We walked him and he timidly talked to the instructor. He sat on my lap, holding my hands and resting his head on my chest. His daddy bends over and tells him he loves him and kisses him on his forehead.
"Okay, sir. Is this something you want to do?" instructor says with a smile.
J nods his head and I nudge him.
"Yes, sir." he says quietly and turns his face into my chest.
They get up and gets his uniform and this smile comes over my son. Since then it hasn't left. He has been doing awesome in school even finishing some of his work first, rather than the normal last.
He's got great grades as we expect nothing but his best, but he does take a little longer than most to get his work done. Last week his teacher pulled me aside at pick up and said that she has noticed J is getting his work in quickly and it's done properly. I told her about the stripe program that he is in with Karate (you get a blue stripe, up to 5 a week) for doing well in school and at home.
We are proud, but not as proud as we were yesterday.
At karate I sat with my oldest son and my daughter watching my baby keep up with everyone. I called my husband who had to work late and gave him updates as requested. I sent video and pictures so he could be there that way, since he was working very hard. Then the master tells everyone to stop and they stand at attention. He calls my son up to the front of the class and I think 'did he do something wrong?'
"Everyone, watch how great J's kicks are. Ready?" he asks.
I see J's face go from scared to proud, confident and excited. He does them. He does them perfectly. All of the kids tell him good job and pat the new kid on the back on his way to his spot and after his class they call J up again.
This time, it wasn't for his kicks or his punches. It was for 4 blue strips and a stick that said he was student of the day. They give this out to one student who is energetic, does all of their commands, answers with respect, listens, and tries their hardest.
My son, the student of the day. The love of my life.
Did you take martial arts or play organized sports as a kid? Does your child? How has it helped you or your child?
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About the Author
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- From: mamabee
- About Me: Hi, I'm Mama Bee. I'm from Colorado and I've lived here my entire life. I'm happily married to the most amazing guy and have been for going on 3 years. I am a stay at home mom with 2 step sons that live with my husband and I full time. C is 6 and J is 5. My husband, Daddy Bee, and I have a daughter together. K is 15 months and is a miracle baby. I would like to have another baby but due to some health issues I've been told I may not be able to. I believe that is why God gave me my daughter and our boys. My family has and will always come first. Marriage and motherhood are hard, but the most rewarding things I've ever been able to experience in my life. We have our ups and downs, we're not perfect but we try, we live, and we learn. We laugh when things get hard and we are thankful when things are easy. With 3 kids our life never seems boring. I look forward to sharing my family with you!
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Comments (8)
That is so cool!
We are going to be looking into karate classes soon for almost 5 year old. I hope he enjoys it and gets as much out of it as your son seems to.
I took tae kwon do both as a child (from 2nd-8th grade) and again as an adult (I started just over two years ago).
I loved it as a kid and excelled in it, and I love it now! I see many of the same things in kids at our school that you are speaking of. The best day ever was watching an autistic boy go to a tournament and break a board. He looks terrified, but after he broke the first one (of two) he was so proud that he just stoped and started cheering for himself!! The official had to wait for him to calm down before he could get him to break his second board! I loved it! check out our school at..
www.keysmartialarts.com
I never did any sports or joined any groups when I was a kid. I was brutally shy and I hated anything like that. It was a huge step for me when I joined the softball team in high school. It was great, though. I'm going to get my kids (when I have them) to try out as many different "fields" so to speak as they can so they get to try a bit of everything.
I loved this post!!!!! My husband and I run and own a martial arts studio in our town. We see this with MANY of our students. I just love to hear it from a parent's point of view. It is nice to know that what we do is making a difference in the kid's life and even those around him/her.
As a previous poster mentioned.....we have had success with autistic children also. They are really fun to watch the success in! Any child that is shy or has social hinderances....the goal setting and confidence building of martial arts is FABULOUS! I am constantly amazed. You would think I would be use to it by now, but it never gets old. :)
If you want to look at what we do, you can find our website at: www.normankarate.com
Thanks again for this post!
awww that's so wonderful. my kiddies don't do anything yet, but i don't plan on having the participate in something. i never did anything growing up, and i always wished i did. that's why i want to make it different for my kids.
I hate to break up the party, but I have one word of caution with martial arts programs. If the program doesn't focus on the basics or any real training, you're short-changing yourself and your kid. Confidence is fine, and I can't argue with the results that kids can get out of a good program that focuses on self-esteem, but always keep in mind that it's a martial arts class and the core of the material is about fighting.
I've seen too many people enroll at a young age in programs designed just for self-esteem. When the time comes to really use the stuff, it comes out terribly. I'm not talking about sparring in class, though. I'm talking about a real fight. Again, that's the key thing to remember here. Are you there to feel good, or are you there to train?
I'm not saying that's what's going on for certain in your son's case, but I just want you to make sure your kid is getting good training.
@cseman@xanga - I see that a lot in TKD.
I think it's important to recognize that some kids won't have as much fun in team sports as others. Martial arts, on the other hand, are good for every type of person. Some schools are better than others and it's important to be critical when selecting a school for your child. Beware of schools that want to rope you into contracts and automatic withdrawals from your checking account.