Moving Up

Caleb had his first karate test last night. He started the class in April and was testing last night to get his orange belt. We love the group he is involved with - it isn't rigid and stoic like some of the martial arts schools we checked out and the guys in charge really have fun with the kids. The main sensei has his own six sons in the class and it is really neat to see him having fun with his own kids, too.

Caleb did great last night. He was pretty nervous ahead of time so we prayed with him in the car. They started the whole group doing some warm-up exercises like jumping jacks and push-ups. The large group did a kata together and then the students were separated by skill level and did the katas specific to their current belt color. Luckily Caleb didn't have to do anything completely by himself! We have noticed that he tends to watch the kids around him instead of his sensei and mess up on occasion, but he was flawless last night. You could tell he was so proud of himself when he finished. At the end of the night, the sensei had everyone sit down and close their eyes while he and his older sons put a bottle of gatorade, snack, certificate and their new belt in front of them all. Everyone opened their eyes at the same time to see their goodies and then they got to stand up and put their new belt on in front of everyone.

Caleb, we are so impressed with how hard you are working in your karate class. Keep it up and your dedication will continue to pay off. A new belt in only a few months is definitely something to be proud of. We love you!