Advancing

The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of character in its participants. ~Gichin Funakoshi

It is with pride that I write this post. I have two men who are dedicated to a way of life that most never understand. They've trained hard over the past three and a half months to be worthy of testing for another rank in Karate. This time...green.

HH has really embraced his training. Although time to practice has been challenging with his new job, it is clear when you watch him that he has found a niche that he would have loved to have found years ago.

For the first time, we watched HS become nervous before a test. He realizes that he is levels beyond where he began three years ago. He has spent the larger part of his seven year old life practicing Karate. The nerves have now kicked in. He inspired me during this test. His personal dedication shone brightly and proved that we were not "pushing" him to do something that he has no interest in. He is focused, driven, and dedicated all on his own. He completed the test with a very upset tummy (I just had the stomach virus a few days prior to his test) and refused to step away from the test even when his Sensei gave him permission to do so.

Ahh, yes. I am proud today. Two men who are at such different stages in their life continue advancing in one direction...up.