The long awaited 2nd degree brown belt test was officially taken! Kyle has been waiting several months to take this test. Most of the problem was simply timing – things going on that just made it crazy to get it scheduled where I could be there to watch and record it. Between illnesses, the holidays, and other various activities there was just never a convenient time. I do not have pictures or video of Kyle’s first brown belt test because they tested him on a whim without telling me that they were going to do it. This time I was determined that I was not going to miss it. I kept insisting that Kyle and Andrew both make sure that it didn’t happen again, so no surprise testing.
Unfortunately, the camera was not cooperating for some reason or another so the pictures this time around are not great, but at least I got a few that will be good for scrapbooking.
Every test includes a board break. The break is always different. It depends on the level they are testing for on what they have to do. Kyle had to break the board using a spin kick – he started facing the board and had to rotate to kick the board behind him. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the picture of him actually going through the board, but here he is in action.
Every test also includes a lengthy cycle of drills. Lots and lots of drills. Punching, kicking, or whatever.
Then there endurance portion can vary from test to test. For this particular test (common with the children), the bulk of the endurance was continuous sparring. This makes Kyle very happy because he LOVES sparring. He’s got his sights set on brand new bright yellow gear as he’s growing out of his red gear.
You sometimes even have to spar with those who are bigger than you and out rank you. Here is Kyle sparring an adult black belt. He did a pretty good job and even got in a few clean hits. He did a great job as he sparred an adult 3rd degree brown belt, 2 adult black belts, and an adult 2nd degree black belt. Not half shabby if you ask his mother. I saw some pretty good kicks out of the child and he did a fabulous job blocking.
Lance was really helpful. He actually managed the video camera for me. How can you say “no” to a face like this that is accompanied by a really nice “please?”
The video camera was mounted on a tripod so all he had to do was keep the action within the camera frame. We’ll see how well he did when I go to edit it. I do have to say that he is pretty good with the camera, so I am not too incredibly worried. It is just easier to get distracted with a video camera and it skew the results you want.
For anyone who tries to tell me that this isn’t a work out, you need to look at this picture. They sweat something awful most days, especially when sparring. This is what Kyle looked like after his endurance drills and continuous sparring portion of his test. Drenched in sweat!
Kyle getting his stripes from instructor and Multi-World Champion, Johnnie Murphy! The stripes indicate what degree he is. In the system they are in, there are 3 degrees of brown and then it is black.
But to Kyle I just want to say, “Way to go, Kyle! You’re almost to black. Keep up the hard work and you’ll be there before you know it. I am proud of you!”
Good job Kyle