In our Dojang we do a spirit circle for belt grading. Jeongwon. The place where the deepest self is tested and made whole. The spirit circle is not just a physical test. It is a test of the whole student, body, mind and spirit, under pressure, appropriate for each student’s age and skill level.
This week was the culmination of our summer belt grading season and it was a memorable one.
The week opened with a teen who had the opportunity to experience her rounds in the grading circle in the adult class alongside her father. It is an awesome feeling watching parents train with their children. They are not only learning martial arts together, they are building a unique and lasting bond and making memories they will carry for the rest of their lives. I know firsthand that the years on the mat with my own daughter were among the most incredible of my life. Watching the people our students become as they grow up on this mat is one of the greatest privileges of what I do. She went three outstanding rounds in the spirit circle with older teens and adults. After completing her rounds she broke an adult level board with a powerful side kick. She earned her green belt.
Earlier in the week two of our Tiny Tigers, a boy and a girl from separate kids classes, graded up in their own classes. Each was assigned as an instructor’s helper, answering questions during class and demonstrating each activity for their classmates. They then participated in the spirit circle and demonstrated their required skill sets before the review board. They earned those belts. They were impressive.
Friday was the culmination of the week and nine more dedicated students stepped up across two grading sessions. Both sessions were outstanding and the black belts on the review board got to witness a lot of breakthroughs. It is simply an incredible feeling to be part of each of their journeys. A lot of community leaders have come from our mats over the years. Good humans. And we are watching more of them develop right now, including several of the black belts who sat on that review board this week.
In the first Friday session five students ages six to eight graded up. After their three rounds in the Jeongwon they challenged themselves further by choosing their own level of difficulty for their board breaking. In the second session students ages nine to twelve completed a blindfolded skill set demonstration for the black belt review board and then, without removing the blindfold, located the board without the sense of sight, aligned their body and broke it with an intermediate kick or strike. They all nailed it.
A special shout out to our black belt review board, many of whom stood in that same circle at the same age as the students they evaluated this week. One of most special moments of the grading week was seeing a six year old having his yellow belt tied on by his big sister, a black belt, who started on the mat when she was his age.
We are heading into the fall color belt gradings soon for all eligible students who earn their fourth stripe before the grading date. Stripes, just like belt rankings, are Always Earned, Never Given.
We are also currently planning our winter black belt Dan gradings, which will include a couple of instructor certification candidates. More details to come.
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HapKi!
Terry
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