Project 18 to 18: Day 10

Movie Madness: the numbers game

I had a different idea for today's photo theme, but it didn't come to pass. BUT ... as luck would have it, when waiting for Wonder Dad to get off of work yesterday, the Boy and I struck up a round of what is currently his favorite "game" to play. We call it "The Numbers Game."

Over the past couple of years, the Boy has become a big fan of Anime. He keeps a numbered list of all of the titles he has seen. So, at random, I will give him a number and he will pull FROM MEMORY all of the details about that particular series or movie. He tells me the plot line and gives a brief critique of the animation, story line, musical score, and anything else that has stood out to him.

There are literally hundreds of titles on his list so far and he still manages to keep a mental account of them all!


Looking back, we see our Wonder Boy adorned with 3-D specs. This was so he could enjoy his favorite movie of the day: Spy Kids 3 (3-D).

I always enjoyed watching him watch the movie. I'm not a fan of 3D productions in general, but Wonder Boy was enthralled with the whole Spy Kids franchise and his favorite was Spy Kids 3. I suspect that this was due at least in part to the fact that the subject matter was concerned with a video game - an evil game, but a game none the less.

While the Boy's taste in entertainment has evolved over the years, I am thankful that he doesn't mind sharing it with his family!

Project 15 to 15: Day 9

For Day 9 of our count down to Wonder Boy's 15th birthday, I wanted to highlight his love of music with this snap I took during his viola practice of the day:


I've shared it many times here, but the Boy has developed a real love of music, especially classical music over the past 4 years or so. His dad and I are both music lovers and have played all manner of music for him since he came into this world. But things really took off when he joined the orchestra in 5th grade. He enjoys orchestra. It's his biggest social activity. But it's also a means of expression for him as well as a personal challenge. This morning on the drive to school, he was telling me about some of the advanced students in orchestra - those that he admires and aspires to emulate. I have been so pleased that he made the commitment to stay with orchestra into high school and hope that he will continue with it as long as possible.

In looking back to 2009, I stumbled on this photo of the Boy at a judo belt test:


Oddly enough, as part of this yearly project, I haven't shared many judo photos. For many years though, judo (and other martial arts) was the Boy's biggest confidence booster. What he lacked in size and strength, he made up for with determination and dedication. There were/are so many gifts from being involved in the martial arts for so many years. But for me, seeing the Boy grow in self confidence and in his ability to focus on a desired goal (like earning a new belt or mastering a particular technique) was the best part. I am thankful to every coach, sensei, instructor, and partner he had during his time in martial arts. I hope they all know that he carries a part of them with him where ever he goes.

Purple!

When soccer is done for the season in both the spring and fall, we make our way back to the dojo to re-sharpen our judo skills.

Before soccer started this fall, Wonder Boy and his instructor were preparing him for his next belt test. There was some talk of trying to squeeze in the test before soccer season kicked off, but it just was not in the cards.

When we returned to the dojo in November, those talks and preparations resumed. Wonder Boy, feeling rusty after the 3 month break in training, was much more hesitant facing this belt test than any other before it.

As a family, we spent more than a month drilling him at home, going over techniques, and even quizzing him in the car on the drive to and from school most days.

Wonder Dad and I both knew he was ready, but when the big day arrived, you could sense his butterflies.

He needn't have worried though, as with every belt test I can remember him taking in judo, once he was on the mat, his training took over and he flew through the test with ease.


This test was a little bit different. Sure, Wonder Boy still had to demonstrate every technique he has ever learned. He performed combinations of techniques, and answered questions on general judo trivia.

But what set this test apart was the kata. Kata in judo is performed with a partner. And maybe because it requires some pretty precise coordination, Wonder Boy's instructor saves the teaching and performance of kata until you are an advanced belt.

Here is Wonder Boy doing the first three parts of the Nage No Waza kata.

Nage No Kata (first 3 parts)

You will note that I had the pleasure of being Wonder Boy's uke (throwing dummy). Part of that was due to the fact that the test was held at the start of the winter holiday when there are fewer ukes from which to choose. And part of it was due to the fact that you need to be an advanced belt to perform the kata (or, in my case, have it performed ON you). And finally, there are not a lot of ukes at the dojo anywhere near Wonder Boy's size. Many are smaller. Many are a LOT larger. So this turned into a mother-son affair. I truly have been honored to be a part of this special day.

And I think you can tell from the looks on our faces, Wonder Dad and I are ever so proud of our purple belt boy!

Judo Boy

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, someone is playing "Sunrise, Sunset." And once again, it is hitting me just how fast time flies when you have a child.

When I was a kid, it seemed like I would never grow up, that time moved so very slowly. Everything seemed so far away.

But since Wonder Boy was born, life has been on fast forward. And it seems like I can barely hold onto a moment before 10 more have flown by and some other milestone has been reached. *sigh*

Please understand that I am not complaining! It's one of those bitter sweet truths of being a parent, I think. And there are moments when it takes me by surprise.

What sparked this particular moment of reflection, you ask? Wonder Boy had a belt test at judo class last night. Yes, that's all it takes.

He passed with flying colors, of course. In fact, I think it might have been his best belt test yet. And I guess that is what you would hope for - improvement with each passing test, each year, etc. But something about his performance last night just struck a chord with me. I don't know if it was the confident way he approached each question, each technique, each opportunity to shine, or what. But whatever the case, it really got me to thinking about how far he has come.

He started martial arts while still in preschool, in a class designed for young kids. He had fun but was always a touch timid. He can be a bit shy. Then in Kindergarten, he started judo and it has been a great fit from day one. Even though he was often the youngest and smallest in class, he was having so much fun, that he rarely seemed to notice that he was so young and so small.

Fast forward though the years to last night and you would never, ever guess that he had ever been anything but completely confident in himself. He just oozed faith in his abilities.

I don't think there was a person there last night that didn't feel it. My heart nearly popped right out of my chest, I was so overcome with pride. Even Wonder Boy's instructor made a point of remarking on his excellent performance. We were all caught up in just how far he has progressed in the many years he has been studying judo.

Wonder Dad and I endured some questioning about starting him in the martial arts at such a young age. People worried he would learn to be a bully. But anyone who has studied the martial arts, ANY of the martial arts, can tell you that the opposite is true. What the kids learn is discipline, self confidence, respect, and patience. True, they learn how to defend themselves. But they also learn how to avoid potentially dangerous physical encounters. And they learn that honor and dignity are much more important than being the baddest guy on the playground.

Wonder Boy has learned all of these lessons and more as he has walked the path of the Martial Way. My hope and dream is that he will continue to walk this path and glean from it the innumerable values and benefits that the martial arts offers.

Earning His Stripes

Wonder Boy started judo classes at the age of five. We hoped he would love the sport as much as we do. And he had already spent a good year or two in various karate classes. But we couldn't imagine then how well he would take to it or how much a part of our family it would one day become.

Fast forward 5+ years.

Wonder Boy is the top ranked (youth) judo student at the dojo and has been for quite some time. He sets a good example for discipline, respect, and technique in class. To say we are proud is a serious understatement. We both fully ENJOY watching the Boy in his class. And even though every class is fun to see, there is something truly special about belt test days.

Now that the Boy has reached such a high rank, tests don't come as often as in the past. But that doesn't diminish the fact that Wonder Boy looks forward to them as a chance to shine and show off all he has been learning in class.

Wonder Boy went into this test confident and ready. He glided from technique to technique with hardly a single hesitation. The whole room could feel his excitement and at the end of the evening, he proudly added a new stripe to his belt.

We both hope that the years will continue to find him climbing the ranks, always striving for that next step on the path his black belt and beyond.

Way to go, Wonder Boy! Keep it up!

Blue Boy

I've sat down to write about this several times now. But for a change, I am finding the words hard to come by.

Wonder Boy has successfully completed his Judo blue belt exam! And watching the performance is something I am not soon to forget.



He has come so far from the timid little boy who started his lessons so many years ago (nearly 4 years now). And while he is still not the biggest kid in class, he has held the highest rank for a good year now.

He's earned that rank as well as the respect of his instructors and peers. It never fails to strike me just how much effort he puts into his judo class. Sure, he likes to laugh and play with the rest of the kids, but when it counts, he gives his best effort and we have seen that shape him into a very fine student of the game.

Personally, I hope he has many more years of judo to come. The gifts he has received (confidence and discipline, to name a few) are the kind that will serve him well throughout his life to come.

The thing about Judo is ...

There are a lot of fine lessons that come when you study the martial arts, but one theme that seems to repeat itself over and over is about give and take. If you want to learn something, you have to be open to correction. If you want to have a good friend, you have to be a good friend. If you want to get something, you have to be willing to give something. Life is constantly proving and re-proving Newton's third law of motion: for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. What you put into it will equal what you get out of it. And vice versa.



This is beautifully illustrated in judo class. Sometimes you are the tori (person demonstrating a technique). And sometimes you are the uke (person on whom a technique is demonstrated).

Your experience and growth as a judoka will directly relate to how you perform these roles. If you want to master a technique as the tori, you need an uke who will work with you, someone who will take their falls and gradually increase their resistance as you perfect your technique. In return, a good tori will protect his/her uke, making sure that their fall is not too intense so that the performance is repeatable. And then you get the opportunity to switch roles and give and take with your partner as they just gave to/took from you.

It's a fine life lesson as well as a way to succeed in the dojo. When you give of yourself, no matter how scary the fall my look, you open yourself to a plentiful return.