He Did It!

 

We've got a white belt in the house!

We weren't sure how karate class was going to go tonight. When we told Gus he needed to get dressed to go, he said no. I didn't feel like fighting over going, and neither did Steve. However, it only took a few times of telling him to get in gear before he did what was asked.

Today was the best class yet for Gus. He really likes Mr. Burns and was eager to give him the homework sheet from Thursday (Gus had to do various things around the house to earn a good report from us). He listened and didn't sit out at all today, which was wonderful!

Gus was super squirmy and active today. We're hoping that with karate, he'll learn to calm down and focus his energy in other ways. We'll see. I do like that the class is led by men (which is nice because men deal with children differently than women do) and Gus is always around female teachers/coaches. It's a nice change for him to have men in charge and leading the way. The class is almost all boys too, which is also nice for Gus.

 

The belts for today... would Gus earn his?!?!?

While we were there today, we were approached by Mr. Yu about scheduling our meeting with him. Today was the last day that Steve would be able to come to class for sure, so I asked if we could meet today, and so we were taken to the back office to discuss the pricing of plans. 

We looked at everything and he gave us a sheet to take home with us with all the pricing on it. Steve and I are 99% sure that we'll be enrolling Gus on a full-time basis, but we need to discuss it more this weekend. For now, he's going with his Groupon (16 classes and a uniform for $30) and we're using up as many of those classes as possible before we decide for sure.

We came out of the meeting and had a few minutes to watch the rest of class. It's only a 30 minute class anyway, so the time really goes by quickly. I do like that it's only 30 minutes though because it's just enough time for him to really focus. If it were any longer, I think it'd be hard for Gus to maintain his behavior and attention.

One of the self-defense skills that they learn at this age is all about strangers. Today, Mr. Burns gathered the kids up and they talked about good strangers and bad strangers and the importance of knowing the difference between the two. He shared that if someone ever approaches the kids, they need to yell "NO!!!" and put their arms out to push the person away.:-)

 

The end of class arrived and it was time for Gus to stand up and get his white belt!! He was so excited and when he finally had it on he said, "This is sooooo cool!!!"  :-D

While we had been in the meeting, Gus earned his second "High Five Award." We are so proud of him and it's exciting to see him starting to enjoy karate!

Karate Gus

We headed to karate on Tuesday and we were all excited, well maybe not Hugh, but Gus and I were excited. We talked on the way there, about listening, giving a good effort, and responding with "Yes, Sir!" each time he's asked a question.

We arrived at 3:50 (ten minutes early, as instructed). Gus was taken to the mat, shown to face the flag and bow, and then where to go for checking into class each week. Then he was instructed to sit on the floor and wait for the class to begin.

 

A quick picture for daddy at home before leaving for class

 

Sitting with a new friend while waiting

One by one, the other kids arrived and there were like 20 total kids. It was a HUGE class and I was honestly surprised at how many there were. They called each child's name and had them stand, say "Yes, Sir!" and then run to their circle on the floor. And every child followed directions, except for Gus.

 

This is Mr. Burns

 

Not THIS Mr. Burns

When Mr. Burns called his name, he just stayed there on the floor.  Mr. Burns asked him if he needed time to get ready and Gus said he did. So Mr. Burns continued with the warm up, while Gus sat there. It totally pissed me off, because I knew Gus was just playing around. However, because they don't know him, they just let him sit.

Every five to ten minutes, Mr. Burns would ask Gus if he was ready, and each time Gus said no. :-/

At Karate Atlanta, they have a parent meeting on the third class to explain the program and costs. Mr. Yu (program director) was coming around to each parent and explaining the meeting and setting up times to meet with him. He totally skipped over me.

Class ended and just as Mr. Burns was wrapping things up, he was able to get Gus to come to him and show him a few moves. It wasn't great, but at least Gus got up at the very end.

So we I left his first class feeling deflated. I was partially embarrassed, partially confused, and partially annoyed with the whole situation. I wish that someone had talked to me ahead of time so I could have told them that Gus can be somewhat stubborn when starting something new. He needs someone to come directly to him and, not exactly "baby him" but sorta. I was confused because when I asked him if he had fun, he said he did. I was annoyed because he just sat there and didn't get anything out of the experience.

I will say that he did have to poop as soon as we arrived, and I think he felt rushed and uncomfortable with me in the little bathroom with him (he usually poops in private). 

So on Wednesday, I sent an email to Mr. Yu to ask him about meeting about the program and shared that Steve would be coming with me on Thursday, and asked if we could meet Thursday. His reply totally caught me off guard. He said they weren't sure if karate was a good fit for Gus yet, and until he participated a few more times, they didn't want to schedule anything.

So when we went to class on Thursday, we had just been at the GA Aquarium all day, and Gus was SO MOODY. He was just overly tired and stimulated, and we had been going since 7am. I was certain that it was going to be another disasterous class.

We arrived and Gus followed all procedures. He sat and waited for class to start and made a few new friends. This class, there were only six kids (not sure what happened to all the others) and it was much better.

Gus initially said he didn't want to participate and I thought, "Here we go again..." but it only took a few minutes and Gus said, "Excuse me, sir... I'd like to help you!" And Mr. Burns was excited for Gus to join the class.

This first class is called the "Tiny Tigers" and they're all white belts. He actually doesn't get his belt until he's earned it... and we're told it's the third or fourth class. Because his first class was horrible, I don't know if they counted it or not. I know when we left class on Thursday, Mr. Burn's said something about getting his belt next week, so we'll see.

Gus was on fire! He was such a great listener and doing all that was being asked, that he earned his first "High Five Award!" He gets one each time he does something outstanding and after five, he turns them back in for a special stripe on his belt!!

 

SO PROUD!!!

Gus finished the class with the rest of his peers and at the end, he even went up to Mr. Burns and thanked him. It was really sweet.

Mr. Yu came over to me and said that he wants to see Gus participate in one more class, and then we'll set up our meeting. I told him that we only have the two classes next week to work with, because they're on a modified schedule (5pm class instead of 4pm) and Steve will be able to join us. Otherwise, Steve will not be able to come.

I am most impressed with how great Mr. Burns is with the kids. He is so hands-on and patient and really good with kids. Gus was very comfortable with him and warmed up to him immediately. I love that he was given "homework" for the week. He has to practice some moves and then there's a whole check list that he has to complete in order to be ready for his belt. 

I love that karate is not just about being respectful twice a week for 30 minutes each time-- it's all encompassing and they expect him to listen at home, do chores, and be respectful at all times. I really like the values and core components.

I'll be sure to post how he does next week and you'll see pictures of him earning his belt if/when he earns it!!

Karate Kid

About a month ago, I was with two friends talking about karate classes. Both have their boys (about a year older than Gus) in karate and were telling me about how much they love it for their boys. I had been looking around online for classes for Gus, but every place that I looked, requires you to come in for a free class before they'll give you the costs involved. Always a bad sign when you can't get the cost before going in.

So I had just figured that it was something we wouldn't ever do because of the cost. Well, they told me that there was a Groupon for $30 and you get a uniform and 18 classes. It's an unbeatable price. However, there's a catch (there always is). When you get to the fourth class, they'll offer to let you sign on with their dojo and waive the $250 registration fee, but you have to let go of the remaining 14 classes that you have coming for free. In exchange for waiving the $250 registration fee, you pay $100+ a month (something like that) for twice a week classes. If you choose to keep doing the Groupon and all 18 classes, at the end, if you want to sign up to continue classes, you have to pay the $250 registration fee.

The other option is to pay $99 for 6 weeks at a time. I am not sure what we'll do, since we haven't started official classes yet, and I don't have anything in writing yet, but it's something to consider.

So a few days after this conversation, my friend Heather called me to say that her son's class was having a "Bring a Friend" promotion and she asked if Gus wanted to come and try a class with her son Garner. We were excited! Not only had I already bought the Groupon, but I needed to go to a class eventually anyway, so we decided to give it a try.

Gus was very excited to see Garner and was excited to see what it was all about. When the kids enter the floor, they're supposed to bow (for respect) and then gather at the back. Gus followed Garner through this process.

When  the class began, the master came over and each child was called and they said, "Yes, Sir!" and headed to the floor.

 

Gus and Garner

Once in their spots, they did a few warm-ups and then as each child listened to what the masters were saying, the masters were watching for exceptional listeners. The kids that did everything perfectly were given a high-five sheet that they took to their parent. Heather said that they collect these sheets and then when they get five, they get a stripe on their belt. Very awesome.

They got into lines and practiced kicking and punching and then the masters (there were three) took small groups aside, and Gus was able to work one-on-one with one of the masters. It was really neat.

 

Warming-up (Gus was facing the wrong way)

 

In line doing kicks

The thing that I liked the most was the respect that was demanded. They had to say, "Yes, sir" or "No, sir" after each question they were asked. I think it'll be a great thing for Gus and a great way to harness some of his energy.

We were told that our first class would be July 1st, but they moved it back to July 15th. So this coming Tuesday will be Gus's first class and he'll go Tuesdays and Thursdays. The third class is when he earns his belt, and I can't wait to see him earn it. Because of the summer schedule, they had to move the time back from 4:00-4:30 to 5:15-5:45 on the 22nd and 24th. I'm excited because these will be the 3rd and 4th classes for Gus, and Steve will be able to come with us to watch Gus earn his belt. It'll be so special.

I'll be sure to post pictures after his first class next week!!