The Karate Kid

Kai has been taking karate classes for about six months now. For a while it was the the sort of thing where we’d have to drag him to class, but then once he was there he’d have a great time. Then, about a month ago, they gave the kids shin guards and boxing gloves, and for some reason that put him over the edge: now when he comes back from class we can’t get him to take his ghi off, and he spends the rest of the day having mock karate duels with imaginary enemies (or me).

It’s very entertaining to watch him in class. He’s so enthusiastic he can’t do anything in a normal way. For example, when asked to come to attention, he doesn’t just slap his hands to his thighs and say “yes, sir”, he embellishes it by first leaping in the air as high as he can. Also, he asks a lot of questions, which I’m proud of. The other kids always just do what they’re told, or do their best to fake it if they don’t fully understand. But he’ll politely ask for help, or ask questions about why they’re doing a particular exercise. Part of that comes from his own assertiveness and curiosity, but I think Maria and I also deserve from credit. When we talk to him, we explain things in terms he can understand, but we try to never talk down to him, or just order him around “because I say so.” I notice a lot of parents try and fail to make their kids be polite to others, and its because they are often authoritarian with their kids and not very polite to them at all. I believe kids behavior is more influenced by their parents’ example than it is by trying to tell them what to do all the time.

Anyway, as you can see in the pictures, Kai is also talented when it comes to posing for the camera.