Getting Gold at the Karate Tournament

Last Saturday the boys attended a karate tournament. They participate in TKA, which is a form on Tang Soo Do (if i spelled that correctly?) They were begging us to go. Neither Will nor I was thrilled about the idea for a few reasons- 1. it costs $, 2. it takes a good part of a Saturday 3. Competition is still a real challenge.  But, it was the 3rd reason that compelled us to go. Tyler had never competed in one before, and every time Zach does, its good for him to learn both the winning AND losing- and the expected behavior that goes with both outcomes.

So here are some purple belts (Zachs group) warming up before sparring. There are 3 ways to compete: forms, sparring, an jujitsu. Last time, I didn't let Zach fight but this time they both did. Yes, they wear protective gear! Unfortunately, it was a big room so I couldn't get as many photos of Tyler since the red belts were on the far side away from the bleachers. But overall, they both did a fantastic job!  And both ended up bringing home trophies!

 Tyler got his 2nd place trophy in forms. He competed against about 20 other red belts to earn this. For his sparring and jujitsu, they combined them with green belts (a level up) so the competition was much harder for him. But, he showed great sportsmanship and patience for his turn to compete!

Zach came home with 2 trophies- just an amazing accomplishment! He also competed against a large group of purple belts- a very competitive group. First, he did forms and did not win a ribbon, but was able to persevere and  fought very hard in sparring and won 2nd place. He had to compete about 4 times, against different people, and win each round. I was so nervous watching him! Never in my life have I prayed that my child would hit someone well. That day I did. It was weird!
Last event was the jujitsu, and Zach just rocked this category. He was focused and patient, and it paid off. We are thankful for God's favor on them to receive good scored from all the judges. They have both worked very hard and its wonderful when you have something to show for all your hard work! Great job, guys.