"Is it a Karate Day?"

At home, Abigail wakes up early every day and then always asks two questions.  "Is it a School Day?" and "Is it a Karate Day?"

She likes when the answers are yes, which is a testament to how much she loves her Junior-Kindergarten program and how much she loves her Tae-Kwon-Do class.

A very flexible Kung Fu guy. 
He was the only one in the show who was
still enough that I could get a good picture.

The past 13 days in China have been no different.  Every day she wants to know if it is a school day and a karate day and when it is, she asks if we are going back to America for them, karate class in particular.   (Apparently, our 30-hour trip to China has been erased from her memory or she doesn't understand just how far away Tiger Lee's Studio is!)

Anyhow, the other day when we went to the Shaolin Temple, Abigail got to see a Kung Fu demonstration/show.  (It was very commercialized, but she didn't know that.)  She sat on the edge of her seat and whispered "This is SO awesome!"  I asked her if she was that good at karate yet and she said no.  (I thought this was good self-awareness.  A few months ago when she tried ballet lessons and saw a YouTube video of the "Anything Goes" Broadway show-stopper dance with Sutton Foster and I asked her if she danced that well, she said yes.)

Abigail, about to un-sheath her (bamboo) sword.

Abigail was super good at the Shaolin Temple (this was the day Larry had food poisoning) and so I promised her a souvenier if she was good.  (International Rules include bribery and letting your child drink soda.)  Since the cross-bow she liked wouldn't fit in the suitcase, she choose a "sword" that she proudly carries around now.

Yellow Stripe Belt Test

She knew everything.  We practiced the forms.  The Korean vocabulary.  The one-step sparring.  She has been showing the Ten Basic Moves to everyone for a month.  Then, when the white belts stepped up for their test together, they all kinda' froze!  You would have thought it was Abigail's first day in karate!  But, when it was time to break the board, she showed her confidence and did that.  The Master passed her anyhow, although we are raising her like a good Asian kid and told her we were proud, but also that she could have done better. (We don't want to lead her into the whole "you participated, here's your trophy" American mentality!)  She knew moves & the words. Why didn't she do them, boldly, leading the group? Apparently, the testing environment was a little confusing to her.  But initial timidity aside, we really are proud of her for finding an activity and sport that she really loves and taking ownership of it and, in class, always being focused and trying hard.  And she is super proud of herself; tonight she told me that yellow stripe belts are very tough, like her.  You know what else?  She is pretty athletic.  She moves well, runs beautifully.  I could watch her move forever.  Her little body is so coordinated and graceful and powerful.  What a gift the ability to move is!!

Aiyah!!

Abigail had her first Tae Kwon Do class today.  It went much better than her whole first month of ballet classes.  (Plus, there was no pink, no body glitter and no "princess walking" and Asian kids look way cuter in a dobok anyhow!)   Her teacher said that she is a good listener, is a calm and not easily excitable student, and is flexible.   (One point for Abigail being a wonderful kid!)  Abigail's favorite part?  Breaking a board with her hand!  (One point to the karate studio for knowing how to get the kids hooked on day 1!!)