Tae Kwon Do

Several weeks ago, Caleb mentioned that he was interested in taking karate. Ironically, the thought of signing him up for a martial arts class had already crossed my mind recently as I pondered if it would be a good activity to help reinforce discipline and self-control as well as provide an outlet for all our son's little boy energy.

Since we were both thinking along the same lines, I decided to post on Facebook to see if anyone knew of any local classes we could try. One of my friends who responded suggested a Tae Kwon Do class at Gold's Gym that newbies could drop in to try out for a $5 fee. Her kids had tried it already and enjoyed the class, so taking their recommendation, I thought we'd give it a shot too.

My Uncle Randy warned me that Caleb might be too young for karate since my cousin Kevin tried it at that age and lost interest quickly. With that in mind, I thought the class at Gold's was the perfect option for us. We'd get a taste of how Caleb felt about martial arts without having to go all out and buy a uniform or sign up for an extended period of time.

The class hit kind of in the middle of Caleb's nap time so we had to skip his rest period that day in order to try things out, but occasionally my preschooler can go without a nap so we gave it a try anyway. 

When we first arrived, Caleb was ecstatic to see that one of his school friends named Landen was there. To make it even better, this little fella is one of Caleb's favorites because he has such a funny personality. Needless to say, Caleb was jumping around with excitement when he saw him. I even had to get on to Caleb at one point because I thought he was going to knock Landen down as he kept hugging and bumping into him while they waited in line. His friend didn't seem to mind though. They were so cute together.

Here they are waiting in line to jump and kick. You can see Caleb hasn't quite grasped the concept of personal space. :)

To begin, they spent maybe a half hour or so doing warm-up activities like jumping on a trampoline, kicking, or playing tag.

Then they lined up to talk about the rules of Tae Kwon Do and practice their skills. I really liked the emphasis they put on respecting both yourself and others. The "commandments" they recited focused not just on their behavior while they were there but extended to their respect at home for their parents, siblings, elders, and selves as well as all living things. His "Master" required them to respond "Yes, ma'am" every time she gave them a command, which also was a good lesson in manners and respect.

Next came some relay races. Caleb and Landen were paired up every time and made good competitors. Kicking, stepping, or crawling down the mat they went.

Finally they lined back up to do a few more drills and it was time to head home. Literally two minutes before the instructor ended the class though, from my seat I heard Caleb let out a big sigh and watched as he dramatically dropped to his back on the mat in exhaustion. I wasn't sure whether to giggle or be a little embarrassed that my kid was the only one not lined up with the others, but I couldn't help but smile. As soon as they ended, he ran over to me huffing, "Mommy, I'm just soooo tired." Even as I led him to the car and placed him in the carseat, he just kept talking about how wore out he was and that he wanted to sleep when we got back to Granny's where his siblings were waiting for us. I guess all that extra physical activity coupled with missing his nap was just too much.

When we got back to Granny's Caleb told her that he had had fun in the class as he snuggled up to her and rested on the couch. What he said next though really shocked the both of us! One thing was "not very good" there he commented. "What?" I asked. "They told us to bow to each other...You aren't supposed to bow to anyone but God," my four-year-old informed us.  While I tried to explain that in Tae Kwon Do and certain cultures you bow to each other to show respect and that it is a greeting like shaking hands which is different from bowing to idols in worship like it describes in the Bible, all I could think was "Wow! He's really getting this stuff!" Definitely evidence that he has been paying attention in those Sunday School lessons and bedtime devotionals! I love how even at four he's already hiding the Word in his heart and wanting to please God.

Though he really enjoyed Tae Kwon Do over all, Caleb told me he doesn't want to go back until he's older because it just makes him too tired. It's kind of at an awkward time frame for us anyway and the teacher said we can drop in whenever we want for the $5 fee, so we'll see what we end up doing in the long run. However, I'm glad we at least tried it and he had the chance to see what it was all about. Even more importantly, I'm thankful I got to see how he's applying the Scriptures to his daily life and whether we ever try another martial arts class again, just having the opportunity to get a little glimpse of his thoughts and heart was worth every penny we spent on this one.

"Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 26:1 (NIV)