This past Friday we held a very important test. David Kiester tested for his Cho Dan Bo, and Felicity Patch tested for her green belt. Every test is important, and a huge part of the students’ journey in the Martial Arts, but this test was especially important for numerous reasons.
Felicity has been training with us for a couple of years now, and it’s been incredible to see her growth over time. Green belt is a true beginning in Martial Arts, a time when you realize how much you have learned, and how much you have yet to learn. It can be a difficult and frustrating rank, but we have no doubt that Felicity will continue to grow and become an amazing Martial Artist. It’s not just her technique that has impressed us, it’s also the way she’s helped with the younger students by showing up early for the Little Dragons class and taking a leadership role with them. We are very proud to have her as a student. She shows great perseverance, as you can see by her video below:
David Kiester has had an amazing amount of growth over the years. Cho Dan Bo is a remarkable milestone for anyone, but for him it holds a special importance. In his own words: “There was a time when I felt that physical limitations like bursitis, bad knees, old age and excessive girth would max out my potential at about red belt, so now that I’ve exceeded expectations it is onward to black belt.” Dave’s first instructor was also invited to attend, and we were grateful that he took the time to stop by and see how far Dave has progressed. We have no doubt that he will go above and beyond in his training over the next year as he works toward earning his black belt. He rarely misses a class, tries his hardest, works to thoroughly understand every technique and practical application, and shows leadership in helping teach classes. Check out his breaks:
We would also like to acknowledge how well Jeremy and Todd did at this test. They participated in order to prepare for their next test, and they both did extremely well. Jeremy had solid techniques and focus, and we’re excited to see him test for his stripe on his green belt. Todd has only been with us for a couple of weeks, and it can be a lot to jump in on a test but he did very well with all of the new techniques that he was being asked to try. We know that both of them will go a long way in the Martial Arts.
Check out some kicks from the test:
