In order for the kids to advance in their belt ranks, they need to bring home a letter for parents and teachers to sign. Saying that the students are behaving at home and acting the way they are wanted too.
This week Mr. Man brought home a letter for his Orange Belt Test.
He's a great kid outside of the house. When home...he dawdles. He back talks now and then. He moves at his own pace no matter what. Nothing major but there is room for improvement. We want him to realize that.
Last night at his lessons I mentioned these things to his Sensei and suggested that he wait until next month for his test.
I thought that would be it.
As I watched, I realized that Sensei was taking this much more seriously that I had imagined. I thought they would just make him wait. Not only are they making him wait, but they took his Yellow belt away from him.
Mr. Man took it way better than I did. I wanted to cry. I felt so bad I couldn't look him in the eye. I had no idea they would do that. I thought once they earned their belts they had them forever. Or until they earned the next one.
Wrong!
Now he has to earn his yellow belt back before he can test for orange. I have been feeling bad enough as it was. Now I feel like a complete tosser.
Why is it the lessons we try to teach our kids, are harder on the parents? I feel like I'm the one being punished.
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2 comments:
Our dojo has the same process, and Carter was denied the right to test for promotion last Fall because we answered the questionnaire honestly. But our senseis did NOT demote him from the rank he had already achieved. That seems rather harsh! However, I truly believe that if we don't answer truthfully, we become "those" parents who work the system for the purpose of advancing their children, and where's the integrity of that?
All of which is to say, I absolutely think you did the right thing. Your sensei, perhaps, did not, and I'm awfully sorry to hear it.
Give Mr. Man a squeeze from me, please. He's not alone in the quest to apply karate principles into every facet of his life. It's a difficult process, but I know he'll get there if only because he has faced this rather unfair adversity which I believe he will more than rise above with you to guide.
It's all about building character. And this experience will do that.
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