It Didn't Get the Better Of Me!

I keep a journal for each of my children so that I won't forget what they were like as children. Below is an entry in one of my daughter's journals.

January 15, 2006

Dear Clorinda,

You tested for your black stripe yesterday. You did so well and I am so proud. You know all of your forms very well and all of your techniques. It all seems to come pretty easy for you. You had to work pretty hard through the test. You got a little red-faced, but didn’t show the fatigue I would have shown. It seems like you can go forever.

Things got a little tougher for you when it came to breaking your board. You were breaking a full size board. You first technique was a hammer fist. You hit it very hard three times, but it wouldn’t break. Then you tried an ax kick a couple of times, but again it wouldn’t break. I could tell that your hand and your foot were throbbing. Mr. Jerman had you take a break then. You went over and quietly cried in Mrs. Jerman’s arms for a couple of minutes while others did their breaks. Finally Mr. Jerman had you come out to try again. You tried once again with an ax kick and it didn’t break. Mr. Jerman asked you if you wanted to keep trying or if you wanted to quit. You said with a teary voice that you didn’t want to quit. Your right foot was hurting so you switch to your left foot. You tried again and you snapped the board. You were so happy and I was so proud of you.

Later I was talking to you and I said that the board had gotten the better of you. You quickly said, “No, I got the better of the board!” I had meant that it had gotten the better of you at first, but that you hadn’t given up. You were right, though--that board didn’t get the better of you! You are so small and boards have always been tough for you. I think this is the first full-size board you have ever broken. I love you. Dad