I walked out on my sons competition Saturday

[Patrick]

Hello,

We removed a post from this thread in error. It is below. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks,

Patrick

Marmaduke,

In the Kwanmukan, Tekki Shodan is a black belt form. Second, how could it possibly surprise you that a 17 year old boy, with hormones raging, would try to impress a girl? With respect...that's just naive.

Anyway, I think the bigger problem is that you walked out on him. First, you didn't realize the form was a black belt form. So you took it upon yourself to assume he threw the competition rather than asking. What message does that send him? How would you want him to react if the roles were reversed? He's a 17 year old kid who, as much as he probably hates to admit, would love nothing more than to have your admiration and pride. Respectfully, I think you dropped the ball...not him.

In my sons school, Tekki Shodan is a Yellow Belt form. I have been sitting at every class he is in, in the ones he teaches and the ones he takes, anywhere from 2 to 4 hrs a day. (6yrs +) Allow me the consideration of knowing which Kata's he does.

And what rank would Bassi Dia and Jiom be? he learned these as a Brown Belt. The one (as far as I'm concerned that would have beaten her) would have been Kwankong Changkwan. Its a Chinese Kata he learned, also as a Brown Belt. (I've been told its a 7th Dan TKD Kata)

Oh, and the belt ranking in my sons school is...white, orange,yellow,blue,green,purple,brown, black with several stripes at each rank. (I've noticed a lot of different belt rankings per style/school)

He won the coin toss, he allowed her to go first and saw which Kata she did. At that time, he could have determined which Kata he knows, and which one to do to beat her.

[snorri]

I'm curious to know, do you actually train yourself or do you just sit and watch your son's classes for 2 to 4 hours a day?

[unknownstyle]

im about to be a black belt and the only kata i use is seisan and it was the 4th kata i learned out of the 16 i know sometimes less is more. even though you cant really look at seisan as a beginner kata as it is one of the hardest to truly understand

[DisgruntledGirl]

In my sons school, Tekki Shodan is a Yellow Belt form. I have been sitting at every class he is in, in the ones he teaches and the ones he takes, anywhere from 2 to 4 hrs a day. (6yrs +) Allow me the consideration of knowing which Kata's he does.

While I understand your frustration if your son truely did perform below his abilities but I think in many schools Tekki Shodan is indeed higher up than it is at his school and maybe he knew that and as such maybe it was just a mistake on his part for playing it too safe just cus he thought he could. (though in all honesty, I'm with you in thinking that maybe he was just a lil smitten )

And what rank would Bassi Dia and Jiom be? he learned these as a Brown Belt.

Just so you can get a better idea of how different things can be, in the school I attend:

Tekki Shodan is a red belt kata (4th kyu)

Bassai Dai is also a red belt kata (4th kyu)

and Jion is a brown belt kata (3rd Kyu)

in a 10 kyu system

So, Bassai Dai and Tekki Shodan are kinda considered on the same level for us... but I'm not that far yet so I have no idea if one is any harder than the other.

Oh, and the belt ranking in my sons school is...white, orange,yellow,blue,green,purple,brown, black with several stripes at each rank. (I've noticed a lot of different belt rankings per style/school)

Indeed things are different... I initially had a slightly "bad" oppinion of your son too when you said "yellow Belt Kata" as that is 9th kyu for us, but felt slightly better about him when you said that it was actually a step above my school's yellow (your yellow being my orange and my orange being your yellow)... but where my oppinion really changed was when you said that it was Tekki Shodan... thats when I started to get the oppinion that you were maybe being a tad harsh... a little harshness would have still been understandable seeing as, by my shools curriculum, it is still a tad "beneath" him... but not too much so.

[Harlan]

At some point, the 'supportive' parent needs to let go, and let the child determine the course of their training. I believe, from Marmadukes various posts on various forums, that he is VERY involved in his son's training...but does not train himself.

At some point, one has to step back as a 'handler' (being nice here...various posts make me have me wondering if the son is spoiled beyond belief and gets everything he wants...or if dad is a little 'over the top'...a 'sports dad' and pushing).

Tournements, belt-chasing, kata collecting, uber-competativeness...'beating other people'...is this what MA is about? It's too easy to get wrapped up in that, and think the original reaction was inappropriate. On the other hand, it might be a good thing overall. A chance to step back and reassess what MA means to your son (not you...because you aren't the one training...your role is to be 'supportive dad')...and why he trains.

There is nothing wrong with training for the love of it, BTW.

[Adonis]

Like any of us have never done crazy stuff for girl. I am just saying....

[ps1]

Like any of us have never done crazy stuff for girl. I am just saying....

My point exactly!

[BLueDevil]

Heh, if he's confident in his own skills then why not let the girl he likes win? Its just a little tourney, there'll be others

[shotokanka92]

girl or not im busting out the harder katas

[Killuminati]

he get a number?