today was the first day of tae kwon do at jhoon rhee institute. yesterday we attended a class to watch and mimi seemed to be really interested in trying it out. i bought her uniform and the instructor we met that day (master rhee) showed her how to do the "9 seconds of discipline." she followed along rather meekly, but did try to do all that he asked very solemnly. we came home and tried on the uniform (really too big on her!) and she was very excited about doing some kicks and punches and practiced with rob until he got tired of it. i think she could have done it all night though.
today, it was like a different child had entered the dojang from yesterday. she was energetic and excited. she followed right along even though this was her first time and she didnt know the student creed yet or proper reponses. right or wrong, she was yelling out along with everyone else, though often a few seconds delayed. :) she is only one of two girls in her class with the rest comprised of boys, most of them somewhat older than her. but mimi seems to be quite at home with boys, and often prefers to play with them at preschool, so this was not a problem.
i do think i need to talk to her about making a few less comments during the class, though. during this first class, typical of mimi, she made comments through out about everything they did. the instructor was really nice about it and even seemed to be amused, but i think if this continues it will only eventually annoy everyone!
in the next couple of weeks she'll be working to earn her first belt (white belt). she is really excited about it and wants to earn some stars and the belt and keeps asking me when she will be able to get one. i wonder if this will be something she will want to stick with. i would love for her to really get into some kind of physical activity. tae kwon do IS a bit intensive though with a 2-3 class a week requirement! yikes! and most of the classes run in the evenings when things are busiest at home for us and traffic hits in our area. but if she is passionate about it, of course i will do whatever it takes.
out of curiosity, i came home and googled grand master rhee and found this youtube clip of a commercial they used to air in the d.c. metro area (rob remembers it) dating back to the late 60s/early 70s. the little boy at the end of the commerical who is winking and saying nobody bothers me either, is master rhee's son, who now runs the falls church dojang and was the instructor that we met when we arrived for the orientation. (grand master rhee is said to have taught mohammed ali and bruce lee, among others.)
here's a clip of mimi in tae kwon do...she is almost comical in how flexible she is! reminds me of how flexible my sister nan used to be at this age. sometimes mimi will do such a move and say to me, "now you do it, mama!" like i'm going to be able to touch my toes to my nose...shah!
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