“So I have to do the blah blah blah, which I already know…”
“Oh good.”
“And the gobbldeygook formation, and I’ve practiced that tons…”
“Uh huh. That’s great, Devin.”
“I’ve already done everything I have to do for my yellow belt. Except for breaking a board.”
“You’re going to be awes- I’m sorry, what?”
“I’ve already done all the stuff I need to do to pass my test. That’s why I said I wasn’t nervous, really. I just have to break a board which I haven’t done before.”
“You have to break a board?”
“Yep.”
“A real board?”
“Uhhhh….”
“With what?”
“With my,” he scrambles to his feet to demonstrate, “side KICK!” and he kicks. To the side.
“Have you ever broken a board before? Or tried?”
“Noooo,” the sing song in his voice reminds me that he’s already explained this to me.
“And you’re not nervous? At all? About trying to break a board?”
“I’m excited,” and he leans in close as he says it so that I can see the glint in his eyes that confirms it.
And I thought, who the hell is this kid? And where did he come from? I watched him sit cross legged 10 feet from me for half an hour, waiting for his turn to test in front of a room packed with strangers and peers, and not once did I see a sign of fear or self doubt. As my own skin hummed in anticipation, wondering how he would handle potential failure, he was clearly oblivious to the possibility.
The longer he remained calm, the more intensely he focused on the upcoming task, the more difficult I found it to tear my eyes away from him. And push down the lump rising up in my throat.
When did this happen?
When did this child – this baby - begin to display signs of budding maturity?
When did my overly cautious worrier begin to try on fearlessness and care free excitement?
I watched him in awe.
And then they called his name…
My son breaks a board! With his freaking foot!!!! from MissBritt on Vimeo.
Dude. My not quite nine year old son broke a fucking board. With his foot.
I saved the bulk of my gushing for the car ride home.
“Devin, I am so proud of you. You worked very hard and you did a great job.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Mom.”
“And you broke a board! That was pretty cool, kid.”
“Yeah. Although…”
“Did it hurt?”
“No. And it was a little easier than I expected. This makes me suspicious.”
“Devin, you broke a -”
“I bet they do something to make it easier. Cut the board a little. Or maybe they hold it a certain way. Something I bet they don’t tell you…”
Ah, yes. That’s my kid.
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Posted in Kids and Parenting - Real Mommy Blogging Tagged: children, devin, parenting, Tae Kwon Do
That was awesome! Great job Devin!
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GO Devin!!
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he is badass! nice work, kid!
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When he turned around and showed you the board, I just wanted to reach in the screen and hug him. He’s such a good kid, congratulations.
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Devin rocks!
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That was really cool.
I didn’t think they had you break boards and stuff until you were older. Very cool!
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Congratulations to your son! He is awesome!
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That was pretty impressive, Devin.
Now you can officially take Avitable!
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Very, very cool!
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most excellent!!!
i had the pleasure of going to watch as a friend’s son took the test for a belt (orange? blue? hell, i don’t know). he is only nine and came running across the room, did a somersault, jumped over an obstacle and the jumped in the air to break a board, landed and did a circle that ended with him breaking another board with his hand. he had the cutest smile when he completed the insanity.
oh yeah…more is coming. lots of boards to be broken. and devin is going to be magnificent!
congrats!!
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Congrats, Devin! I remember the board breaking days fondly. And no, they don’t do anything to make them easier to break, in terms of cutting anyway. They are held so that the length of your foot will wind up running inline with the grain of the wood thus ensuring that you break the board in a natural soft spot, but otherwise.
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AWESOME!!!
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Okay, I was going to make a wise ass comment, but I watched that video and that was awesome!
Gratz Devin! Remember to practice often, and I hear uncle Avitable is carrying boards in his shorts all the time.
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Holy Moly! That was awesome!!
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I’m surprised Devin had to break a board for his yellow belt because that’s not part of ATA testing but good for him that he was able to do it.
My youngest one just got Student of the month where she takes Karate classes.
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I never had to break a board for my yellow belt…
Well done, Devin!
I think the martial arts is a big part of Devin’s blossoming. It teaches focus and discipline and instills confidence in kids. And maybe his kick-ass mom had something to do with it too.
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Oh my gosh! We love the still pictures but the video… well its just fantastic!!! Good job Devin. We could never do that! It would take both of our feet to do that! And, no. They dont “help” you silly! You’re just that awesome! We are SO proud of you! Great concentration!! Way to go Mom, Dad and Emma!
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Awesome! Yay for Devin!
And now, if he ever has troubles with bullies, you can just show them that video for proof as to why they don’t want to mess with your kid!
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I think that’s awesome.
And I must take this chance to say that you write the most interesting ‘mommy’ posts;-)
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As long as it’s a board he’s breaking and not his femur.
Or his sister’s.
It’s all good.
Amazing how I think Tae Kwon Do is safer than cheerleading.
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WTG Devin!
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Devin, you’re my hero!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!
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Wonderful post! I love your dialogue/narrative of this rite of passage. I love Devin’s sense of accomplishment (with an asterisk… it’s such a guy thing). There’s a whole lot of emotion going on here, the best of which, I think, is the sense of self emerging so perfectly. In both of you. That’s the miracle of motherhood…
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Very well done, Devin-San
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Proud proud Mama!
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I’m staying on Devin’s good side. I do not want to ever become his “board,” figuratively speaking. (I hope that didn’t sound dirty? That wasn’t my intention but I’m paranoid now.)
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WTG, Devin! You’ll be breaking 4″ worth of boards with you bare forehead before long! (That’s my signature break.)
Pssst…Britt…come here so he doesn’t hear me. He’s right! LOL! The kids boards are incredibly thin and slightly bendable if you know what you’re doing. It’s a confidence builder at that age, but yes, that’s what TKD will do for him – make you cry at his maturity. It’s soooo great for kids to learn TKD.
Just wait until he starts learning weapons. That’s when things get really fun! (We loves our weapons!)
Thanks for introducing another great kid to TKD. He’s got really good form for a yellow belt from what I saw.
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Oooh, meant to ask you – do they make them ask permission for their belts? That’s one thing I REALLY like about our dojang. During test time the child must stand up and ask their parents, “Mom, Dad, do I deserve my belt?” They have every right to say no. And I have on two occasions. (Then there’s a two week trial, where they officially passed the test, but behavior or grades or whatever has to improve).
It’s not just about knowing the moves. It’s the focus, integrity, and respect that goes along with the martial art that should be learned. I love that about our group. Plus, the a little kid in fear of mom and dad saying no publicly is a good thing. LOL!
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Ah, cynicism is genetic.
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Totally awesome! Good job Devin! Now if anyone picks on his little sister when she starts school, he can KICK THEIR ASS!
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That was completely awesome!
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He freaking rocks! Hands down.
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color me impressed. does he like cute 7-year-old girls?
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Love the conspiracy theory at the end LOL
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CONGRATULATIONS DEVIN!
My son has done KungFu for 15 years. He still studies and also teaches.
He was a sensitive kid who hated team sports. Martial Arts developed his confidence and discipline. He has won big tournaments in New England and Washington DC.
I couldn’t watch him fight in tournaments. A mother should never see her child get kicked in the head! But I LOVED watching forms and weapons.
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I told Devin “35 people on the Internet wanted to tell you good job!”
“whose was the biggest?”
“Biggest what?”
“Whose ‘Good job was the biggest’?”
“ummmm… well, uh, LOOK! Becky says you’re awesome! And look! There’s lil’ Papa and Tina!”
“Hm. My name is underlined on here like you think it’s a fake name or something.”
So, um, Devin says THANKS EVERYONE!
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I feel the same way when G does this. Where do they come from??
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Oh – and YAY DEVIN!!!!!
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Okay, seriously, that made me get all teary-eyed. THIS is why I don’t go to my son’s swimming lessons, either, because by the time my two-year-old has proven he can swim underwater to his father, I am a bawling mess on the sidelines and all the other parents are quietly scooching their chairs away from me.
Congratulations to Devin and to YOU for raising such a fearless and inquisitive boy. How do they break those boards, btw?
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Devin! You are bad-ass!
(Britt. Don’t tell him I said “bad-ass.” Tell him Heather says “You’re awesome!” I don’t want to be the reason he starts cussing!
)
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DEVON!!! WOW! I totally wish I could break a board with my foot.
Two words for your mama. Camera stabilization. Holy cow I was almost sea sick.
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that kid is badass.
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Go ahead…confess it…your baby daddy is really Chuck Norris isn’t it?
ROCK ON, little man!
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Britt, that is AWESOME!!!! I’m proud and I don’t even know him!!!!! Good job Devin!!!!!!
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Devin – you totally rock and an super cool – both Pan and Tink think you are incredible!
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What a fantastic move. I thought the kick was very impressive. Way to go, Devin!
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That was freaking awesome.
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