Karate Belt Promotions at Tama
For the last 41 years, I have seen many students come and go from all walks going for their Karate Belt Promotions. From children to adults and beyond senior citizens. I have taught students that are deaf and on wheelchairs. The children are what amazes me the most especially the youngest ones and much difficult to teach at least at first. Seeing these children grow under my tutelage and guidance along with the help of other Tama Instructors, has been so much blessing to both myself and these challenging kids including the after school martial arts program.
One of the programs that I started and premiered 41 years ago was the after school martial arts classes in the school systems throughout the Miami Valley area. From Huber Heights to Centerville and even all the way to Springboro. But I was always going to the school’s location traveling. Two years ago, we started picking up the children in various school districts and had grown tremendously. They participate in martial arts training for five days a week. Seeing these kids improve fast since they train five days a week is more than amazing.
These children and even on our regular kid’s karate program at night get so excited about their preparation for their belt promotion test. When it comes to quality in martial arts, it is important that we spend the time in helping each student prepare for their test. The quality that goes into each preparation and the time with each student become crucial for increasing their confidence in themselves. Guiding the children, nurturing them with an abundance of positive reinforcements.
One of the students in the TASMAP (Tama After School Martial Arts Program) tested today. And he wrote this short thesis about “Dedication” named Evan Cobb who is ten years old. Evan, along with his two brothers has been training for more than three years. This is what Evan wrote….
Dedication means that you set a goal and don’t give up until you achieve it and even when you complete the goal, keep moving on. In other words, you are dedicated to that goal. For example, when you started karate you see the goal of becoming a black belt, and you do not stop until that goal is achieved. In other words, you dedicated your self-becoming a black belt and maybe go farther. Dedication to me means that once you set a goal and dedicate yourself to it, there is no going back. Even when times are tough, and the worst of the worst is happening. Do NOT give up on the goal you set because it is not going to make things better if you quit. When you dedicate yourself to a goal, you are determined to make it happen, at least for me. When you are determined, it is almost impossible to change your mind. Nothing can stop you from making this goal happen because of the determination. This is what I think DEDICATION means to me.
Evan and Grant Cobb Belt Promotions after their successful test with Grandmaster Taningco.