Little Tykes

Yesterday my friend Lana and I were planning to train together during the children's class, since I had to leave before the adult class started. But instead of practicing forms or something, we were both drawn in to an impromptu Karate Ranger class (3- and 4-year olds) which Sa Bom Nim was conducting, separate from the regular children's class. This was to accommodate a brand-new Ranger named Sam, who was very timid and reluctant to participate in any activities. Putting him in with three other very enthusiastic little boys was a wise decision.

Sa Bom Nim set up a four-station obstacle course for the boys, with an "earthquake tunnel", "lily pads" to jump onto, and other pads to jump over. At the corners were Janet, an adult Black Belt, whose job it was to shake the "earthquake tunnel" as the boys scrambled through it; Ms. Hennessey, a young instructor, who held a kicking pad and reeled backwards as the boys "knocked her down" with a front kick; Lana, who held small target pads for a punch-punch-kick drill; and me - I held a small target pad for Low-middle-high limber-up kicks.

Apparently little Sam had tried the earthquake tunnel once before and liked it, but it was a struggle to get him to go through it this time. Still, once he saw the other boys doing it, and with a little push from the rear, he set off at top speed. He ended up doing the entire circuit several times and looked like he was having fun, even though he still balked once in a while. But it seemed like the reluctance was more from habit than anything else, because all we had to do was say, "Come on, Sam, you can do it!" and he would take off.


Since yesterday was the last day in our Karate Olympics week, after the obstacle course we set up a high jump course, with a nice thick landing pad. One of the boys, who is almost five, managed to jump over three stacked pads - about twenty-four inches high by eighteen inches across. The littler boys didn't care; they just plowed into the pads. Later we rearranged the pads for long jump, and Sam did himself proud by clearing two and a half pads - about forty-five inches across. He was really into it by this time.

I wouldn't be surprised if he shows a little reluctance at first the next time he comes to class; it takes time to overcome the habit of fear. But I think today's class went a long way toward helping him feel comfortable with trusting his body and doing things with other people.