Black Belt Bear

Kara has been working so hard for months ahead of her black belt exam in Tae Kwon Do. We got up bright and early and headed over to the school. 

She had plenty of time to warm up and stretch. 

There was a fairly small group of brown belts testing for black. 3 boys, 3 girls, I like those numbers. 

They had a pre exam meeting/pep-talk and that really calmed her down. She was pretty nervous, and also had a cold. 

She got to be the first to attempt breaking a board. She got it on her first try. 

I love seeing her so proud of herself. 

The test took 6 hours with breaks as needed. She drank So. Much. Water. I actually ran out close to the end, and a dad that was there gave her a gatorade. She appreciated that greatly. 

She and her friend did their forms almost perfectly in unison. We all got a great laugh, and they still kept it up. I guess that's what happens when you always practice together. 

By the time they started sparring, everyone was wiped out. 

But they all were troopers, and really went for it. 

Each black belt that they sparred against used a different technique, so that was a decent challenge. 

At the end, each of the kids testing had to spar 5 on 1. It was pretty fun to see Kara running all over the place, and trying to punch her way out of the corner, etc. All of the parents like that part best, I think. 

After 6 long hours, they were done, and ready to find out if they earned their black belts. 

She was successful! 

They were so tired and so happy. 

So many years of hard work has gone into this accomplishment for these girls. 

Here is the certificate to prove it! Kara got this framed for her birthday, and hung it on her wall.

She is lucky to train with such an amazing teacher. 

This girl has helped Kara so much, and inspired her countless times. She was happy to have her there for her exam. 

That's right people. Little bear has a black belt!