The end of the regular year of classes is over for the summer, and we wrapped it up with a tournament on June 11th and presentation night for students to advance in belt levels the next week. Overall, the Johnstones did pretty good.

Adult division

Jr. Division

A photo of Ethan made it into the paper.

Oops.

Ellie didn’t compete this time round, but this was the second tournament for dad and Ethan, and Adelaine’s first tournament (the girls only started going after Christmas).

Adelaine: first place kata, 2nd place kumite (sparring)
Ethan: 2nd place kata, 3rd place kumite
Troy: 1st place kata.

The next week we had our last presentation night of the year (usually three presentations a year). If you work hard, it typically takes a year to move up belt levels, and to encourage kids with a sign of progress, children can get a stripe on their belt with three stripes needed before moving up to the full next belt level.

white – yellow – orange – green – blue – brown – black

Ellie moved up one level to white belt with two stripes, Ethan moved up one level to white with three stripes, and Adelaine (who has taken to it like a duck to water) moved up two levels to white with three stripes. After the next session there should be a couple yellow belts around the house.

I first earned a green belt in Shotokan Karate probably 26 years ago, but haven’t practiced any karate since the early ‘90s. The style we have been learning since last September is Wado Kai Karate which is largely similar, but with some subtle and important differences. After knocking twenty years of rust off, and relearning slightly different movements and kata, I was promoted to a blue belt. I expected that this would take another year, but with a lot of sweat, a few pounds, a few poundings, a pulled this and that, and bruisings. Thank you to the instructors for patiently teaching the old dog a few new kicks in a different karate style. Next stop brown belt, then black!