Day 17.149: Shodan

Nearly two years after obtaining their black belt in Uechi Ryu Karate and the rank of 1st Dan or Shodan (literally beginning degree), Exile #4 received their certificate this week on attending class for the first time in a while. 

Day 15.078: Exile #4 and another goat

In some ways, things are more normal than they've been in a while. Exile #4 is back to doing karate class two or three times a week (when they're not doing things like this:)

Exile #3 is dancing a couple of times a week and E5N1 is deep into the final stages of preparing for the school musical.

It doesn't make for much to write about of an evening, but it's mostly a good thing.

Day 14.235: Senior

A last first day of the school-year photo for this senior:

It seems all went smoothly at school and this evening - karate class was back:

Exile #4 admitted to being rather rusty after the extended gap from organized training, but ready to get back to work.

Day 13.157: Two sisters doing their thing

There are many things that Exile #3 and Exile #4 both enjoy - they are both enthusiastic about including drawing and singing and watching Dimension 20 D&D videos.

Then there are their own things.

In the absence of karate class (for the time being at least), Exile #4 has been learning to use power tools and helping out with (actually doing most of) our little project - now unmistakably a cornhole set. Only sanding, painting and decorating to go now.

Meanwhile, it is costume-week for Exile #3's dance classes - next week they practice their dances for the last time and then next Saturday I will be videoing their dances in a day-long social-distanced outdoor recital. This was costume number one:

Day 13.069: ...in Minecraft?

Exile #4's sensei challenged them to do a karate kata somewhere unusual and since we're housebound, where better than in a virtual world?

I only had darkness to use for compositing, but maybe I'll work on a "green screen" of some sort for the next attempt. It was a fun technology experiment anyway!

Day 12.345: Two more parties

Exile #4 had her teen karate holiday party this lunchtime and E5N1, Exile #2 and I went to another party this evening. Exile #3 was the only one who missed out on both, though I suspect that suited her fine. She spent at least part of the day in artistic endeavors - not this kind - she did these ink drawings a couple of weeks ago as gifts for her friends:

Day 12.252: Karate class

This evening I dropped Exile #2's mum off to watch Exile #4's karate class. I managed to catch the last few minutes when I went back to get them but didn't take any photos during class.

Fortunately, as we walked out they offered to pose for me:

Day 12.170: Junior black belt

Exile #4 tested for her junior black belt today. She is a year away from being old enough to test for her actual Shodan belt.

After some warm-ups and exercises:

she tested in front of the panel:

and answered some questions including a history of the Uechi karate style:

and was awarded her new too-long belt by her sensei and his sensei:

Day 12.098: Karate class walk

I was reminded the other day that - back when she only had one class a week - the rest of us sometimes dropped Exile #3 at dance and went for a walk. Yesterday, we made the most of a sunny and fairly warm evening by doing the same while Exile #4 was at her karate class.

We went to the cemetery where we saw that even there they were promoting Game of Thrones:

And also that there are real signs of spring:

Day 12.069: Classy girls

On Wednesdays, I generally end up bringing the girls home together as Exile #3's class helping with the little ballerinas and Exile #4's karate class finish around the same time.

Today, Exile #3 was wearing some dramatic eye make-up for "Wacky Wednesday" in the dance school "Spirit Week", Exile #4 was looking her normal kick-you-in-the-face self (slightly reduced by a bemused smile).

Day 11.259: Karate progress

Exile #4 and I were talking about how long she had done karate in New York and what we both remembered about it. One of the questions we couldn't answer was how long she had been doing it before we moved. The answer is - a little less than a year. She started after her birthday in June 2013:

and she moved the following April (I had already been living in Maine since November which is why I remembered even less about the old dojo).

At the time, I had no expectations of how seriously she would take it but now it's hard to imagine her not becoming this young lady fighting off three people including a grown man with a stick:

Day 11.257: Through the mill

When Exile #4 was going to karate class there, I seemed to spend a good part of every week at the mill. I make no secret of loving these old grand and, in places, slightly worse-for-wear buildings. So I was happy to find myself  among them with Exile #2 on our Saturday morning walk:

Not much has changed really - progress towards renovating more of the buildings is slow, but given their size and location that is probably the best thing for everyone.

Day 11.255: That was Saturday

It was a pretty classic Saturday. Homework, trumpet practice, a karate class, a game of Pandemic Legacy (our first first-time success - it was April) and we ended the day with vegetable curry and an episode of American Ninja Warrior.

Not very exciting, but quite satisfactory.

Day 11.228: Exile #2's Sunday Column #217

Exile #2 writes...

Everyone’s shaping up for the new term. Exile #3 made it through her dance intensive, getting progressively more and then less sore as the days went by. It paid off though, with the company managing to learn a Modern piece, a Brazilian piece, and an excerpt from Giselle. There is a little bit of polishing to be done, but it was a solid start. Exile #4 shook off the summer karate cobwebs to become a youth black belt candidate, and E5N1... is squeezing every last drop out of summer by spending as much time as possible outside. Oh, and he has just about got his mouth around God Bless America, the piece that the Middle School band will be playing in the Veterans’ Day parade. Now he just has to figure out how to do it whilst marching!

So, freshman Exile #4 and Middle School newbie E5N1 are off to school Wednesday and Junior Exile #3 joins in on Thursday (only for one day though because of Labor Day weekend!).

Time to buckle up! We’re off.

Day 11.226: Karate testing time

Exile #4 did her last regular kyu-level karate test. The next stop from here is junior black belt. It went well. Here she is doing Dan Kumite (scripted sparring) with her sensei:

Day 11.065: Karate test

Another rank achieved - another reminder that we may have lost the ability to control our little girl:

Fortunately, she also seems to be learning to use her powers only for good!

Day 10.310: Throwback Thursday: Karate test

While I was recapping our Mount Desert Island adventures I seem to have missed mentioning Exile #4's karate test back in October. Here are some frankly terrifying kicks and a happily promoted smile:

(photos courtesy of the dojo).

Day 10.170: Kickin'

While I was at the parade taking 340 photos last Friday, Exile #2 took Exile #4 to her karate test and took exactly 0 photos.  Fortunately, I found some (thanks to the dojo) of Exile #4 doing her thing!

We're very proud of all the hard work she has put in to reaching this point.

Day 10.164: Big day

It was Exile #4 and E5N1's last day of school and a day of recovering from her friends' visit for Exile #3. In the early evening they all celebrated by participating in their main extra-curricular activities - a dance parade for Exile #3 and E5N1:

and a karate test for Exile #4:

Photo courtesy of the Karate school's Facebook page

They all did very well and ended the day in various stages of exhaustion.

Day 10.115: Don't mess with her!

I've stopped having any kind of confidence that I would win if I picked a fight with her.

Unless I resort to tickling of course.