Noah started taking Judo and Tae Kwon Do two weeks ago–okay maybe three weeks ago.  I have to say he absolutely loves it and I love how much he loves it.  It is so great to see him blossoming and voicing his own likes and dislikes.  I have tried really hard not to pressure him into doing things and have let him decide what he wants to do–even if I know he won’t like it (flag football for one).  But I think it is important that the kids get to decide and have a say in their own activities.  But they also know that if they commit to something they have to see it through for a period of time.

I knew Noah would love martial arts and he’s been asking to do it since he was three.  I made him wait until he was 5.  I made him wait because I wanted him to be old enough to pay attention and get the most out of it as he could.  I made that mistake with Zoë and ballet right when she turned 3.  So, I’m learning from my mistakes.  But I wish I would have let Noah start sooner, only because of how much he loves it.  He has had 10 classes now and he goes 3x per week–which is a lot, but he wants to do it.  And it’s close to home and it gets him active and it is teaching him discipline and confidence.

He is a pretty outgoing kid–but he also pretty reserved in new situations as he observes people, etc.  He is also a sponge–I can just see his mind working as he is trying to figure it all out.  He is contemplative and tactical.  He is learning to “think” less and just do.  That is great to see.  It’s important to have both skills.

He is learning to count in Japanese and Korean as he has to be able to do both for his yellow belt test–which is still about 7 or so weeks away at the earliest.  He isn’t in any real rush–okay I take that back–I’m not in any rush for him to test for his yellow belt.  I don’t want to put the pressure on him, but he is already learning that you just do the bet you can–you do what you can and as long as you are trying your hardest it’s okay.  I am hoping that he will be able to apply that insight in marital arts to his other things–like piano, etc.  But he is growing and not just older but as a person.  It’s a beautiful thing to witness and be part of as a parent.

Here is a from his first TKD practice match at class (this was his 8th class)