July 7, 2006

Let’s hear it for INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

I went to class tonight and worked one on one with a black belt on the sai kata for 3rd kyu. It is so cool! I also think it is fairly easy to learn. Of course, there are a lot of little intricacies that I’ll need to make sure I’m getting right; but the overall pattern is a familiar one. It reminds me a lot of the tunfa kata I did for last test. Having a familiarity with it already and it’s only July feels wonderful. It makes brown belt in September seem attainable.

I felt really good when I learned to use the bo months ago. Tunfa felt even better. Using sai just make you feel so wicked. There is a move at the end of the kata where you bring the sai together in front of you. The right overlaps the left sai, both with blades facing inward towards each other, and you scrape the sai blades together until you are holding both sai with the blades facing outward. Because the move is unique in that there are no other points during the kata where the sai come in contact with each other, I asked for an explanation. The black belt made sure the younger kids weren’t paying attention and then said that this move is supposed to symbolize scraping the sai clean of blood at the end of the battle. . . I think I’m in love.

As if the whole private lesson with the sai wasn’t exciting enough, Big I made some major progress tonight. Yes, when she snap kicks it still looks as if her leg weighs 4000 lbs. and instead of a smooth finish, she is usually picking herself up off the floor. No, her punches aren’t landing exactly the way they should; but the progress is that these kicks, punches, and elbows are coming with some serious force. She put on her game face tonight and instead of checking her hair in the mirror or worrying that she needed to reapply her "pretty" (chapstick for the common folks), she was scowling at me (her bag holder) and nailing that bag as if she has some anger management issues. I was one proud mama. Sure, she sort of resembled a monkey going nuts in a cage. The control is sort of lacking. O.k. we need to work on control. But we have said goodbye to the prissy girly punches of months gone by and are now seeing some drive.

In addition, while I was busy with the sai, the lower belts were standing up one at a time and showing their waza. (Big I’s waza goes something like this: step back and block up; kick; punch; block down with kiai). I didn’t even bother to look at the other side of the dojo because I was fully expecting to see my little girl, cheek to her shoulder, hair hiding her face, as she refused to stand up and give it a go. Instead, at the end of class, Big I came running up to me with a grin from ear to ear as she told me that she did her waza ALL. BY. HERSELF. I was sort of in shock and looked to our instructor for confirmation. She said it wasn’t perfect, but she could definitely recognize the waza from what Big I stood up and showed off. Big I wasn’t the only one who left the dojo grinning tonight.

The best part. . . she didn’t even ask for a reward. There was no mention of McDonald’s. Every few minutes on the drive home she would just blurt out, "Mommy, are you proud that I did my waza? I can’t believe I did my waza ALL BY MYSELF!" The intrinsic motivation was just oozing out of her and as a former teacher and as her Mommy, I can finally see that it is sinking in. Being intrinsically motivated to learn is a wonderful thing. She is starting to enjoy the successes that come with karate. THIS is the self-esteem boost that parents talk about when they say they want their kids to take karate. THIS is the reason why I wanted her to start taking karate two years ago. THIS has made my day, my week, and quite possibly my month.