Karate + WASLs

First of all, WASLs ARE HERE!!!! I just took the reading 1WASL today. I think I did pretty well. Here is the WASL schedule (as far as I know.): Reading 1 (done,) Writing 1, Reading 2, Writing 2, Math 1, and Math 2. Tomorrow, I have to take Writing 1! Duh duh duhhhhh. Here comes my doom, so wish me luck.

Second of all, Great job Ezra! Today, he passes his belt test (I didn't even know it was testing day) to advance to blue belt. Since Jordan and I took an extra week of karate camp, we were blue belts already, but since we weren't ready to test yet (the blue belt form is hard,) Ezra will finally be the same belt as us. Congratulations Ezra!!!

Martial Arts

Twice a week, I take Martial Arts lessons. It is really fun and it gets me active. I have just become a Blue Belt. My brothers also take lessons there and one of them, Ezra, is a Purple Stripe, while Jordan is a Blue Belt like me. The only reason we're this good is that we all took a few weeks of Karate Camp at our dojo. At the end of each week there, we were able to Belt test, so every week I went, I grew a belt level. However, now that I'm a Blue Belt, a high belt, I won't grow a belt every time I test. My brothers and I are in Leadership Club at our dojo. Unless you join either Leadership or Masters club, we are not qualified to train to be black belts. In fact, next year, I will try to become a jedo, which is one of the "student teachers" there. I will also be going 3 times a week instead. The only reason I didn't do that this year is because I had Hebrew School on Mondays and Wednesdays. I can't wait to be able to do that.
In Martial Arts, we learn respect, forms, kicks, focus and self-control, and self-defense. We learn respect, focus, and self-control through listening and meditation. We learn lots of kicks too. To do the kicks, you need lots of balance. We learn arc, ax, push, front-snap, jump front-snap, jump side, and arc-spin-jump-arc kicks. The high belts learn even more kicks. Every belt level has a form too. Low belts have three or four different forms. The masters teach a different low belt form after every belt test. Green belts and up have only one form however. Each belt up has a longer and harder form. I've only learned the first three or four steps of mine though. Every belt also has a self defense form. A partner throws a fake punch at you and you use the form to turn it against them. There are lots of things we learn at Martial Arts.
I think that it is really worth taking Martial Arts lessons. It is really fun, and I learn a lot.