I gotta Crow

So my kids do the karate thing. We are pretty serious about it actually.

Z. does a good job, especially when you consider he's younger than everyone else by at least 1.5 years, and he started about 2 years younger than kids normally start. He's pretty good, actually.

Today he was amazing. Koncho, his teacher, believes that push-ups are the best exercise ever. And you should see Koncho do push-ups. He's got one foot crossed over the other, the foot on the floor is up high on his big toe. He's got his index and middle fingers on the floor holding him up. He only bends at the elbows, touches his nose - and only his nose - to the ground. He does them fast. He talks while he does them. Each and every push-up is perfect each and every time. Truly, it is a sight to behold.

Z.'s push-ups aren't quite as impressive as Koncho's - yet. But you oughtta see him! he gets his little body down there and only bends his elbows - no Mount Everest Butt!

Well, this evening during the advanced class Koncho was not too happy with one of the kids. The young man really wasn't doing well. Koncho told the kid to give him 20 push-ups. The kid got down and his efforts were, at best, weak.

Koncho saw Z. in the back of the room and called for him to come forward. He asked Z. to get down and do some push-ups. Z. did as he was asked. And he performed flawlessly!

Then Koncho asked the kid and Z. to come to the front of the room, face each other and go head to head doing push-ups.

Z. smoked that kid right out of the water! Everyone clapped. It was really cute because Z. was pleased with himself, but he didn't get the subtlety of the situation and how he'd effectively humiliated the kid. He simply looked pleased with himself in a genuine, innocent way.

As his mother I beamed. Everyone else in the room was proud of Z. Koncho has the older students mentor the younger ones and many of the students have worked with Z. Its kinda got a family atmosphere.

I do feel sad for the other kid, though. He must have been hurting. The other kid is 7 years older than Z.

I called R. in Prague to tell him this story. He was pleased.