Karate Test

The Cisco Kid has been going to Karate since July of 2011. He wants to go all the way to become a black belt. In July he started out in a white belt and four months later he graduated to a yellow belt. Saturday he tested for his new belt color. Yellow with a Black stripe. In a couple of months and once he knows all the requirements he will be eligible to participate in tournaments. Tournaments are people pitted against each other and using martial arts moves you gather points if you get the first strike or first series of strikes in. They call it sparing... TV makes karate sparing look something like a dance with karate movements. Right now it is not like that at all. This is a full contact sport. They are being thought to do a series of different high kicks, low kicks, extended punches, jabs and lots of blocking also combination movements. A combination example: two jabs, back step and then a round kick. The test he did on Saturday was for eight different combination movements. Now with his new belt he has to learn 20 different combination movements. I have to say that sparing looks very difficult to do. Not only does he have to worry about his opponent getting the best of him but he will have to try to anticipate their moves so he can do the right combination to score the highest points. Recognizing the combination is a two way street. Now the competition begins. Who will be able to get the best combinations and make the most points.