"When in Rome...?"

I think the phrase goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans..." Is that it? Well, my version is, "When at Fort Irwin, where there is no Shotokan Karate, you take Tae Kwon Do." Elijah has been taking it for a while now. He caught on quickly, considering it's so different than what he's been trained in for so long. And, lately, the class has had a guest instructor who is teaching them Ju Jitsu. Or, "Army Combatives." Nice. They LOVE it, though. I thought (we thought) his interest was waning in Martial Arts, but it wasn't. He still loves it and he's still really good at it. He finally earned a "stripe" from his new Sensei this week. She's pretty tough on him, and she doesn't just "give away" increases in rank or stripes. I like that about her. She really is a great Sensei and Elijah likes her. too. He thinks she's hysterical, and she is... he's about the only one in the class who gets most of her humor. So, she finally gave him a "coveted" stripe. In the grand scheme of the boy's life right now, it doesn't mean as much as it will one day. He's enamored with football right now. And, rightly so. His dad (hero) is coaching his team, the Superbowl is coming on, and folks out here in the Wild West get into those Pro teams A LOT. A lot more than in the Southeast where College football reigns supreme. So, he wasn't as happy with that stripe as I was. Oh well. He'll thank me one day. He'll be grateful that we "encouraged" (pushed?) him to earn those belts. Especially that black one. Someone I admire once said that "good ball players are a dime a dozen, but great Martial Artists are few and far between." I am looking forward to a new Post where we can find a Shotokan School. I think the "love" for the art will come back. Until then, he's gained a few new skills. Just the other night, the "Guest Sensei" said, and I quote, "This is how you break someone's arm." Oh my. The first football game is this Saturday. Let's hope he leaves the arm-breaking skills in the Dojo.