Gobuk

(Or: Proud mommy moment #147,423, or thereabouts.)

The other week we attended the Gala des Gobuk, to which Helena had been invited as a nominee for various taekwondo awards (she had 3 nominations, as a matter of fact).

We were treated to a demonstration of skills by the red and black belts from one of the other community centre programs. This featured very impressive feats of kicking, at great heights and over vast obstacles, many culminating in the splitting of planks with bare feet.

Helena is not (yet) at this level of spectacle, but the very first award of the evening was presented to her for assiduity, which, I'm led to believe, means a little bit more than just showing up (which the other 20 or so nominees in her age group also managed just as well). I am sssoooo proud.

"Gobuk," I've since learned, means "turtle" in Korean. The turtle is a symbol of longevity; the mental and physical discipline of taekwondo is a channelling of effort to overcome one's mortality.

Today finishes out this taekwondo session, and we'll take a break from it over the summer. Today my little gobuk achieved her yellow belt. My little girl kicks ass.