I thought I was ready

But after tonight I'm not so sure I am.

Jordan takes Karate and he has been since April.  This past Saturday he took the belt test and was promoted to Orange belt.  I was so proud.  The instructor, Mr. Eaves, has been telling me that Jordan could move up to the teen/adult class whenever I was ready for it.  Well, Chris, Jordan and I discussed it and decided that since he'd have to move up to that class when his birthday comes that he might as well move up now---new belt, new class. 

Monday was his first time in the teen/adult class.  I was proud of him, they did a lot more stretches, sit-ups and pushups.  They had him doing things that he hadn't even seen much less practice.  He did it all without a complaint and with a smile on his face.  At the end of the class Mr. Eaves made a point to say how impressed he was with the way Jordan handled his first teen/adult class.

Then we went tonight.  Tonight they sparred.  This class is all belts from beginner to purple (no brown, red, or black belts in this class, yet).  This class is also for people aged 13 and up.  Jordan doesn't turn 13 for another whole week.  He is the youngest and the smallest in the class.  Tonight they sparred.  Some of his friends are in this class and they are a much higher rank than he is---they couldn't wait to team up with him to practice and spar.  I was okay when the one kid that is only a little bigger than Jordan kicked him in the ribs...Jordan should have been defending himself better and this was a purple belt to Jordan's Orange.  Then Jordan got kicked in the stomach---again, after a deep Mom breath I was okay.  Then a third person kicked him...this time in the face---and my baby came away with a bloody nose!  I tell you what.  The Momma bear in me rose up and I wanted to just shake the crap out of the boy that kicked him.  He threw an illegal kick.  But, Jordan didn't have his hands up in the defensive stance, if his hands had been in the right spot the kick wouldn't have gotten through.

I was very proud of my boy, though.  He wanted to keep fighting/sparring even with blood running out of both nostrils.  I had to pull him over to the side and hold some paper towels against his nose.  He sure didn't want to have to stop---he was itching to get back out there.  The boy that kicked him was not happy with himself, he was near tears and kept apologizing.  I got the bleeding stopped and Jordan went back out and sparred some more.  He kept his hands up, though.

I thought I was ready for my 'baby' to move up to the teen/adult class.  I would be---if I didn't feel the need to sit out in the chairs and watch.  I don't know what I'm going to do when he ends up sparring the men in the class.  I suppose I'll either be going outside or making Chris take him.  I'd hate to do something stupid and embarrass my child.