Saturday

I skid into class a bit late--having decided that the boys can stay home without me for an hour or so. June is there, and Brian, too. We're the only adults today, us and Cavio, who's doing a great job leading class.

After the usual warm ups and practicing of our forms, we practice board breaking. That's why I'd decided to be here. I need to break two boards this time, and there are no prescribed kicks. I need to decide how I'm going to break these boards.

There is one requirement: one break needs to be a "hand technique." I've already decided to do a front elbow strike. I've done it before and don't want to practice; I'll almost surely get a small injury and I don't need that before the test.

"What are you going to do?" Brian asks me as I come up to break.

"I think I'll do a jump front snap kick," I say. "I've done it before, but had trouble doing it at a test."

I have trouble today, too, but not too much. It's a matter of getting the board lined up just right so the ball of my foot hits it square on.

But then June does hers, lining up two boards on either side of her. She smashes one with a palm strike, and breaks the other with a reverse kick.

That's what I want to do! Line up the two boards and break one after the other. I think the flow will be nice if I break with the front elbow, then turn to break the other way with a reverse kick.

That's what I'll do!