Demonstrations!

So today we did very little karate and spent most of the day watching testing and demonstrations. Here's the pictures!

Sensei Clarke and Dad talking. The white cloth in the middle separates those who are practicing from those who are performing/testing.

Everyone practicing before their grading. People were graded today for Shodan (first degree black belt) up through YanDan (fourth degree).

Beth doing a little bit of last minute patch work! She blocked a punch so hard her patch just came right off!
Couldn't resist the shot of the squatty potties, in case anyone hasn't seen them before...

Demonstrations: Every dojo that came to the event demonstrated kata and/or bunkai for a crowd of people who came from who knows where. Our four AKC members demonstrated kata Seisoshin with Merriman Sensei's group. Here we are in the middle of the kata - I'm in the middle, Beth is on the left, and my dad is on the right:
Here we are ending the kata:

For lunch we have bento boxes - and who knows really what is in them. They are good and nourishing. Here is Beth braving the box:
For other karate geeks - testing for Sanchin.

Merriman Sensei, Menkuso Sensei, and Taira Sensei sitting at grading. Merriman Sensei is our dojo head, and Taira Sensei is considered the technical head of the Jundokan.