Except...

[Dave McNeill]

During cane class Tuesday I taped marbles to the bottoms of the feet of 4 people, and I taped three of their fingers down. Now they were roughly at the mobility level of Nicky (fourth from left) who has Cerebral Palsy. An hour of walking on marbles, swinging a cane and defending themselves gave a nano second experience of what Nicky goes through daily.

Nicky is a long standing Black Belt with West Coast Martial Arts, Gardnerville, Nevada. She earned her rank with the aid, suggestions and support of her instructors as they collectively adjusted and adapted all of the curriculum requirements.

Her belt does mean something. It means she didn't quit, it means she figured out how to make things work, it means her school and instructors did not give up on her, it means her school and instructors worked extra hard to adjust the curriculum as necessary, it means her school and instructors displayed the mental flexibility that should be the hallmark of a black belt.

Every student comes to a dojo with some kind of challenge, some more obvious than others. I suspect that Nicky challenged West Coast Martial Arts as much as they challenged her. But there she stands, a Black Belt and a valued member of her dojo.

Nicky will be competing at a tournament this Saturday at the Grand Sierra in Reno.