![](https://www.elinornauen.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBM2srQXc9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--613eab4e72548c3287b80c2d471e82b5881a7f4c/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJYW5CbkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFMZ0FXa0M0QUU9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--d00c0b801be2eac628730b2b4ffb891cbdd69dfe/Black-belt-dinner-2023.jpg)
I'd never gone to one of my dojo's annual black belt dinners, & now I'm sorry I missed so many. I think I didn't want to spring for the required Seido patch but someone who left gave me hers.
The most fun was to get to see so many people I like.
It was also fun to sing our tribute song to our grandmaster Kaicho (whose birthday it was). To the tune of the Temptations' "My Girl," it starts, "We've got sanchin in a black belt class" & whips along to the chorus of "We osu every day. What can make us osu this way? Kaicho (Kaicho, Kaicho). Talkin' bout Kaicho."
I almost wore heels but 5 minutes in them in my apartment was quite enough.
It was a full day of karate, with an informal workout, a class, & then the dinner. Interesting in a "you had to be there" sort of way, I think as I write this.