Green with Envy

Rich has a black belt, but he remembers each of his karate gradings as if it was yesterday. The thrill of graduating from orange to green was tempered by the fact that he was awarded a short belt. A child’s belt. While all the other colour belts could strut around the dojo, their ten to twelve inches of surplus fabric dangling manfully against their gis, Rich, in a belt meant for a seven year old, had to content himself with only a puckish four inches. He never complained to Sensai, but he did get his blue belt in record time.