Surviving the black belt test

March 18, 2006

First, they had to perform the nine forms of Tae Kwon Do, a grueling task that demands the mental and physical precision of a figure skater.

Then they had to endure a 15-minute barrage of questions:

What’s the total number of moves in all colored belts?

What stance has equal weight on both feet?

What stance has 90 percent of your weight on the back foot?

They had to break stacks of boards with their feet and their hands, defend themselves against two attackers, then three attackers.

They had to fight each other.

They had to do all of this knowing if they failed, they failed.

And all the while, one identical twin was so worried about the other, so absorbed in the performance of his brother, he lost focus in himself.

“He said he was worried about me,” said Caleb Farro. “That he kind of forgot what he was doing because he was worried about me. That’s how it is.”

At the end of it all, Chris and Caleb Farro – distinguishable only by a white tag on the back of Chris’ brown belt – could call each other black-belts.

It followed Master Gary Muma’s words: “We’re going to test you to the highest standards.”

Chris and Caleb had been preparing for this grueling Thursday night two days a week for three and-a-half years.

“The pressure was the hardest part,” Caleb said. “It was the longest day of my life for sure. Sitting in school.”

This was an exercise that on Thursday night scrutinized the competence of the Farro brothers’ three and-a-half year commitment to the art of Tae Kwon Do.

“The best part of this was watching the boards break,” Caleb said. “Failing is always in the back of my head – that I won’t make the break. But I did it. It was the first time I’ve broken three. It’s just the beginning, really.”