If you do not know, Robbi and Alden are mean, lean, kicking/punching/blocking/leaping machines. They practice a Korean form of martial arts called Tang Soo Do (pronounced tong sue doe). Which makes them tough and, frankly, terrifying to live with.
This past Saturday, they put on their uniforms and prepared to ride in the Eastern Shore Tang Soo Do float in the Chestertown Halloween Parade.
They were not alone. Tough guys of various rank came along for the ride.
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And why was such toughness and skill necessary that sunny-yet-brisk Saturday morning? The ghouls were out, for one. Robbi single-handedly fought this nasty looking fellow, starting off with a little bit of this…
…and finishing him off with a whole lot of that.
But tall, skull-faced figures in black robes were the least of her concerns. Unbeknownst to Robbi and her fellow fighters, an entire army of zombies were preparing for battle. And by “preparing,” I mean putting in their makeup.
Can you say “terrifying”?
After dropping Robbi, Alden, and Kato off at their float, we came back downtown to watch the parade. The marching band was in full glory.
The Lions Club lion was dressed for the occasion.
And lots of kids were giving their Halloween costumes a second act. My favorite: the mouse caught in a trap.
August was rocking his Manum P.I. The likeness was good, other than the notable lack of thick black chest hair.
The parade was fun. The mood was festive and light. And then…our worst fears were realized. The zombies arrived.
Luckily, the tang soo do crowd was there to handle the crisis.
In fact, up on the float itself, there seemed to be a bit of human/zombie amnesty going on. It was heartwarming. But also troubling. Were the zombies really going to be nice and not eat Robbi’s brains? I wasn’t sure.
Meanwhile, August had the opportunity to learn first hand about fire safety but chose instead to run in the opposite direction.
Eventually, the Tang Soo Do float reached the judge’s stand. At which point, the zombies decided that the armistice was over and that the time had come for a full-scale zombie attack.
Tang Soo Do warriors of various ranks leapt from the float and proceeded to dispatch their undead adversaries, one careful kick and punch at a time.
Eventually, the zombies were defeated. And the judges were relieved. And impressed.
So much so that they awarded the float second place. Much to the delight of the fighters. And the zombies. Who, being undead, promptly got up, took a bow, and went on with their day.