Taekwondo. It’s not merely a hobby or a pastime, nor is
it simply a sport. Taekwondo is an art
form: a way of life. Over the course of
my martial arts education, I’ve learned that fact.
Everyone remembers what it was
like in your first white belt class. The
“purest belt”, you were most likely intimidated by the other belts, staying
quiet, doing as you’re told, and trying to absorb all of the wisdom and
knowledge that you could in one enlightening
I never thought I would get to
where I am today. On my first day as a Taekwondo student, I watched all the
other pupils in awe, stunned by how coordinated and precise the dance-like
moves were carried out. I saw the other
belts and thought, how will I ever get there? Will I be able to do it? Now, I
see, that anything is possible when you have the right teachers, and the
masters at Chosun Taekwondo Academy provide me with all the information and
wisdom I need to become the best I can be.
I remember when I was first being
taught the basics of Taekwondo, one of the rudimentary things that you learn as
a Taekwondo disciple is how to Kihap. When I was being instructed, the master
very kindly told me to yell when I carry out a movement. “That’s called a
Kihap. Eventually, you’ll get your own sound when you Kihap, but for now, it’s
a yell to express strength.” When the master said that, I was thinking, “Wow.
I’m going to get my own sound in Taekwondo”. For quite some time I thought that one day I would Kihap in Taekwondo and a
different new sound would come out. I now know that that was not what the
master meant. What she meant, was not that I would one day sound different, but
that one day I would achieve the confidence to yell as loudly and hard as I
could, demonstrating my assertiveness in the art of Taekwondo. This progressive
assurance in the craft makes it special.
No matter who you are, how old you
are, or where you are, Taekwondo is always there for you. It is a universal art. From the moment you remove your shoes to the
time you put them back on; once you step into the dojang, you know you’re at
home. But do not be fooled, Taekwondo is
not for everyone. It takes courtesy,
integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit, as stated in the
Five Tenants of Taekwondo. Let’s break
these down, shall we?
Courtesy. In other words, politeness. Taekwondo is all about pride, and that comes
with being polite and having respect towards others. Remember, you represent your Taekwondo
academy everywhere you go, so you want to be the best you can be, always.
Integrity.
Having strong moral values and beliefs is important to be a good student at any
Taekwondo academy.
Perseverance. Rising through the ranks in Taekwondo doesn’t
happen overnight. It takes perseverance
to stick with the art and not give up.
Self-control. Taekwondo isn’t an excuse to go pick a fight
with someone. It shouldn’t be used to
provoke an attack against anyone, self-control helps diffuse situations.
Indomitable
Spirit. Tying in with perseverance, one
must be brave, confident, and never give up.
One of the best things about
belonging to an academy or dojang, is that you’re never alone. You will always have a family, you will
always have someone there for you. To encourage, push, and test you to perform
to the very best of your ability. To see
the other students train is an inspiration to me to train harder. Whether I look to a white belt to observe how
far I’ve come, or to a black belt to contemplate what I have to look forward to
and work for, every student, Master, and Grandmaster inspires me. This is what it’s like in the Taekwondo
family, there is always someone to support you.
When test day comes, a mixture of
emotions punctures the air and creates a unique aura cloud floating above the
heads of all the eager students. Anxious, nervous, excited, proud; adrenaline
helps balance the uneven scale of feelings overtaking our already busy heads. When
it finally comes to carry out our poomsae, perform our break…we’re ready. We
know by heart what is expected of us, and this is evident by how we perform.
There is no better feeling in the martial art of Taekwondo than knowing that
you did your best and are rewarded with the esteemed promotion from belt to
belt, dan to dan.
Looking back, I see that although I
have learned a lot from the experienced masters at Chosun Taekwondo Academy, I
still have much to learn. As long as I continue in Taekwondo, I will never stop
learning. Each class brings new lessons on how to correctly carry out the art,
acquiring new knowledge
As a Brown Belt, I look forward to being taught new techniques
in Taekwondo. I hope to continue Taekwondo as long as possible, because I not
only learn defensive techniques, but I also learn life skills that will help
make me a successful person in the future.
I’ve progressed a lot from that timid
White Belt way back last November.
