Taekwondo is one of my favorite forms of martial arts. Taekwondo has changed my life in a positive manner. My journey at JK Lee started when I was eight years old. My dad signed me up for taekwondo. I was so excited. Taekwondo is a form of Korean martial arts, which means the art of the hand and foot.
Before I started taekwondo, I could not stand up for myself, I was not confident and was very shy to start a conversation. However, thanks to tae kwon do, I have become more confident and I have a lot of self-esteem. As a red belt, I had even started teaching low belt kids how to do their form and defend themselves just like how all my instructors used to teach me. I used to look up to instructors and always thought “When will I achieve that level in Taekwondo?” Last year, I learned about leadership. I love helping at low belt classes now and feel good about it. I never knew leadership was so important in life. I am glad I learned that skill to lead a group at JK Lee. When I started as a white belt, I used to debate with my parents, “Why should I go to tae kwon do every day?” But soon that changed and I would ask them to drop me to JK Lee every day. I got more exercise than usual, and it made me feel great about myself. I learned how to stand up for myself. I like the saying, “You are what you look like and you are what you sound like.” This is something I find inspiring and have heard many times at JK Lee. I am really grateful that I did tae kwon do. It has built up my confidence and made me a strong person. I have learned that I should focus on my work and shouldn’t bother about what others say. I used to take everything said by others seriously. I have transitioned from a ‘shy and quiet girl’ to a ‘social girl’. I feel like I belong at school and I have more friends now. Taekwondo has helped me build strong connections with family and friends. For example, on my first day of fifth grade. I met a nice friend that taught me a lot. Although she is not in the same school as me anymore, she changed my life and helped me for five months of fifth grade. After I got my gold belt, I had a dream that I was testing for my black belt. Confident and stronger. To this day I always think, “How can I be a role model to others?” I love helping others, especially in school. When I started sparring, I was excited and nervous, but it has helped me to be strong.
Before starting tae kwon do, I used to do yoga with my mom. Every morning, I greet the sun with a yoga position called “Surya Namaskar.” Yoga has given me a lot of flexibility. At JK Lee I could work more on flexibility and meditation. I usually meditate when I am in a bad mood. It calms me down after a long day. When I meditate in the Dojang, it makes me feel relieved. From the “gray clouds” in life, I have become a “sunny day”. I have learnt to focus, organize, and follow directions. I have started following children’s home rules and would keep a list in my room and would check. “Was this good behavior”? I want to continue Tae kwon do in the future. I wanted to quit after getting my black belt. But why isn’t anyone else quitting? My teacher told us a quote that “If you think you are done, you have just begun.” It is not the end; it is the beginning of my wonderful journey at JK Lee. I want to keep learning and teaching in the future. I want more kids to do Tae Kwon do or other martial arts so they can get stronger and get all benefits from it.
Since the age of six, I have been doing something called The Sandwich Project. This project was started with the aim of providing meals to homeless people at Milwaukee Rescue Mission. As part of the project, I packed bags of lunches for the Milwaukee rescue mission. I really enjoy it and continue to do it every third Saturday of the month. I also volunteer to make lunch bags for the organization called Feed the Hungry, once a month on Friday. We have been making around 250 bags of lunches every month. I really like doing volunteer work. I have learnt to work as a team and contribute to society through this project. Tae kwon do has taught me a lot including discipline, responsibility, and respect for elders. It feels like home at JK Lee. I initially thought that it was only for exercise and self-defense but now I realize that it teaches you to have a good attitude, discipline, etiquette, self-esteem, and confidence. I love tae kwon do because, in every class, I learn something new and feel positive. For example, once I was having a rough day, but after I went to the class, I felt much better. Tae kwon do sometimes gets really hard and tiring, but it is really fun doing all the exercises. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was really hard when I got to brown belt level, so I took a two-week break but soon felt that something was not right. If something is hard or if you make a mistake, it’s okay. We can try again. I have also inspired some of my other friends to do tae kwon do. They really like it. They are almost on their way to get their black belts. Sparring is very challenging, but it makes me stronger and stronger. After a few weeks of sparring, I would come home sore and with bruises. But it did not stop me. After falling down, you can just get back up and do it again. Taekwondo has made me physically and mentally fit. It has taught me to never give up and keep trying till you succeed. I don’t do a lot of sparring but sometimes I make up my own drills when I am not in the class or if the connection is poor.
This pandemic has not stopped me from learning and participating in Taekwondo. When the pandemic started, I was concerned “What will happen next?” and “How will I get my black belt?” “What’s the point of working so hard for many years?” But when I started my Taekwondo virtually as zoom classes, I became hopeful. It made me think that I should not quit but keep working on my forms. I had always dreamt of my black belt testing but not virtually. I like the saying, ‘If there is a will, there is a way.’ This now reminds me of a documentary I watched which was the Panyee Football Club. In this story, the boys overcome all the challenges as a team to achieve their goal. In this uncertainty, our instructors at JK Lee have helped us achieve our goal.
Today (June 6th) is an important day for me. I finally got my black belt after five hours of testing. With sweat trickling down my face, my sore arms and legs during testing, I thought I was not going to make it. But luckily I made it to the final step. I thought it was impossible to test virtually, but after so much practice, I made it. I do taekwondo not for competition, or because my parents force me, but the fact is, this is my choice. I want to continue doing taekwondo. It has defined me and my future.
I would like to thank all the instructors at JK Lee, Brookfield for teaching me and making my tae kwon do journey amazing. I would also like to thank my parents for supporting me. And I am so happy I made it as a cho dan bo/ black belt. I am looking forward to my journey as a black belt.