My Journey To 3rd Degree Black Belt
6/21/24
Here I am once again. Two years of dedication and perseverance have officially led me to this moment. I am about to receive my third degree black belt. These years have felt like an adventure along the way. Now, the questions that may arise in your minds: were there any obstacles that I had to climb over? Did I set any goals and were they achieved? Was this journey fun? Thus, I shall unravel these events leading up to this point.
On July 8th, 2022, I received my 2nd degree black belt during the black belt ceremony. From then on, I set a goal for myself that I would put more effort, perseverance, and commitment into my future training, as well as to achieve my 3rd degree black belt. I realized that now that I was a 2nd degree black belt, I was about to learn new techniques and life lessons that I would continue to carry on today. I was then introduced to my new form, known as ‘Jung Yul.’ The definition of this form is ‘With your noble character, you will develop a new permanence in life.’ Thinking back now, I think the meaning of it was that I would continue my black belt journey and learn new life skills that would be impactful enough that I would use it in my daily life.
Now, every journey a person takes will normally face a series of obstacles that they must overcome. For me, that obstacle was the schoolwork load. I found it difficult to balance homework and Taekwondo while I often had to miss some of my Taekwondo classes during the week. This was very overwhelming for me. Thus, I had to come up with a solution to find that balance between Taekwondo and schoolwork from the past. One of the solutions was to stay on task in class so that I would complete some of my schoolwork in class. Also, after school, I would try not to procrastinate and do homework as soon as possible. Lastly, I would do my big projects during the weekends so I could have less homework and more time to train at the academy. Overall, staying consistent with these solutions, I was able to make it to Taekwondo more often.
No journey is ever possible without the fun along the way. Without fun, the adventure might sometimes feel as if it is losing a puzzle piece from it. Even though Taekwondo takes dedication, perseverance, and hard work, it also needs some moments of fun. My journey was not always easy and sometimes I felt like I was stumbling and had difficult moments. However, the wonderful instructors at the academy have always found a way to make the classes fun.
That kept me going during challenging times. To give a few examples of how fun this journey has been, I was recommended to test regionally back in February at Mr. Raphael’s academy. To give a background story, before the pandemic started, students of ATA were required to test regionally sometime while they were a black belt. This meant they could not test in their own academy, so they had to test in a different academy or at World Championships.
When I realized I had to test regionally for my final mid-term as a 2nd degree black belt, I was nervous because I had to be in a different environment with unfamiliar faces that surrounded me. Luckily, I did not let that stop me. I reminded myself that I was there to test and to have fun. I put effort into my form, sparring, and board breaks. After the test was over, I walked out feeling relieved and having the biggest smile on my face. Another example of a joyful moment I had in my journey was going to a few tournaments. Unfortunately, I did not win anything at those tournaments, yet I was still proud that I got the experience and made friends with my competitors. For future tournaments, I set a goal that I would continue to improve and put more effort into my training. Furthermore, there is one quote that Master Davidson would tell me that I will never forget, and that is ‘To compete is to learn.’
This journey would not have been possible without the most supportive people in my life. I would like to thank my parents for sacrificing their time and driving me to Taekwondo. A big thank you to my sister, who has been the biggest fan of me since day one. I would also like to give a special thank you to Master Davidson and Mr. Raphael, who have been teaching me, supporting me, and guiding me through my ups and downs throughout my 7 years of training. All these people have made a significant impact on my life and have shaped me into the person I am today. Just because I am a 3rd degree black belt does not mean I have Taekwondo all figured out. There is still so much that Taekwondo still has to offer. Therefore, I will still remember once again, ‘There is always more to learn.’