Taekwondo Journey Essay

My Taekwondo Journey –

The best roller coaster ride ever

The unexamined life is not worth living.

- Socrates

As a black belt and now assistant instructor, I often think about how I got to where I am right now and about what all happened in between starting to practice Taekwondo to lose weight to now actually passing on the what I have learned thus far to others.

When I started to practice Taekwondo I had no idea what I was getting myself into. If someone a few years ago had told me that I would be a black belt at one point, I would have asked them what they are having and if I could have some as well.

Belt promotions were not even on my bucket list when I started, they seem to just happen every time my instructor told me I was ready to progress to the next higher rank. Yet, despite his confidence in me, I was generally nervous and anxious and doubted myself more than anything. Yet, despite my feelings, I think the whole process of earning higher rank(s) has also motivated me in many ways and it has certainly helped me to completely step out of my own comfort zone and to truly start to learn what I am not good at: sparring (and I am still a work in progress).

Everything seemed to move along just fine until I was a blue belt. Things changed. Slowly. I started to be in almost constant pain, every kick to my body hurt beyond belief, I had odd rashes, and every practice became an exercise in overcoming something. After a few months of all this, I finally went to see my doctor and after what seemed a gazillion tests and months later, I was diagnosed with some form of Lupus, which required me to change many things in my life to be able to not have my life controlled by some odd autoimmune issue. In this case...

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...rothers, who have also pushed me along and who will forever be my great role models in so many ways. And most of all, it could not have been possible without the belief that my husband and sons had in me, that I could do and that I would do well. Maybe it was the self-doubt and constantly questioning myself that got me there, I don’t know.

What I do know though is that I am loving every moment of being an assistant instructor now, that I now can truly teach and give back to junior students what I have learned, how I am now able to pass on century-old traditions to others and that I can help those who might be a bit like me in many to move ahead and just do it! What I also know that it just takes someone to believe in someone else, some encouragement and a friendly word here and there that can really make the difference if someone will move on or not!